Her hands going up and down my back, shoulders, legs, reading my body, learning my personal history of stress and trauma, an unspoken, intimate truth of where I am coming from, who I really am.
What’s nicer than human touch? The feeling of a person very close to you physically, with a loving predisposition and, I might say, energetically open, seeking to get to know you in a very soft, caring and professional manner.
Semi-naked, prone and supine, there is a certain vulnerability in receiving massage or bodywork. Giving this wonderful gift takes a natural predisposition and many hours of training and experience. Receiving it, in my opinion, is also a practice of awareness, a mode of surrender, a wonderful way to connect to Nature and the Soul, through the hands and presence of another human being.
I feel very privileged to be living in Thailand. Moving to the other side of the world is not something I could have ever imagined as a child but here I am. The lush tropical weather, dramatic sunsets, wild natural beauty, a welcoming and laid back Buddhist culture, and regular massage.
As a world traveler into holistic therapies and very much open to touch, I tried many modalities. I had practitioners walking all over my body in China. Blind male masseurs use a higher, rather special level of intuition in Cambodia. In Myanmar I received a massage from a 80 years old grandmother, with no teeth and the biggest smile you could imagine. Indian Ayurvedic treatments? Oh yes. Chi Nei Tsang, Balinese or Swedish oil? Bring it on. Craniosacral, reiki and energy healing? I am all yours.
One of my favourite things in Koh Phangan, besides the many yoga and holistic classes and workshops is Thai massage. The really strong version I get from the Papaya shop in Srithanu, where the pain is so intense I scream and release tension, physical and emotional stress.
Have you ever cried during a massage? I was so lucky to be taken care of by Papaya, the lady herself, 3 times in a row recently. This means that as a regular client, Papaya decided to put her learned, strong hands on my thin body. The effect, surgery like. I felt a bit shaken and emotional in the evening following her work, like if I had a cleanse or strong detox. I am not jocking, the feeling of being physically taller, my legs straighter, my spine longer, a sense of heightened awareness, presence and sharpness of mind I derived from her 3 serie treatment is, to date, unparalleled.
I receive massage at least twice weekly so I switch from traditional Thai to strong or sometimes more sensual coconut oil (locally produced). Alongside my Asana Yoga practice and regular physical activity, massage is very much a routine for me. One that I miss terribly when I temporarely leave Thailand for Europe, as a good massage there could be north of EUR 80.
I can tell pretty much immediately if the practitioner is very skilled or more of a beginner. And, more importantly, if they are present and focused or distracted and tired. Because the art of receiving a good massage is on me. I am fully responsible for this two persons communication and I have a way to create a certain awareness, an energetic ability to feel the therapist which is indeed the fruit of true love and appreciation. If I connect with the masseuse and create presence and awereness, I never get a bad massage.
Another remarkable session I will always remember is from the OK Massage shop. A small structure off a main road, the name doesn’t really inspire confidence or trust. The male practitioner there, oh boy, he cracked every single bone in my legs and back. At the end of the session, I am sitting on the bed, he is behind massaging my shoulders. “Sir, relax your neck now, soft soft” and with both hands he twists my head sharply left, and then right, really quickly and all the way,. Have you experienced your neck cracking? The feeling of relief, wellbeing and I’d say, freedom, that comes with it?
In Thailand massage is an integral part of local traditional medicine and taught from parent to child. Self help and home remedies set in a holistic, naturalistic system of healing include herbs and preparations, food and indeed, massage therapy to restore the balance of body including mind and spirit.
Talking to Jarunee, a rather striking individual on the island, I discovered she learnt massage from her mum and this ancient art is traditionally practiced, with love, on family members first.
Legend says that Thai massage originates from Shivago Komarpaj, a practitioner who lived 2500 years ago. Originally from Northern India he apparently was a friend and personal physician of the Buddha himself.
Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian influences were blended into modalities that include herbal steam bath, herbal compression, postpartum rejuvenation and herbal remedies, grounded in Buddhist spirituality and wisdom. Modern Thai medicine carries its own weight, it is being recognised at a Government level and applied in many hospitals around the country.
A rather progressive, integrative model means allopathic doctors and Thai traditional therapists work alongside to offer the best possible support to patients.
Scientific institutions do not allocate much funding to studying natural therapies, unfortunately, yet there is a scientific review showing massage therapy is beneficial to support prenatal depression, autism, skin conditions, pain syndromes including arthritis and fibromyalgia, hypertension, autoimmune conditions including asthma and multiple sclerosis, immune conditions including HIV and breast cancer and aging problems including Parkinson’s and dementia (see here).
I don’t think I need to convince anyone that touch and massage are good for the body and soothing for the mind. Feel good hormones and a sense of being taken care are healing, wholesome wellbeing. My real input here is that massage, the way I experience it, is great for the Soul too. What, don’t you feel the presence of the Soul?
You might think Thailand is a fun and beautiful country, with great food and a happy vibe. Well, if you need any more reasons to come and visit me here, come for a massage and bodywork retreat!