When we think about Thailand, what comes to mind is probably beaches, exotic places, sightseeing, and maybe even Thai massage. But this healing miracle has nothing to do with any of the above.

All cultures in the world have some system of healing. People have always had problems with their bodies due to disease, injuries or accidents, and that will never change. Healers of some kind have always been a necessity for any society. Such healing systems range from shamanic approaches to modern medicine with innumerable varieties in between.

Even in western societies which have officially subscribed to modern medicine as the only healing system, there is a huge subculture of alternative approaches.  Older traditional cultures have relied on such methods for thousands of years since there were no other means available. Read the rest of this entry

Would you be interested in better health, more relaxation, better circulation, greater flexibility, higher levels of peace of mind, an improved feeling of well-being, better ability to deal with stress, and a feeling of being totally revitalized? Yes? Then you are a candidate for a Thai massage. You might get some of the benefits or all of them, but you will certainly benefit greatly. Read the rest of this entry

The answer that comes to mind most easily is “money” – massage therapists can make $60.-, $70.- or even more more per hour. But the focus of this article is everything except money. After having done massage therapy for many years, I know that money alone is not a good enough reason to be in this profession.

Thai massage happens to be my specialty but the concepts in this article really apply to any massage therapist. Every therapist knows the rewards and challenges of this work, and I intentionally choose to highlight only positive aspects in this context. Read the rest of this entry

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