Massage is the best way to relax the body, mind and soul and to immediately reduce stress.

There are different types of body massage but Thai massage is renowned all over the world. It is one of the most sought treatments , and people travel across Thailand to experience or learn this type of massage, as well as to have a great time there too!

Thai massage is the combination of acupressure, stretching, and yoga done on you, sometimes known as Thai-yoga massage, or ‘nuad phaen bo rarn’ in Thai, which means ‘ancient manner massage’.
It combines both the relaxation and rejuvenation benefits of massage with the therapeutic effects of yoga.
It is important to stay fit to avoid health problems and give one a positive attitude, and Thai massages fulfills both needs.

Thai massage took birth from ancient Indian ayurvedic culture. There are several styles of Thai massages and each has its own advantages. Some even use aromatherapy oil or lotion, although traditionally a Thai massage is performed in comfortable clothes.

Thai massages are being used to energize different parts of your body, and there are different styles from different parts of the country. The northern styles emphasizes stretching, (and sometimes cracking of the joints similar to that which a western chiropractor may do), while the southern style concentrates more on acupressure.

Thai-Yoga massage is unlike other types of massage. The average remedial massage generally aims to manipulate body parts with the attitude to ‘fix’ the body. Nuad Thai  on the other hand looks at the whole person and does not ‘diagnose’; a good practitioner ‘feels Thai’, which means she goes with the flow of energy and ‘listens’ carefully what the body of the receiver is telling her.

Performing a Thai Massage, your practitioner is working on your body as well as your energy lines, incorporating some Yoga Asanas (positions) for specific stretches, which are designed to stimulate the flow of energy through the body.

While most styles of massage use massage plinths or couches, Thai massage is usually performed on a woven mat, or yoga mat on the ground, face down and up, on the side and seated.

Thai Yoga massage involves gentle movements given by the masseur or therapist with hands, feet, knees and legs in order to release the energy and help to let it flow freely. This massage helps to reduce back ache, menstrual pain, headaches and stress.

Yoga Asanas (Sanskrit for positions) help to stretch the body in an energetic way. Similarly, Thai-yoga massage applies stretches to the recipient. This refreshes the body and it increases its flexibility. It encourages participants to meditate during their treatment and find out a deeper awareness about their body. Hence in many ways this is a more active, responsible and enlightening form of massage due to this participation on the part of the client.

Yoga is part of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system that is gaining tremendous popularity all over the world. An aging population has revealed the calming therapies of yoga and massage.

Combining two powerful natural therapies into an effective treatment called Nuad Thai has become the reason for its popularity. Looking at the increasing interest in Thai yoga massage all over the world, many experienced therapists have taken the opportunity to be trained in this form in order to provide a holistic therapy that is so much more than just massage.

Your practitioner will sense this resistance immediately and what is meant to be experienced like a dance, becomes more like a fight or a matter of power struggle, which is unpleasant for both sides.

So what you want to do instead is…

Relax

The problem with that is that some people find it very hard to relax their muscles.

This can have either mental or physical causes or a combination of both:

Mental:
Relaxation is a matter of trust. If you had reason to become a ‘control freak’, you will be facing a challenge here. Remember that what you put in is what you get out. Give yourself permission to be open for the experience.

If you can’t seem to allow yourself to let go, talk to your practitioner who will help you to find a way to become comfortable with her or him.

You can ask yourself beforehand what your intention is to have the treatment. If the outcome you are looking for is more appealing than your need for control or fear to trust, it will be much easier for your ‘ego’ to allow trust as a necessary presupposition.

Physical:
Have you ever really learned how to relax your muscles? Dualism is an interesting thing. We can only experience one thing through when the opposite is also present. Sometimes we get stuck in one side and as a result of that we forget what the other side feels like – we even forget that there is another side. Like when we are really sad, we forget what happiness and joyfulness feels like.

The Nuad Thai Academy has seen people who thought they were relaxed, while most of the muscles below the hips were tight as concrete.

In that case, there is almost only one way out: make it worse! Tauten every muscle you can feel, try to get stiff as a rafter, clench your fists, press your teeth together, tighten everything from head to toe, your eyes even, try to make yourself so tight as if you would condense yourself to the size of an atom. When you feel you can’t hold it no longer, let go. Feel the difference?

A combination:
If you are injured or have a weak spot, like your knees, hips, shoulders or your neck, you might be fighting a dual battle.

In order to spare yourself pain, you are trying to find ways to somehow protect that area. This could mean you put more weight on one leg than the other, you avoid bending your knees or carry your bag on one shoulder only.

When you are about to be massaged at or around that spot, you are almost expecting pain to come – and in a normal massage it probably would, because there is that ‘no pain-no gain’ mentality, which probably has its place too. It is normal that you feel like you have to protect that spot, which will usually result in more tenseness, hence more pain.

As your Thai treatment therapist will explain, there is no room for pain in a Nuad Thai, at least not as it is practised at the Nuad Thai Academy. A traditional Thai Yoga Massage treatment has your health as much as your well-being in mind.

Our approach is holistic, which means it considers the powers that are active when body, mind and spirit work in unity. We also believe that you have everything you need to heal from within and the treatment provides you the support and the space to re-connect with these resources.

In a space of trust, connectedness and revitalisation there is no room for pain, so you don’t need to expect it. If anything is out of your comfort zone or goes beyond a comfortable stretch, let your practitioner know. She or he will adjust the pressure, firmness or even the sequence to suit your preferences.

Through the combination of stretching, acupressure and Yoga being done on you, your body receives signals that trigger this process. If you are open for the experience, you may observe the following effects:

Body

You may start to feel longer or taller, less tense, more flexible and overall ‘lighter’.

When you sweat or go to the toilet, it may smell differently, stronger perhaps. This is part of the detoxification process, where your body gets rid of toxins from nutrition or the environment.

Symptoms like a running nose are indicators for a cleansing process as well; they show that your body is responding well to the triggers, so please embrace them.

If you don’t observe a detox effect, it could mean that you either don’t have many toxins in you or that your body is healing something else first.

Mind

Are you familiar with that merry-go-round that some people have in their head? All those thoughts, racing in a circle like seats of a carousel, too fast to catch one.
Nuad Thai helps to slow that merry-go-round down, so that you can focus on one thing more easily.

Sometimes this can be experienced like a scratch in a record: a specific issue, idea or concept keeps popping up. This often indicates that there is something that needs a bit more attention and focus, something that is unresolved or something that is important to reflect on.

Take it as a sign from your unconscious mind, a hint what you need to focus on to heal from within.

Spirit

Male or female, we have learned to suppress emotions that are publicly labelled as ‘negative emotions’: anger, sadness, fear, grief, anxiety…

Unfortunately emotions that are not accepted have the tendency to come back and bite us in the back. We burst in tears at the most unexpected and sometimes seemingly extremely inappropriate moments or the smallest incident is the last drop that makes us explode.

As long as there is no valve through which this energy can get out, it starts to build up blockages in our energy lines, which manifest in tension or even internal or external physical lumps or bulges.

The space at the Nuad Thai Academy is safe, confidential and non-judgemental. What happens here stays here. There is no right or wrong, there ‘only’ is. Your therapist is trained to deal with emotions that come up and you are invited to let them flow freely. Let go of whatever needs to go, leave it with us and we will take care of it.

In order to provide you that peaceful and meditative space, where you can meet yourself, your therapist will not be making conversation during the treatment. You are asked and invited to be silent as well, which can be challenging for some people.

It takes a lot of courage to face ourselves, even more if we are not used to it or have a successful record of avoiding to look inside or to dig deep. Again, this space is designed to provide all the support you need to start your journey of self-discovery, to re-connect with yourself and heal from within.

What about: “No Pain – No Gain!” ? – Read our thoughts on that here

My intention was to find out why people from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, who had a Thai massage before rate the one they got from me “exceptional”, “..the best in the world…” or “..absolutely delightful!”.

I would love to see more and more people benefiting from this truly magical ancient art and the best way to do that is by setting a standard of excellence and as a result of that making the people who experience a great Thai massage spread the word about it.

As humans we live in a world of duality, which means that sometimes it is easier to appreciate the good when we experience the ugly. I certainly was reminded about that when I started my traditional Thai massage research project.

Within one week I had four treatments in four different places, two in each city. And before you even think how spoiled I must be, I can tell you that some of them were not funny! The experiences I took away from this experiment are on a range between very delighting and absolutely disappointing – one of either in each city.

First stop was Brisbane. More or less coincidentally (more or less, because I do not believe in coincidences any more – only ‘meant-to-be’s') I came across The Temple Thai Day Spa. Spontaneously I decided to try my luck and book in for a Thai massage, because the place looked quite inviting. I was indeed lucky and got one for the same day.

I could start raving about the friendliness, the skilfulness and the professional approach, but I will make a long story short and just share with you that although due to a slightly different emphasis not exactly comparable to the Chiang Mai style that I personally perform and prefer, this was the best Thai massage I ever had!

The Temple Day Spa is offering Thai massage in Wat Pho style, which is a bit different than what I have learned. The focus is more on the pressure points along the sen lines (energy lines), less on the Yoga Asanas (Positions from Yoga), while also incorporating great stretching.

If you are lucky enough to live in Brisbane, possibly in range of  327 Oxley Road, Graceville, I can only highly recommend to invest in a traditional Thai massage treatment at the Temple Thai Day Spa.

On the other hand if you think about getting a foot massage from the Thai Foot Spa, I would like to suggest to think again. I can still feel my blood starting to pump when I only think about my experience there! I went for the full dose of their signature treatment (1,5 hours) – just to get a thorough idea.

How much I still regret it! Maybe it was a communication problem, maybe my standard and expectations are too high (especially after that wonderful treatment the day before). But in the end I was challenged to control my emotions, which ranged (and still range) from utter disappointment and frustration over sadness and irritation to anger and annoyance.

As I said, part of my mission is to accelerate awareness about the many benefits of Thai massage, including the Thai foot massage. I can only imagine how irritated people must be if they come with the expectation the Foot Spa’s website is rousing, only to be treated with such a performance as I had the ‘fortune’ to expereience.

What I liked about it? Definitely the best part was when it was over. And I don’t say this to make you laugh or to be sarcastic. I was actually really sad, because this was the treatment I was so much looking forward to!

What started out nicely became an absolute disaster.

In the end I was released with an unprofessional ‘head massage’ for 1/2 an hour, which was a constant repetition of the same after a while annoying and even painful ‘techniques that went on and on and on. In between there was a little ‘variety’, when my head was turned to one side, continuing with acupressure, partly on points where there are no pressure points at all. At least none that I know of. The whole ‘sequence’ was repeated three times while the other side of the head for some reason only got the ‘pleasure’ of another order on other points for only one turn.

I thought to myself that this incompetence might have been due to the spa ‘specialising’ in the other end – the feet.  Still I would expect a treatment that is on offer to be at least enjoyable, wouldn’t you too?

So I was hoping for and expecting an outstanding Thai foot massage. Again, to make it short and to save me from getting emotional again, it was a great disappointment.

Actually, to be honest I can’t really judge the foot massage, because I did not even have one.

After distributing the oil for what felt like 15 minutes, finally the wooden stick – a typical requisite of the traditional Thai foot massage Nuad Tao – was used to scratch a bit around and over my foot and for some again questionable pressure points on the foot that for a good part  I still can’t see the relevance of them.

No stretching, no thumb pressing, no palm walking, no finger on my feet whatsoever. I really felt like crying.

And I was seriously considering to ask the therapist to stop right there. Had I known that in the end I would feel unbalanced anyway, I would have done so. But so I was hoping to be more even than I was after the head pinning and squeezing. However, it did not happen.

You may wonder whether people ever go back for another treatment and so am I. And maybe you also wonder why I spend so much time on the negative while I only gave a brief wrap about the most enjoyable Temple Thai Day Spa treatment.

The purpose of me doing that is because I want you to be curious to experience the good one for yourself and explain what was missing in the latter to deserve such a feedback.

When you make the decision to find out why so many people rave about Thai massage, which in my opinion is one of the most powerful treatments available, you should get a quality treatment. You will know when you get one when the main quality standards are met and by how you feel afterwards.

Some things you should look out for when choosing a Thai massage provider are listed here.

Research report to be continued for Sydney shortly.

1. Expectations

Your practitioner explains what happens during a Thai massage and advises you about the possible effects on body, mind & spirit during or after the treatment.

2. Safety

He or she makes sure to get an idea of any complaints you may suffer from that may be contra-indicators for a Thai massage or at least some of the movements.

3. Performance

To be effective, a Thai massage treatment does not need to be painful. If you prefer to enjoy and relax, your practitioner should be able to cater for that. In saying that, if you ‘like it hard’, your wish should be respected too.

4. Definition: Traditional

There are a few versions of a ‘traditional massage’ available. Some places will ask you to take of your shirt (which is advantageous if an oil or lotion is used – a feature of the Wat Pho style with an emphasis on the acupressure and for the aroma oil massage), while others (the Nuad Thai Academy included) perform the treatment fully, but comfortably clothed (applicable to Chiang Mai style with a focus on the Yoga aspect and the stretching).

5. Sequence

One of the main features of a traditional Thai massage is that you feel light, fresh and balanced afterwards. Some feel even a bit taller. In order to achieve that, a good practitioner has a sequence in mind that is performed equally on either side of the body. Generally the direction is from the feet upwards.

A great Thai massage provides a performance that resembles a dance, where the treatment feels like a flow of movements that blend from one to the other, where possible without a beginning or an end.

6. Respect

A good practitioner will make sure that he or she will cleanse herself before and after a treatment – physically and energetically. This ensures that no energy is transmitted from one client to another. This can be done through water (washing) or ‘prayer’.

In any case it is important that you have enough time to ‘come back’ and to adjust your senses, especially when you are actively participating in traffic (driving a car, bike or bicycle…). If you feel rushed to leave and make room for the next person, ask for a quite area where you can feel and sense what’s going on with you.

Although best results are achieved from 60 minutes onwards, even a condensed treatment can make a difference in our perception of the day.

In order to give people the option to hop in for a quick refresher, the Nuad Thai Academy is now offering

Thai Breaks

where you can have your personal mini-retreat during your lunch break to chill out, refresh and restore or even increase your energy level.

Choose your favourite from a compressed version of the four most treasured treatments:

Smiling Feet

- if you are constantly or mainly on your feet, standing or walking a lot as you would in a retail position, as a Mum of a crawling or walking toddler, age care, hospital, massage therapist, surveyor, etc…

more details

Back on Track

- if you consistently do work that makes it challenging to maintain a good posture, like sitting on a computer or at a desk for extended hours like you would as a drafter, IT specialist, writer, receptionist, student, etc…

more details

Widdle Your Middle

- stretching, twisting and turning the area around your lower back, hips and thighs to increase flexibility and re-align the spine

more details

CHI Moving

- to slow down the merry-go-round in your head, as it typically happens to business owners, those who (have to) juggle job and family, single parents or parents of multiple kids, those who think about changing careers

more details

‘Nuad Thai’ is a treatment that goes beyond usual massage techniques like kneading, stroking or rubbing.

It combines three remedies that are powerful within themselves:

1. Stretching

Often disrespected as a ‘warm-up’, a good stretching routine is a …exercise program in its own rights. It’s one of the first movements we do automatically when we wake up, feel sore after sitting in the same position for a long time or whenever we need that we are getting tense or need better blood flow.

A good stretch can sometimes be all you need in order to refresh your muscles. While neglected in most other relaxation treatments, it is a crucial element of any good Thai Massage due to its many benefits for the receiver.

2. Acupressure

Shiatsu, the Japanese pressure point ‘massage’ is only one example of how efficient and effective working on certain acupressure points can be.

Reflexology is another methodology that uses pressure points to ease pain in any body part by massaging the reflex zones in the feet or the hands.

The underlying common idea is not to work on the painful areas directly, but rather to remove blockages in the energy lines (‘Sen-lines’ in Thai massage, ‘Meridians’ in Japanese and Chinese Medicine and ‘Nadis’ in Ayurveda – the Indian ‘knowledge of life’) so that the life force ‘Chi’/'Ki’/'Prana’ can flow freely again.

3. Yoga

Here is how Kerry Spina from Kids In Harmony describes what Yoga does:

Yoga is an exercise system that synergizes the body,  the mind and the spirit.  Children feel stronger, more flexible and an over all sense of joy and peace when participating in Yoga classes.

Yoga moves, bends, releases, and empowers bodies of all ages.  It also stretches, and empowers the mind.  It can assist children to have more self control and to let go and feel confident and wise in situations that they may have found challenging.  Yoga brings about a greater sense of purpose and understanding in all relationships – with themselves, their friends, family, community and world.  It can motivate the sporty child to become a better athlete and also give a greater sense of acceptance and confidence to the child that may be perceived or labelled clumsy.

Yoga isn’t about changing the child, it is about refining and nourishing what is all ready there.  It is about bringing to flower the natural beauty and essence of each individual child through the gift and opportunity of having Yoga in their life.

Of course those benefits are in no way restricted to children.

On the contrary, Thai Yoga massage specifically uses the ‘Asanas’ – Yoga positions – to support the relaxation process. This might have been the main reason for Shivago Kumarpaj, the founder of the Thai massage, to incorporate this therapy in his body work, when he put together a treatment that would help the monks around Buddha to increase and maintain their flexibility after long hours of sitting still and meditating.

Putting it together

Each of those methodologies are very beneficial within  themselves. Combined to Nuad Thai Paen Bo Rarn, they make the treatment much more than just massage:

Nuad Thai is Relaxation for BODY, MIND & SPIRIT

On the 14th of June, the Nuad Thai Academy as part of Transition Guidance has moved to Shop 1/91 Bundock Street in Belgian Gardens.

Although I am now easy to find, have much more traffic passing by (well, it really could not have been less!) and am now besides Naturally Healthy, who offer complementary natural therapies, it turned out that this is not an ideal location.

And although sub-leasing and sharing otherwise unused space seemed like a good idea initially, it became quite quickly clear that it won’t work for any of  Transition Guidance’s branches.

My intention as a holistic health and wellbeing facilitator is to provide

• a space with a “Wow”-effect when you come in,
• a feeling that you have entered not just another room, but a space that welcomes you,where you feel ‘safe’ and all your senses are stimulated,
• a place that honours your uniqueness and where you can be who you truly are,
• a mini-cosmos that offers you to enter a world where you (re-)connect with your true spirit,
• a window to your mind and soul.

I am looking forward to providing that space to you and I would appreciate your feedback about what you expect from a place where you go to relax your body, mind & soul and reload your energy. Thanks in advance.

Honestly, who would not take up the chance to get a FREE Foot Massage?

Giving away free massage sounds like someone must have lost their mind, but actually there is method behind this madness:

It is part of the Buddhist tradition to practice Metta – ‘a loving kindness’. And what could be kinder than giving away a massage that is refreshing, re-invigorating and soothing for free?

Still, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the responses. Here are some examples of what people said:

Thank you so much! It was very relaxing and afterwards I could feel the flow of energy starting from my feet upwards! It is also a very sensitive way of massage. I can only recommend it! – Tima

Be open for something new and relaxing – thank you very much! – Ryan

Simply heaven! – Annette

It was very relaxing and my feet feel rejuvenated!

The most energising and also relaxing foot massage I ever had!! – Consuelo

An unbelievable sensation! – Marco

The brief experience today was blissful & delightful. I will certainly see you again! – Jessicca

That was heaven on earth! – Hamish

And there is more: I really wanted to give as many people as possible an opportunity to experience first hand what a Traditional Thai Foot Massage feels like. At this weekend almost 40 people had the chance to get an idea why this specific Foot Massage receives such amazing results in terms of relaxation, well-being and the relief, reduction and prevention of stress.

If this is the result of only around 15 minutes of Foot Massage, imagine how you would feel after a whole hour of Nuad Thai or a Head Over Heels!

The winner of the Introductory Offer will not only experience a Foot Massage as part of ‘Head Over Heels’, but also Nuad Thai – the traditional Thai Yoga Massage, an Aroma Oil Massage and a personal Energy Assessment.

And the winner is…. (drum role)….

Hamish Fairbrother, Hermit Park

Congratulations!

What a beautiful day in Belgian Gardens, when over one hundred people came together to spend a day practising different aspects of yoga, enjoying a nice cup of tea, re-connecting with their friends, family and with themselves and supporting fair trade, gorgeously surrounded by a wonderful garden on the grounds of the Townsville Senior Centre in Ryan Street.

I certainly enjoyed myself when I had the opportunity to demonstrate Nuad Thai and explain why it is more than just massage, how Traditional Thai massage is different from a normal treatment and what makes it so special and beneficial for the body, mind and the spirit.

Lots of people participated in the draw to win an introductory offer, which includes three different ‘massage’ treatments like Nuad Thai, Head Over Heels (feet, hand and head massage) and Aroma Oil Massage as well as a personal energy assessment. Of course there can only be one winner and I am happy to announce that …. drum role please….

the winner is…

Cathy Chapman from Belgian Gardens

Congratulations Cathy. I am looking forward to introducing you to wellbeing the Thai way!

To those who missed out, there is always the next Sundalah, where you could even be the volunteer to experience some Nuad Thai during the demonstration or of course go in the draw again.

There will also be lots of  attractive offers and specials, some new and exciting add-ons like our partnership workshop ‘From Zero To Hero – how to build, maintain and strengthen the bond with your partner through Nuad Thai‘ or interesting products that will support you in finding, maintaining or increasing your balance and wellbeing, so stay tuned and sign up for the Wellbeing Wednesday, the free weekly online magazine for stress relief, stress management and stress prevention.