What Thai massage actually is
Thai massage is a tradition of its own, not a gentler version of classic massage. In Thailand it is called Nuad Phaen Boran, "ancient healing touch". It works completely without oil, using pressure and slow stretches rather than long strokes. The first time you try it, it probably feels closer to guided yoga than to the massage you know from the West.
Where it comes from: India, Thailand, Wat Pho
The legend traces Thai massage back to Shivago Komarpaj, a doctor who lived around the time of the Buddha, some 2,500 years ago. What is documented is a blend of Indian Ayurveda, yoga and Thai healing knowledge, passed down for centuries in temples and families.
The tradition is held together by the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. In the 19th century, King Rama III had the teachings carved into stone there so they would not be lost. The school at Wat Pho still teaches the tradition today, and serious Thai training leads back to it, directly or indirectly.
The energy lines
At the heart of the Thai view of the body are the energy lines. Tradition counts 72,000 of them; in everyday work, the masseuses focus on the ten main lines, the Sip Sen.
These lines begin in the abdomen and run out into the legs, arms and head. Anatomically they often follow the paths we would now call nerves, muscle chains and fascia. Pressure along the lines is said, in the tradition, to bring the flow of energy back into order.
How the work is done: pressure and stretching
The masseuse's tool is her own body. Her thumbs set pinpoint pressure, forearms and elbows reach the deeper layers, knees and feet give leverage that hands alone cannot. Added to this are slow stretches that recall yoga: forward folds, the twisted butterfly, the lying hip opener. You stay relaxed while she moves you into each position and holds it.
The classical sequence runs from the feet up over the legs, abdomen, arms, chest and back to the neck and head. In 60 minutes you get a good cross-section of it; with 90 or 120 minutes the treatment really settles.
What Thai massage is not
It is not a medical treatment. It does not replace physiotherapy, a visit to the doctor or psychological care. With acute injuries, a slipped disc, thrombosis, a cancer diagnosis or in the first third of pregnancy, Thai massage is either unsuitable or should be discussed with your doctor first.
And it is not wellness fluff either. Behind it sits a craft that takes years to learn. With an experienced Thai masseuse you feel the difference from a quick hotel massage right away: someone is working on you who truly knows the lines, the pressure and the stretches.
Thai massage in Munich
In Germany, Thai massage has found its place over the past decades, first mostly in spa settings, today in dedicated studios with a clear traditional focus. In Munich too you will now find many well-trained Thai masseuses. We work firmly in this tradition and are glad to carry a small part of that story forward.