by Grace Wilson
If you’re hard to please when it comes to massage, you might do well to schedule a Thai massage. If I’m going somewhere new, and not in the mood to pay a bunch of money for a massage that might only be average, I’ve learned to book myself a Thai massage knowing I’ll leave satisfied.

As a recipient of Thai massage you remain comfortably clothed throughout the treatment. Sweats, yoga clothes (no shorts) or scrubs are perfect — you shouldn’t have anything binding or restricting on your body. In most cases you’ll start lying face-up on a mat on the floor with the therapist beginning the 90-minute to two-hour session on your feet and legs. Expect every part of your body to be moved, lifted, twisted and turned throughout the entire massage, as if your therapist is making you do yoga while you lie limp like a rag doll.

The genius of Thai massage is how satisfying it is on so many different levels. It stimulates the flow of energy pathways, clearing blockages and restoring balance. It gently stretches the muscles to create an improved body framework that’s considerably freer of restrictions. And at the same time, it delivers deep, tension-relieving pressure to tired, achy muscles, but in a way that’s more thorough than a typical oil massage.

During an oil massage, while you’re lying on a table naked under a sheet or towel, the therapist must be very careful not to expose certain body parts. This makes it very difficult to work on sections of muscles that are close to the pelvic region. Thai massage is particularly effective at solving this problem. You will likely experience a sense of completeness in the muscle work of the upper legs, hips and buttocks that you’ve never had before, since the therapist will be able to work right up to the muscular attachments to the bones of the hips and pelvis. Since you remain clothed, your practitioner is able to position your legs and hips in any position, allowing access that doesn’t feel invasive of your personal privacy.

In my experience, (and I’m very picky myself), Thai massage never seems to disappoint. Therapists who practice this art realize that it can’t be performed without a high level of expertise and confidence on their part. Basically, if they’re not good at it, they can’t do it at all. Many of the techniques are at the same time complex and simple. If the therapist doesn’t fully understand how to arrange his or her body properly to entwine it with your body, the technique will never come together. It just won’t work. But once a therapist has mastered the art of leverage which makes these techniques so effective, it doesn’t matter if that therapist is a hundred pounds less than you in body weight, it will still be exceptionally good bodywork.

It’s very important that before your Thai massage you communicate to your practitioner any medical issues you may be dealing with, especially if you have limited range-of-motion in any area of your body. People with an average degree of flexibility in their bodies, and yoga students in particular, will love this experience. If you’ve never stretched a day in your life, you might want to get involved in a beginning yoga class for a few weeks before scheduling your Thai massage so you can develop an awareness of how far your body can bend in each direction. And “helping” your practitioner by anticipating how they want to move your limbs and then moving them yourself is absolutely off-limits. If you’re not able to lie down and relax, to be physically limp, to give up control completely, you should not have a Thai massage. You must be able to give up bodily control to get maximum benefit.

It’s got to be difficult to visualize and understand a Thai massage just by reading an article that merely scratches the surface of what to expect. Thai massage is an ancient healing modality in its own right. The techniques have been passed down for thousands of years. There’s a reason it’s lasted so long: it works, and it’s worth trying. Those of you who do try it will likely become converts.

massage photo credits