What Makes Thai Massage Even Better?

Is traditional better than non-traditional?

Thai massage has almost a certain mystique about it. It sounds exotic and it looks quite amazing with all those stretches and yoga-like positions. It is the only massage system that I am familiar with which is branded as “traditional”. Whoever heard of ‘traditional’ Swedish massage or ‘traditional’  sports massage? But Thai massage is promoted as ‘traditional’, implying that this makes it somehow better than non-traditional.

Actually the truth is just the opposite. Some of the very best Thai massage teachers I ever had were all very much non-traditional. They developed their own style, they were very creative, came up with modifications and significantly diverged from the ‘traditional’ style that is taught in most schools in Thailand.

Tradition is not necessarily a good thing. It can be just a synonym for an unwillingness to change, grow and expand. Sometimes it can be nothing more than a limitation. I have observed that many Thai massage students here in Thailand build up almost a cult atmosphere around certain teachers. They put them up on a pedestal and they can do no wrong. Whatever they do is the only ‘right’ way to do it.

Looking at possible improvements:

It is useful to take a step back and analyze Thai massage or any therapeutic system with some common sense. If you live in Thailand for a long time you get to find out the good and the could-be-better elements of  Thai massage. Here is a short list of some of my observations and non-traditional solutions that can improve it:

From mechanical to creative

1. Thai massage is mostly practiced in a very mechanical way, starting at the feet and ending up at the head by following a routine sequence of moves. Many times I requested that a therapist work on a certain area, lets say my shoulders. But almost in every case they just proceeded to do their usual routine. They could not imagine doing anything really differently. So some creativity and intuitive modifications can be a big improvement.

Thai massage tradition versus evolution

2. Most Thai massage sessions consist of mostly leg work and relatively little upper body work. The traditionalists argue that this is because the Thais used to work in the fields a lot and needed mostly leg work. Well, maybe that was so at one time, but today most Thais who live in cities work desk and computer jobs just like their western counterparts, or they drive vehicles or have some other sitting occupation. That means  they have back, shoulder, and neck problems.

If the work environment changed over time, what’s wrong with Thai massage evolving with it? Nobody would argue that the Thais should follow old traditions and go back to plowing fields with buffalos instead of their modern jobs. Thai massage could use more sophisticated back, neck and shoulder work. The ones who are doing more of that are often westerners who feel no obligation to follow tradition and who had the opportunity to study other massage modalities.

Neglected areas in Thai massage

3. Thai massage almost never touches the abdomen. Although there are some techniques taught in Thai massage schools, they are uncomfortable, often painful, and are almost never practiced in your typical massage shops (which is a good thing). However there are massage modalities that work on the abdomen very effectively, specifically Chi Nei Tsang and Shiatsu. Some of those techniques can very easily be built into a Thai massage session and improve it greatly.

Replacing some direct pressure with more motion based movements

4. Thai massage uses mostly linear, straight down  pressure which is applied with thumbs, hands, forearms, elbows and knees.  This can sometimes feel a bit heavy or even painful. There are those that subscribe to the “no pain no gain” motto, but others shy away from Thai massage because they prefer a gentler approach. Most linear pressure techniques can be modified or replaced by circular or rocking motions which eliminate the risk of pain completely.

Making a good thing even better

These are some examples how Thai massage can be improved. Of course there are some highly talented practitioners in Thailand who can do all of the above. My observations are based on the typical massage shops which is where most Thai massage takes place. Of course there are exceptions, and the more exceptions there are, the better it is in my mind.

Just to make this clear, I am not saying that Thai massage is a bad system. What I am saying is that a good system can be made even better by not clinging to tradition too closely. The world is evolving and changing and so can massage. We can always learn more, become more creative, intuitive, and flexible. If tradition gets in the way of that, then it is a label that we do not have to hold onto.

You can see some of the above mentioned modifications in my youtube videos.

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