Modern life and our eating habits can be stressful to our systems, and if we don’t act, these stressors can take a toll on our minds and bodies. So whether it’s an overload of chocolate from the Easter binge, your office chair makes your back beg for mercy, or another long day with the boss makes your head throb, traditional Thai massage may be just what you need.
The benefits of Thai massage may be very 21st century but they have their roots in ancient Eastern practices developed over thousands of years. It’s all a long way from the experience you might have had of standard, Westernised massage.
Performed on a special Thai mat in loose-fitting clothing, a therapist stretches out your body through a series of techniques similar to yoga poses and applies pressure to specific points along the energy lines of your body.
Thai massage is great both physically and mentally. It can increase flexibility, improve muscle tone, boost mobility, release muscle tension, correct poor posture and combat stress. How? Well, traditional practitioners believe that by helping energy to flow freely around the body once again they’re able to alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain and improve mental wellbeing. And if that makes you ready to dismiss all of this as Eastern mumbo jumbo, you might want to check out the research before you act in haste – there’s peer-reviewed, scientific, hard evidence to back-up the claims:
A 2015 review of clinical trials found that every published study reports benefits in post-treatment pain reduction. Some research concludes that traditional Thai massage leads to a decrease in pain of up to 80% with the benefits retained for over three months at a time, including improvements in muscle tension, flexibility and even anxiety. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25682523
Findings published in the International Journal of Neuroscience suggest that massage therapy has positive effects on the hormones and chemicals that regulate moods by lowering cortisol and increasing both serotonin and dopamine. This powerful triple action can help reduce depression and promote happiness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16162447
Of course, beyond the dry science, Thai yoga massage also just feels really, really nice. Guided by a trained therapist, purposeful stretching combined with well-established pressure techniques helps soothes the muscles and improve blood circulation, leaving you relaxed and calm, ready to take on anything.
Welcome to pain and stress management, Thai-style.
We invite you to come in and experience the magic of a Thai yoga Massage for yourself. To book your Thai yoga massage at Castle Thai Spa, click here.
