I’m sure you’ve walked past a decent amount of thai massage joints and either pressed on to continue with whatever Westfield shopping centre errands you were running that day, or either stumbled by, wondering ‘what on earth is a Thai massage place doing open at 3am…and where is the nearest kebab?’
It’s a shame that Thai massages can sometimes be so easily discarded as anything more than the punchline of a happy ending joke, but in a time when crazes such as paleo, organic, all natural and no added anythings rule the menus and magazine spreads, it’s difficult to understand why something as ancient, sacred and natural as Thai massage therapy is so over-looked.
Thai massage is an age old practice that fuses together the Ayurveda, acupressure and yoga. Whilst the benefits of such a steeped and mixed history is long and comprehensive, for those looking for a top quality bentleigh thai massage, there are more reasons than you may think:
Physical recovery
Thai massages leverage a wealth of practices, techniques and traditions in traditional healing to relieve tension in your muscles and re-awaken and invigorate your body’s natural energy flow. This force, known in Thai as Nuad Phan Bhoran, is believed to be a a central tenant in physical recovery, especially in modern day life when we spend hours at a time chained to our desks. We also tend to get caught up in fads such as those mentioned above – when really all we need is to look to history.
Time to contemplate
Beyond physical recovery, the mind also has it’s place in Thai massage. As with many traditional beliefs, the unity between mind, body and soul is strong and the simple solitude and mental wandering that can occur as a result of a physical massage is a great escape from the daily rush. At first, it’s typical to think about how strange it is to be face down in one of those beds, but it doesn’t take long before the experience takes over.
Good chat
Without a doubt, the best experience are those which can be experienced with someone else. I remember a spontaneous massage that I had with a friend after dinner in China town a few years ago. She mentioned the idea and in a flurry of ‘yeah, why not?!’ we walked in and relaxed for a good 45 minutes. I remember it well because although we were separated by a fabric curtain, we spent much of our time in their talking and laughing – especially at the fact that the masseuse didn’t mind that my back was peeling after particularly long day under the sun at the beach!
Special – but not like that!
Lastly, if you’re looking for a great gift for that special someone or just want to try something different, then a Thai massage is a great treat. Book one in before a pedicure with your girlfriends, head out with your favourite bro for some serious man therapy or simply put some time aside in your diary to bliss out on your own.
So throw away your preconceptions of Thai massage and enjoy the healing benefits of Thai massage today.
This post was written with support from Four Seasons Spa & Massage.
