Thai massage
The traditional Thai massage (TTM) is a system of massage techniques that is known in Thailand under the Thai name Nuat Phaen Boran ( Thai นวด แผน was ), which literally means “massage according to an ancient pattern”. In Western Europe, it is also called Thai yoga massage . The Thai massage consists of passive stretching positions and stretching movements taken from yoga , joint mobilizations and pressure point massages. In simplified terms, it can therefore be summarized as a combination of (passive) yoga and acupressure .
Ten selected "energy lines" (Thai: สิบ เส้น - sip sen ), which according to traditional teachings should run through the body, are worked on using gentle stretching and the rhythmic pressure of the ball of the hand, thumb, knees, elbows and feet. The Thai massage takes place clothed on a floor mat. It is characterized by its dynamic, powerful aspect. A classic Thai massage routine for a patient without particular complaints consists of at least 77 individual treatment techniques and requires at least 1½ hours, an individualized treatment can take up to three hours.
History and origin
The yoga elements (fish, plow, bridge, tongs etc.) of the Thai massage and the terminology refer to an Indian origin. In terms of their name and course, the energy lines of Thai massage (Thai: เส้น - sen ) are similar to the energy lines ( prana- nadis ) used in India : Sen Sumana (thai - เส้น สุมนา ) - Sushumna nadi (Sanskrit), Sen Ittha (thai - เส้น อิ ทา ) - Ida nadi (Sanskrit), Sen Pingkhla (thai - เส้น ปิ ง คลา ) - Pingala nadi (Sanskrit).
The authorship of the Thai massage is attributed to the north Indian doctor Jīvaka-Komārabhacca (other spelling: Jivakar Kumar Bhaccha). Even today he is revered in Thailand as the "father of medicine" and mentioned in a devotional (Thai: Wai Khru - ไหว้ครู ) at the beginning of the Thai massage ("Om Namo Jivago ..").
Jīvaka-Komārabhacca was a contemporary of the Buddha and in the 5th century BC Lived in India. In the Pali Canon , the ancient Buddhist scriptures of the southern Theravada school , he is mentioned as the personal physician of the Indian Magadha king Bimbisara . King Bimbisara was associated with the Buddha and visited him repeatedly. Jīvaka-Komārabhacca was also in contact with the Buddha and gave him and his monastic community medical care.
The Thai massage must have been handed down in a circle of monks who emigrated from India to Myanmar in Southeast Asia - presumably for many centuries, initially orally in Buddhist temples. This can be done from 3rd / 2nd Century BC BC, because only then did the Buddhist teachings begin to spread in the Southeast Asian region.
There is also the assumption that the Buddhist monks themselves developed the Thai massage to cure themselves from the effects of long meditation positions.
The only written remains of the Thai massage are written on palm leaves in Pali and Khmerscript and were engraved in 60 stone tablets in 1832 by the then Thai King Nang Klao ( Rama III ) in the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok. (Epigravures can still be seen there today). All other evidence was lost as early as 1767 when the ancient Thai royal city of Ayutthaya was destroyed by Burmese conquerors.
Since the knowledge of this art of massage presumably left the Indian subcontinent with Buddhism, it is no longer practiced in India today. The techniques common there are known as Indian yoga massage or Ayurvedic massage. It is conceivable that forms of massage already existed in Siam that mixed with the new teaching, and it cannot be ruled out that traditional Chinese medicine has gained influence on the method over the centuries through trade relations with China .
The traditional Thai massage is also linked to Buddhism in its current practice. It is used with metta (a term used in southern Buddhism for loving kindness). The masters are usually deeply religious people who perform the massage in a state of mindfulness, equanimity, compassion and compassionate joy.
Mode of action
Since the effect of massage has traditionally been traced back to “energy lines” that cannot be reconciled with modern medicine, a distinction must be made between the older assumptions and today's scientific view. At least some of the traditionally ascribed effects are therefore based on the placebo effect .
According to traditional Asian teaching
The basis of Thai massage is the Ayurvedic system of 72,000 energy lines ( nadis ), of which ten ( sip sen - สิบ เส้น ) are processed in Thai massage . According to Ayurvedic teachings, people should be supplied with Prana (life energy) via these energy lines, on which the so-called Marma points (energy points) lie ( known as acupressure points in Japanese Shiatsu ). Prana should be able to be supplied to the body through breathing. In the stretching positions of the Thai massage, the muscles consume oxygen and the person is stimulated to breathe more deeply. Intensive pressure massages also cause increased breathing. A deep breath promotes relaxation and regeneration (increased prana). In the teaching of Thai massage, the pressure on certain Marma points and energy lines corresponds to the alleviation of the following physical ailments, among others:
- a headache
- nausea
- constipation
- diarrhea
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- sleep disorders
- shock
- to cough
- Knee pain
- Back pain
- dizziness
From a scientific point of view
- Pressure point massages stimulate blood circulation.
- The muscles can relax during the stretch.
- Yoga positions affect the skeletal muscular system and affect posture.
- Twists, flexions and stretching of the spine can be intensified by pulling and have an effect on physical mobility.
- Positions in which the legs are raised promote blood and lymph flow .
- The rotation of the joints contributes to the production of synovial fluid and thus to physical suppleness.
- In the deep relaxation, the parasympathetic system is activated, so that the internal organs are supplied with more blood and the metabolism is stimulated.
- Mindful touch can induce physical well-being, and lifting techniques can lead to a feeling of security.
distribution
The Thai massage is practiced in Thailand in a family environment or by local masters for health care and is used for regeneration in hospitals. It is usually offered in a modified form in the tourism industry.
Since the 1990s, traditional Thai massage or Thai yoga massage has also been taught and spread in the West. In Germany, Thai massage is practiced in yoga centers, spas , spa hotels and private practices.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Kam Thye Chow: Thai Yoga Massage . Baden and Munich, 2005
- ^ Pierce Salguero, David Roylance: Encyclopedia of Thai Massage. A Complete Guide to Traditional Thai Massage and Acupressure. 2nd edition, Findhorn Press, Forres (Scottland) 2011, p. 39.
- ↑ David Roylance, Pierce Salguero: Thai Massage Workbook. 2nd edition, Findhorn Press, Forres (Scottland) 2011, pp. 10-11.
- ^ Salguero, Roylance: Encyclopedia of Thai Massage. 2011, p. 54.
- ↑ a b c d Asokananda: The art of traditional Thai massage. An introduction to the art of traditional Thai massage with ... First edition. Editions Duang Kamol, Bangkok, Thailand 1990, ISBN 978-974-210-497-9 .
- ↑ Jivaka. Retrieved April 30, 2017 .
- ↑ Asokananda: Thai Massage: The Art of Traditional Thai Massage - For Advanced . VVB Laufersweiler Verlag, 2000, ISBN 978-3-930954-41-4 ( amazon.de ).
- ↑ Möller, Hubert; Patanant, Montien: Textbook of traditional Thai massage therapy . Munich Jena, 2007
