Thai Traditional Massage

Nuat phaen boran (นวดแผนโบราณ) , which accurately translates as ancient massage and traditional massage is also know now as Thai Traditional massage. It is soothing because of its emphasis on stretching and loosening the body. Its roots go back far into history, originating in India based on the Ayurveda, and has incorporated modalities like yoga. The receiver is put into many yoga like positions during the course of the massage. The massage art was brought over to Thailand by a contemporary of Buddha almost about 2500 years ago.

It is an ancient therapeutic procedure which provides relaxation, balance in the body's various centers, healthy blood circulation, and an overall manipulation of the physical form and structure of the body. Although in English the word massage is used, the essence of Thai  Traditional Massage is very different from what we generally associate with the word. Whereas most traditional western and eastern massage practices focus on tissue manipulation and the working of the muscles and joints, Thai Traditional Massage barely touches on either of these. It is rather a working of the pressure points, energy lines, and basic body forces which together produce a highly therapeutic effect.

Thai Massage does not pretend to be anything like Chinese Acupressure or Chinese Acupuncture. It is a different science. The original precepts of Ancient Thai Massage were recorded in the Pali language of early Buddhist texts. The original practitioners were Buddhist monks in northern India in the Second and First centuries B.C. Prior to modern times in Thailand, the Wats (Buddhist temples) served as Thailand's predominant centers of education, healing and social life. While today some of the Buddhist temples in Thailand and in Laos still maintain the practice of monks and nuns administering Ancient Thai Massage, it is now generally practiced at Thai Traditional Massage centers or institutes which also teach the art.