My first experience
with Thai massage was over twelve years ago while living in the Philadelphia
area. Out of curiosity I scheduled an
appt with a Thai massage therapist with little knowledge of what to expect
beyond it being regarded as a lazymans yoga.
I had received several traditional table massages in the past but this
was something totally different. After
putting on some loose clothing the session began with my feet being cleaned
with a hot towel immersed in a basin of hot water. A prayer to the founder and father doctor of
Thai Massage was quietly recited and the work began.
The work was
exhilarating and unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I felt an incredible sense of aliveness, tranquility,
and clear mindedness afterwards. However
it was the next day that I really felt the effects and benefits of the
work. While playing soccer I felt looser
and moved quicker and with more agility and ease than I had in years. While the therapist who had worked on me
moved away shortly after and I was unable to find another Thai massage
therapist, the experience stuck with me for years. It became something I wanted to learn and
offer to others. When I started taking
classes in shiatsu and acupressure a few years later the opportunity to learn Thai
massage was always in the back of my mind.
In 2008 I was able to
travel to Asia for nearly a year backpacking.
Studying Thai massage in Thailand was one of my main objectives, along
with studying yoga in India. Learning
Thai massage from its source was guaranteed to be an amazing and authentic experience.
It was also significantly cheaper than what one would spend in the states. While visiting the southern Thai island of
Ko Phangan I was able to spend several weeks learning southern-style Thai
massage from Mr. Roeng, a practitioner with a huge lump of muscle protruding
above his thumb from 20 years of experience.
Southern style Thai massage is characterized by a quicker pace and emphasis
on working the energy, or sen lines, of the body as well as pressure points.
Several months later,
while in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, I was able to spend two weeks
learning at the highly regarded Old Medicine Hospital. This school taught northern style Thai
massage which follows a slower, more rhythmic pace while employing more
stretching and yoga like techniques.
Following this I had the opportunity to study with the acclaimed Thai
massage master and healer Pichet Boothume,
His approach was to intuitively approach each person’s body uniquely
instead of working through a set routine that most of the schools teach. He emphasized slowing down and getting out of
one’s head and learning to feel deeply, while utilizing proper body mechanics
using one’s body weight instead of arm strength.
These experiences
learning Thai massage as well as my previous training in shiatsu and
acupressure and western teachings of deep tissue, neuromuscular, sports, and
myofascial massage techniques create and inform my own personal practice of
Thai massage on the floor. For those who prefer being on a table I also
practice integrative table massage utilizing many Thai massage techniques and
stretches. My emphasis is on sports
performance, chronic pain relief, stress reduction, and relaxation.
Regan Pfeifer
www.denverthaiyogamassage.com
