Thai Massage

A unique blend of assisted yoga, passive stretching, and pressing massage movements, Thai massage is more energizing than other forms of massage. It's a little bit like yoga without doing the work.

The origins of Thai massage

The history of nuad boran, or “ancient healing touch,” is older than Thailand, dating back to ancient India, Ayurvedic medicine, and the origins of Buddhism. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian “science of life,” teaches that our bodies possess unique combinations of the three doshas (life energies) which need to be in balance. The path to harmony lies in herbs, nutrition, spiritual meditation, and a special form of massage that focuses on the body’s energy pathways, or sens in Thai. Sometime during the fifth century BCE, Jivaka, a respected doctor and Ayurvedic healer, met the Buddha and became both a follower and his doctor. He also built a monastery. Jivaka’s medical knowledge was passed down through generations of Buddhist monks and their temples, known as wats in Thai. As Buddhism spread from India to what is now modern Thailand, this healing knowledge spread as well, and Jivaka became known as the father of Thai traditional medicine.

Certain Thai temples still double as massage parlors. But if you do venture out to one of the many private salons, don’t worry about fly-by-night operations: Thai massage is regulated by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. All practitioners must take an approved training course and pass a national examination to be licensed. In addition to the actual physical methods, a typical month-long course covers physiology, anatomy, and traditional medicine.