Thai Yoga Massage
Also known as “Lazy Mans Yoga”
Thai massage is always performed clothed, and on a mat or the floor. Recipients are guided through a series of yoga postures when the practitioner moves your body into the pose while you rest and restore into the practice. There is also a combination of abdominal work, breath cues, deep tissue massage, and application of pressure to specific points on the body. This is an active type of massage with different yoga poses which allow for a deeper stretch. This technique differs from a traditional massage but has many benefits to help heal your body.
What is the Difference between Thai Massage and Thai Yoga Massage?
Not Much.
The biggest difference is that Thai Yoga Massage focuses on Bodywork where Thai Massage is focused on energy work.
When receiving a Thai Massage in Thailand, it is considered to be energy work rather than bodywork. The Thai Massage therapist uses acupressure points along an intricate network of “lines” called meridians to stimulate or relax the energy of the body. Thai Yoga Massage recognizes the connection between asana and the movements of this practice. In yoga, there is only one person, the practitioner who does all the work. The passive moments would be in savasana. In Thai Yoga Massage, there are two people involved. The provider who is active and does all the work, and the receiver who is passively accepting of the movements and flow.
Let Go
What to expect from a Thai yoga massage
Unlike most other forms of traditional Western-style massage, the treatment is generally carried out on a comfortable floor mat and you remain fully clothed throughout.
This allows the practitioner to use their feet, knees and hips as well as their hands, forearms and elbows to massage their client. This results in an amazing form of deep tissue massage for the client but with minimal effort from the therapist.
Muscles, joints and acupressure points are stretched and opened to stimulate flow of energy, encouraging more freedom of movement throughout the body. Although the massage is very physical, the overall objective is to bring balance and harmony to the energetic body and mind of the receiver as well as their physical body.
In Thai massage, your muscles are stretched and your joints manipulated just a little more than if you attempted the same moves unaided. This often gives you the benefit of increasing your flexibility, suppleness and range of movement. It can then help to restore balance within and between the major muscle groups, easing pain and helping to improve your posture and reducing the likelihood of getting injured.
How long does a Thai yoga massage last?
Session are any where from 1-2 hours in length.
Each treatment is different and is specifically designed for you. Sessions will always begin at the feet, working up through your body, finishing with the shoulders, neck and head. During this massage, it is optimal to be in silence and feel the flow of the postures as a form of meditation.
Is lying on the floor comfortable?
You are not JUST lying on the floor. Remember you are moving. Typically there are four positions you’ll be placed in during a typical Thai Yoga Massage:
Lying on your back
Sitting up
Lying on your side
Lying on your front
There is a futon mat that is thicker and padded and surprisingly comfortable to lie on. Remember, your body is being moved by the provider so you will never be in one position very long. The provider is also using cushions, bolsters and pillows for extra support as well as blankets to keep you warm. Generally, people are so comfortable that ehy will fall asleep at some point during the massage- even when being put into deep (amazing) stretches. Will you be comfortable? We hope so, because it’s amazing what happens when you just slow down, let go and allow someone else to do the work!