 Thai Yoga Bodywork
Lotus Palm: The Mindfulness of Touch
One of the ancient healing arts of traditional Thai medicine (along
with herbal medicine and spiritual meditation), Thai massage is a
full-body massage, performed on a floor mat, with both parties in
loose, comfortable clothes. It incorporates t'ai chi moves, rhythmic
motion, palming and thumbing along sen lines (energy lines), gentle
stretching and the conscious use of breath. The practitioner uses her
hands, feet, arms and legs to guide the recipient through various yoga
postures, while remaining focused on their own body-center. This
combination of movements and focused awareness creates a slow, flowing
"dance" around the recipient's body.
"Thai massage is a well-respected and proven healing art that's quickly
gaining popularity in the West because of its meditative approach and
its application of yoga's well-established benefits," said Kam Thye
Chow, founder of Lotus Palm, one of the first North American schools of
Thai massage, located in Montreal, Canada.
Chow, originally from Malaysia, has taught classes worldwide and
written books on the practice of t'ai chi and massage. He views Thai
massage as having far-reaching applications, and refers to the
technique more accurately as Thai Yoga Bodywork because of its varied
influences and appeal. "Yoga practitioners are finding it adds a whole
new dimension, complementary to their practice. Nurses,
physiotherapists and massage therapists are adding to their training
with this technique. Also, the gentle opening and stretching of the
body provided by the massage has improved the performance of athletes,
martial artists and dancers," said Chow.
Thai massage has been described as assisted Hatha yoga. During a
session, the practitioner pays careful attention to the recipient's
level of flexibility and breath as they gently move the individual into
different poses. Each pose is designed to open up the body and allow
energy to flow freely along the sen lines (72,000 of which have been
mapped out, although 10 major ones are focused on in Thai massage).
This "opening" increases joint mobility and flexibility, improves
circulation, tonifies organs, and relieves muscular and emotional
tension.
Energy in Motion
Working the energy lines is the basis of Thai massage. Thai medicine is
based on the belief there is an intrinsic life force or energy (prana)
that circulates within the body. To create health and vitality, it is
essential to allow this energy to circulate freely. When prana is
blocked or restricted, sickness or disease results which can manifest
physically, emotionally or even spiritually. The main purpose of Thai
massage is to clear such blockages and allow energy to flow along the
sen. Although not based on the Chinese meridian system, the sen line
system is very similar.
By working the body physically and energetically, Thai massage produces
a highly therapeutic effect that helps relieve common conditions such
as low back pain, arthritis, headaches, digestive difficulties,
menstrual and menopausal problems and stress-related conditions, as
well as provide an overall sense of relaxation which helps people to
deal better with emotional issues.
Though very dynamic, Thai massage is deeply relaxing, enabling the body
and mind to rebalance naturally. As with any yoga practice, blood and
lymph circulation are increased and internal organs are stimulated, all
helping to strengthen the immune system, rebalance the endocrine system
and clear toxins from the body. In addition, the variety of stretching
and joint isolation exercises helps to increase joint mobility and
flexibility. Since the technique respects each person's body type and
level of flexibility, Thai massage is ideal for many individuals.
Synchronizing Movement and Breath
The stretching and energy line work in Thai massage is important in
helping to lengthen muscles and make them more flexible, supple and
less prone to injury, while joints benefit from a greater range of
motion. Stretching also increases capillary density, thereby helping to
address ischemia and promoting the release of lactic acid. This is
particularly important in our culture that tends to emphasize more
aggressive muscle movements resulting in the production of large
quantities of lactic acid in the muscle fibers. In addition, studies
have shown that stretching can raise the temperature of a tendon, which
can have a protective effect via increased skeletal muscle tensile
strength. The stretching in Thai bodywork also releases endorphins,
further promoting a relaxation response.
Conscious use of breath has been proven to reduce both physical and
emotional tension. In Thai bodywork, practitioners learn how to make
clients more aware of how they use their breath and of areas of tension
where the breath is impeded. As well, practitioners themselves are
trained in how to use their own breath to facilitate transitions
between postures, work with different body types, and to calm and
synchronize their breath with the client's for deeper concentration and
awareness.
Thai bodywork's emphasis on body awareness has also helped
practitioners avoid many of the injuries common to bodyworkers today.
Since the massage focuses on both the practitioner's and client's body,
it allows for a session that places comfort and safety first. The
importance of self-care is emphasized and integrated with the notion of
creating a smooth, flowing session incorporating natural transitions
that avoid straining either the practitioner's or the client's body.
These transitions, based on the practice of t'ai chi, are essential to
what Chow refers to as the "dance" of Thai massage -- the flowing
movement and regular breath, the sense of moving from one's center and
using one's weight vs. strength to avoid joint pain or injury. In this
way, Thai bodywork respects the body's natural rhythms -- both external
and internal.
The Lotus Palm Tradition
To understand where Thai massage is today, we return once again to its
origins -- specifically, to the founder of Thai massage, Jivaka Kumar
Bhaccha, a personal physician of the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago.
Thai massage, in fact, developed within the environment of Buddhist
temples, reflecting the spirit of metta (unconditional love and
compassion) and vipassana (moment-to-moment awareness). As a practical
application of these two forms of meditation, Thai massage emphasizes
that, in its deepest essence, the massage is a meditative healing
experience for both the recipient and the practitioner. Sessions in
Jivaka's time were known to last several hours as part of a regular,
spiritual practice.
Chow saw the importance of bringing the practice of Thai massage back
to these more spiritual roots, though he also understood the need to
develop a form of massage specifically adapted to Western bodies and
needs.
"In Asia, people are generally smaller, more flexible and often squat
or sit cross-legged on the floor," he explained. "Also, people in
Thailand spend a lot of their working time in fields or doing some
other form of manual labor. For this reason, Thai massage there focuses
75 percent on the lower body and legs. In the West, people sit more,
and their bodies are generally taller and heavier. In addition, they
spend more time at desks and computers. Also, because of the nature of
our lives in North America, lengthier yoga-massage sessions are no
longer practical." Chow decided that Thai massage in the West would
need to divide its focus equally: 50 percent on the lower body and 50
percent on the upper body, within a 60- to 90-minute session, vs. the
typical two-hour (or longer) sessions in Thailand.
"When I first came to North America, one of my teachers told me that
any session less than two hours could not be called Thai massage," Chow
said. But, after practicing and teaching in the West for five years,
I've realized that it's better to teach an art that people can
practice. It's the quality of the massage that matters, not the
quantity."
Another factor was that, although Thai massage is readily available in
Thailand today for as little as $6 in many massage clinics and there
are reputable schools teaching the technique, it is often seen as
either a "service" along the lines of hairdressing, or as a
thinly-veiled prostitution offering -- neither of which is regulated in
any way. The massage clinics operate without specific guidelines, and
quality and training varies from clinic to clinic and region to region.
The norm in Thailand is to have mass massages in a single clinic with
up to 20 recipients being massaged next to one another.
All these factors led Chow to have his school recognized and accredited
by a provincial massage federation in Canada, and gave him the impetus
to develop the Lotus Palm method, which he teaches throughout North
America, to bring Thai massage back to its spiritual origins and basis
in traditional healing.
The Lotus Palm training is designed to merge Eastern practices with a
Western approach to health and healing, while maintaining high
standards of practice. In addition to the basic training, practitioners
are encouraged to attend regularly scheduled and supervised workshops
to ensure they maintain the massage's proper form and that they are
using their own bodies correctly to prevent strain or injury. The Lotus
Palm approach also links Thai massage to the ancient Indian healing
tradition of Ayurveda, providing a solid philosophical and theoretical
basis to the technique itself.
Ayurvedic Roots
Although it is called Thai massage, this bodywork has a therapeutic
foundation in the Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda. Ayurveda comes
from two Sanskrit words: ayur (life) and veda (knowledge). Together,
these concepts refer to harmonious living and form a body of knowledge
that acts as a guide to proper maintenance of life, explained Chow.
"The Ayurvedic approach to healing is still practiced in India and Sri
Lanka and is receiving more recognition in the West for its ability to
treat the body as a whole," he said. "Within Thailand, the Ayurvedic
link to traditional Thai massage has been all but lost, and is now
reduced to pharmaceutical purposes only. The aspect of massage and
bodywork is no longer emphasized. One of the aims of the Lotus Palm
method is to bridge the practice of Thai Yoga Bodywork to its Ayurvedic
roots. This does not mean that we intend to operate as Ayurvedic
doctors, but rather to integrate some general principles within our
work." Chow likens this to shiatsu massage, where practitioners draw on
the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), though they
themselves are not TCM doctors.
Ayurveda means "science of life," and Chow said his aim is to simplify
the concepts of Ayurveda and apply them within Thai bodywork. "It's a
beautiful healing and lifestyle tradition," he said. "It's a mirror of
yourself, representing who you are and how you are. Ayurveda strives to
bring happiness and balance by addressing all aspects of a person:
physical, mental and spiritual. This provides an opportunity and a
method for positive change."
Lotus Palm practitioners are trained to create a massage that
incorporates an ancient tradition of health and well-being with modern
medical knowledge. Practitioners can determine each client's specific
constitution and body type based on the Ayurvedic concept of the
tridoshas -- vatta, pitta and kapha -- categorizations based on
lifestyle, diet, emotional outlook, physical and emotional
characteristics, etc., enabling the massage to be customized to each
person's needs. Specific yoga exercises are also recommended to the
client to further address their dosha requirements. Meditation of Compassion
Lotus Palm training hails back to Thai massage's Buddhist philosophy,
teaching that the massage is a healing meditation where the giver
learns to feel the recipient's body as if it was her own. This deep
awareness, incorporating the concept of metta and vipassana, reminds us
that to touch another is to remember our connection to life itself, to
a deeper source of being. This mindfulness and compassion is at the
core of Lotus Palm.
"Meditation is the practice of being fully alive in the moment and
present to whatever it is we are engaged in," said Chow. "It is
essential for the Thai Yoga Bodywork practitioner to be in a meditative
state while working. This helps them to be more centered and
clear-minded."
To massage with clarity and the intention of kindness and compassion is
believed to benefit both the giver and the receiver, allowing the life
force to flow unobstructed between both. Such a practice cultivates a
discipline of both internal and external awareness. You listen to
yourself, you listen with your hands, and you hear the body and spirit
in each moment.
Chow regularly leads participants in his classes in a chant: "Om Mane
Padme Hum" -- a Tibetan mantra reflecting the spirit behind Thai Yoga
Bodywork and the Lotus Palm method. Its translation: "May the jewel in
the lotus shine forth this light of love and compassion to unite all
existences as one. May all beings be happy."
In that mantra, we are taken back to the wat, to Thai massage's temple
origins, and to the sacred nature of this practice: that to touch
another is to reconnect to our bodies and to ourselves, to our true
essence in the moment. In so doing, we are reminded that this awareness
and compassion can be extended beyond a massage session and reach into
the moments that constitute our daily lives.
Article originally published Massage & Bodywork Magazine
Copyright. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved
Information on Thai Yoga Massage and the Lotus Palm School can be
obtained at: Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage 5337 boul.
Saint-Laurent, suite 240 Montreal, Qc. H2T 1S5 tel. (514) 270-5713
www.lotuspalm.com.
About the Author
With a background in dance, yoga and natural health care, Sonia Osorio is a practitioner of Lotus Palm Thai Bodywork. She is also in private practice as a California massage therapist.
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