People often ask, what exactly is Thai Massage? My favorite answer is this: While laying fully clothed on a comfy mat, I do yoga to your body!
As a long time yoga instructor, I am obviously a huge fan of the practice. It is beautiful to watch students slip out of their furrowed brows and cluttered mental headspace, to focusing on the sensations their bodies are experiencing through Asana (yoga) practice. The beauty of Thai Bodywork is that the recipient is encouraged to fully relax the muscles, while tuning into the the feeling of being manually stretched and twisted by another. This allows for deep connection of breath to sensation. It also allows one to tune in more deeply, to become intimately aware of hidden areas of tension, without the veil of their own muscle engagement. The hardest part for the client is fully relaxing and letting go! However, through a series of compressive movements, rocking stretches and twists, the process flows into that direction: letting go.
It was a natural progression to move towards Thai Bodywork. I have been practicing meridian work (compressive movements along energetic lines that run throughout the body) with foot pressure, through Traditional Ashiatsu since 2017. Many eastern practices believe that all discomfort and dis-ease come from blockages within these meridians. The goal of both Thai Massage and Traditional Ashiatsu is to create open channels for energy to flow freely. The results of these sessions are unparalleled!
The world has so many healing modalities to offer. I am a humble and grateful, forever student who’s happy to share everything I learn with our beautiful TwinPorts community.
Emily at the Sunshine School - Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2019
