Therapeutic Thai Massage is a natural method of healing Phone: (612) 599-9058 email: orn@thaihealingmn.com
Thai Healing Therapy
Thai Massage History
Thai massage does not have a written historical record, it is all orally transmitted. Thai massage was established via trial and error. People are able to understand ancient massage because the basic principles remain unchanging. Touching and rubbing are applied for relaxation and for releasing tightness and pain. Beginning in the Ayutthaya period, the techniques mimicked natural human movements and remain almost identical from one generation to the next up until current times. The first international document to mention Thai massage was the memorandum of Simon de Loubere, a French liaison to the Thai Royal court in Ayutthaya in 1661. There are many Thai medical books and manuals about this subject, and they have many theories and divisions.
One such area that has a devoted following is in matters dealing with herbs and holistic medicinal practices. For those who are interested in massage, and even the more modern medical practices of Pediatrics and Ophthalmology, it is very important to know the correspondences between the time of year, the ailment, and the person afflicted.
There once were extensive manuals for individuals who desired to study massage. The devastation of warfare and pillaging caused revered literature to become lost or crumble to ash. Despite the loss of these resources, people throughout the land still practiced and tried to learn Thai medical massage. King Rama III began his reign in 1832, and by royal decree had the people of Thailand accumulate various literature, teachers, and stories about medical massage and commissioned the preservation of this knowledge under one roof, known as Wat Po. Some difficult lessons were forgotten over the ages, or have been omitted. By royal decree, all tablets which portray ancient medical sciences were translated into the present Thai language from the various ancient languages. The knowledge was hand-written as the royal medical text book. Comprised of massage procedures, energy lines and points, it was the first complete record of fundamental knowledge.
Inscriptions of ancient arts and sciences are on permanent display. These include medical science, pharmacopoeia, and massage. There are sixty carved illustrations depicting lines and points in the human body as well as specific massage therapy techniques for various symptoms and ailments. The stone tablets kept at Wat Po allow people to study and learn about traditional Thai massage. The stone itself is a symbol of everlasting knowledge, with the aspiration that people will once again open their minds and be receptive to ancient healing arts.
King Rama IV began to have international relations as early as 1906, exchanging Western culture and ideals. With the growing popularity of Western medicine, people began to forget about their native medicinal practices in favor of pills, drugs, and injections. By adapting to the Western culture, Thai medicine began to decline in popularity. Preference was given to pills rather than traditional herbal remedies, but the practice of massage still played a prominent role.
During the reigns of Kings Rama V and VI, many distinguished masseuses occupied the area. Professional training was not fashionable at this time, the majority learning either from family members who already possessed knowledge of the techniques or from instructors who would privately tutor those who were interested. No formal massage manual existed at this time. Due to a lack of literature the knowledge was gained through experience, and this individualized instruction often led to specialized practice or divergent theories. Later, this division of specialization would lead to distinct schools and followings.
In May of 1962, the first massage course opened at the Wat Po Medical and Massage School. Many skilled massage practitioners from various places were invited to teach, and their own unique techniques are still being taught to eager students today.
In 1991, the former chairman of Wat Po Medical and Massage Association advised the school to implement a standard massage course. Many seminars were held between October and December that year. The conclusion of all eighteen massage teachers was that basic massage lines should be based on the important ten Sen lines. These lines should be easy and common to each practice. The stretching and yoga positions are also evaluated to select the safe ones only. It is left up to the individual to learn the extra positions but to do so with care should they desire to do so.
