The Key to the Magic Touch

During more than a decade of practicing and teaching Thai massage, I have learned a lot about the magic of touch. I know it is there, I have seen it, felt it and experienced it, and I don’t need proof other than my experience.

I am writing this from my perspective of living in Thailand where people are less intellectually inclined and much less obsessed with scientific proof for everything. I am not claiming to be right – I am only offering a perspective from an angle that diverges from western thinking.

There are lots of articles and studies that all try prove the validity and the benefits of massage and touch. It is a bizarre western phenomenon to demand that everything needs to be proven to the satisfaction of the scientific community.

Prove your love…

Imagine this scenario: Girlfriend tells boyfriend: “I love you” . Boyfriend retorts: “That sounds great, but are there any scientific studies that validate the concept of love?”

Girlfriend  is bewildered: “But darling, I feel it in my heart!” Boyfriend says: “That is all good and well, but I need some kind of proof that this love thing is working all the time. If you can come up with some double blind studies verifying the concept, backed up by some recognized authorities from high level universities, I will go for it.”

Girlfriend says: “You are nuts, you have a heart of stone and the feelings of a robot. I will find myself a man with a heart.”

What happened to common sense and the value of personal experience?

This sounds like a weird story since nobody in their right mind would think of doing something that ridiculous. But it is really not so different from demanding scientific proof that touch and massage are beneficial. Anyone who ever had a good massage session knows that it feels great, relaxes you, and makes you feel so much better.

Eastern and western definitions of massage benefits

If you ask a therapist in Thailand about the benefits of massage, you will get an answer along these lines: “Oh, massage is very good, it is relaxing, good for your energy, good for your health.” And that would already be an elaborate explanation.

If you ask a western therapist about the benefits of massage, chances are he or she will launch a scientific explanation, cite all kinds of studies and research, and tell you about muscle tone, heart rate, chemical changes, immune system reactions, and lymph flow just to name a few.

How much proof do you need?

Does it really add anything to your massage experience if you know how much seratonin and dopamine levels change, how much of  this or that chemical is produced in your body, what some white coated researcher found out in his lab, and what the double blind studies revealed? Most likely not.

There is nothing wrong with knowing about those studies, but there is something wrong with requiring scientific evidence for very obvious things like feelings of love, the experience of a good massage, or the delicious taste of a juicy ripe mango. These are all examples where personal experience and common sense should be good enough.

Some things in life can only be experienced

 There is a magic in our minds when we have a strong beautiful feeling. Do you remember being really in love? Do you remember holding your newborn baby? Do you remember biting into that perfect apple pie? Do you remember having this great massage? Do you need anyone’s approval for your feelings? Would you let anyone talk you out of your feelings or experience?

We think too much and feel too little, and often we use our brain where we should use our feelings and intuition. Some things in life are magical, sacred and precious, and they do not need to be validated or dissected with our intellect.

The magic of touch is one of the most wonderful experiences in life. Think of the touch of a lover, the heartfelt embrace of a close friend, crying on the shoulder of a compassionate person, holding and stroking your baby,  seeing the pure pleasure of your dog or cat when you rub their belly, and that heavenly massage you once received.

The magical prescription

The magic of touch can only be experienced through relaxation and surrendering to the magic of the moment. If you try to process it with your mind and rationalize it scientifically, it will elude you. You might end up knowing all the reasons and benefits of massage, but the only thing that really matters, the actual magical experience, will be filtered out by the activity of your mind. Here is my scientific prescription for benefiting from massage: Feel more and think less.

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