Thai massage - 1 hr costs about $3.50

Most people who visit Thailand are impressed by Thai massage because it is so different. Western massage generally does not use much stretching, whereas Thai massage is sometimes called “lazy man’s yoga”. Some of the positions can be quite challenging, and they are  often similar to yoga positions. There are forward bends, back stretches, spinal twists, traction moves, and leg stretches, all in many variations.

Foot Massage next to sidewalk in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Massage in Thailand is a very different experience from the west where massage is done behind closed doors in a private room, with clean sheets, soothing music, and a professional and licensed therapist. In Thailand most massage shops look very different. Some are out in the open with just a roof over the area or even on the beach. In many shops you can see the massage happening through a window while you are walking by on the street. Since Thai massage is done fully dressed, there is nothing revealing to be seen. Massage in Thailand is not a very private affair.

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We are all born with a need to be physically touched (see first article). And then most cultures train us not to touch each other. Some years ago researchers conducted an experiment. They went to different countries and just sat down in a cafe or restaurant and observed how often people touched each other. The results varied widely. Brazilians and Italians touched over a dozen times per hour, Americans a couple of times per hour at best, in England not at all.

If you break the touching rules of a culture, people will see you as strange or even threatening.  Unless you are with good friends, family, or you are in a profession like massage therapists, touching is often taboo. However some people break all those boundaries and with their enthusiasm infect others to come out of their shells and exchange heart felt hugs. Read the rest of this entry

Heavenly Head Massage

There is a lot of information available about the benefits of massage. It has been scientifically established that massage is good for your body.

I am lucky to live in a place where massage is not a luxury. At about $5.- an hour there is little reason  not to indulge regularly. My personal measure for good massage is being able to fall asleep during the session.

In my many years as  a massage therapist, I have seen a lot of people fall asleep during my sessions. It became very clear to me that this was not normal sleep, but another, much deeper state. Image you are sleeping in your bed at home and someone starts to rub you, move you around, and squeeze your muscles. You would instantly wake up. Read the rest of this entry

touch feels great!

Language is sometimes not sufficient to convey meaning. Let’s look at ”love”. You can love your wife, your children, your job, your cup of coffee in the morning, your new hunting rifle, God, or your country.

Clearly loving God is a very different concept from loving your job.  Loving your wife is a totally different emotion from loving your new hunting rifle. We use the same word “love”, but its meaning changes depending on the context. The word by itself  does not have meaning.

Now let’s look at “touch”. Your laptop has a touchpad. That’s a very mechanical, non-emotional concept. You can touch someone’s body. That could be anything from friendly to sensual to sexual to painful to lethal depending on the kind of touch. Read the rest of this entry

A Buddhist nun gives alms to a monk

When we visit another country, it is easy to assume that our values apply there also, or that other people think like we do. This can lead to very embarrassing situations when we find out that we just unknowingly insulted someone or made a fool of ourselves.

Here is a list of Don’ts in Thailand:

• Never say anything negative about the king. This can land you in jail or get you thrown out of the country.
  
• Don’t say anything negative about monks. Although everyone in Thailand knows that not all monks are saints, they are still highly respected and fulfill a very important function in society.
• Don’t show anger or impatience. If you do, you will not accomplish anything and you will  ‘lose your face’, meaning that any respect that the Thais might have had for you is gone. It is not acceptable to show strong emotions, especially the negative kind. Read the rest of this entry

Thais love food! It is everywhere. No matter where you are in Thailand, you are almost always within walking distance of food. In many western countries you have to drive for miles to find something edible, but here it is everywhere. Restaurants, food vendors with carts on wheels, mini restaurants set up on motorbikes with sidecars, food markets, food stalls, floating food vendors, grocery stores, supermarkets… You can always find something to eat regardless of the time of day or night.

Food in Thailand is so important that a common way of greeting someone is “did you eat already?” You see people eat in public at all times and in all places. Eating is not considered a private affair. Read the rest of this entry

Thai massage is part of a family of Asian healing arts – Japanese Shiatsu, Chinese Tui Na, Indian Yoga Therapy. They all share common elements which distinguish them from Western Swedish massage.

• They are performed fully clothed, generally no oil is used. Therefore the technique has to be different from oil massage. Instead of long massaging strokes, pressure is applied by thumbs, hands, knees, forearms, or feet.
• Asian healing arts all incorporate the principle of  ‘energy’ – “Ki” in Japan, “Lom” in Thailand, “Prana” in India, “Chi” in China. The idea is that the physical manipulation affects a subtle energy flow which in turn aids the healing process. Western massage is more focused on anatomical principles like structure, muscles, and tissue.
• Asian massage techniques incorporate much more physical manipulation than Western Swedish massage.  There is stretching , bending, twisting, and traction. Thai massage is often quite similar to yoga poses.
• Unlike Western style massage which is done on a massage table, Asian massage is mostly done on floor mats. Read the rest of this entry

As you can see, here is a genuine ‘money tree’, actually several of them. They grow up rather quickly in many places in Thailand. Now I have to admit that the growth of the tree  has less to do with fertile soil than with the generosity of the Thai people.

‘Money trees’ are set up in a public place, like here in a fruit and vegetable market. People then place money on the tree until it grows into a very expensive tree. The purpose of this is to support a temple project such as a new construction or a renovation project or another pious cause. Read the rest of this entry

Once I was traveling in Mexico, and I met a girl from Spain. Like me, she was backpacking around the country and we spent a few days hiking and sightseeing together. Then we both continued on our separate ways. When we said our good byes, she kissed me on the cheeks, and I hugged her. Both of us were a little surprised and uncomfortable.

In those days I did not know that kissing on the cheeks is a normal way of greeting in several European countries. And she did not know that hugging is quite a normal exchange among friends in the US. However in the US we do not kiss on the cheeks when we greet someone and in Spain people don’t hug casual friends. So I was a little surprised by her kiss and she was surprised by my hug.

Now I live in Thailand, and touching is an interesting subject here. Girls often walk around hand in hand, and men sometimes put their arm around the shoulder of an another man in a casual way. In social gatherings Thais often have body contact, but  only in a casual way.

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