Thai Yoga

What is Thai-massage? What is Thai Yoga®?

It’s a pleasure for me to talk about this wonderful massage technique that is so connected to Yoga but unfortunately has a very distorted image in West.

Thai comes from Thailand and the true Thai-massage is very similar to a yoga class. The relationship between both is very clear when one analyses the positions and stretching exercises.

The origins of Thai-massage are like Yoga, Indian, but the technique also has a deep Buddhist philosophical influence. Ayurvedic and Chineese medicine are also at the roots of this thousand year old massage.

The founder of Thai-massage was and Indian medicine man who lived at the time of Budha. He was called Jivaka Kumar Bacha (in Thailand, Dr. Shivago Komarpaj), who is mentioned in the ancient scriptures (Pali Canon) of Tharaveda Buddhism.

It is known as the ancient massage that heals by the name of Nuad Borarn. The word Borarn comes from the Sanskrit term Purana that means ancient and sacred body of work. Throughout the years this knowledge was transmitted orally because when Thailand was invaded by the Burmeese in 1767, the capital Ayutthia was destroyed and many ancient and sacred scriptures (including those of Nuad Borarn), were lost. In 1832, the king Rama III formed the best collection of saved texts which were written on stone. They were placed on the walls of the Phra Chetuphon temple (best known as Wat Po temple) and can still be seen today. The texts contain sixty drawings being thirty from front view and thirty from rear view.

On the temple walls there are also the lines of energy flow (called Sen in Thai) and the vital spots along these lines where pressure is applied. Thai massage is not based in a western view of medicine, it is based in vital energy (prana), which is the basis of every eastern healing technique. In the human body, vital energy flows through a series of channels called Sen, Nadís, or meridians. Good health is the equilibrium and harmony in the flow of this energy in our body.

Besides that, health is also seen in Thai-massage as a state of vitality, strength and inner peace. Thai-massage combines massage on the vital spots, stretching and meditation. Jus like in Yoga, Thai massage considers 72,000 energy channels or Nadís.

The most important are Sen Sumana (Suchumna), Sen Ittha (Idá) and Sen Pingala (Pingala). All of the energy channels are very important but these are directly affect our whole energy system because they are connected to the charkas (vital spots).

Thai massage forms one of the four branches of Thai medicine; the other three are related to healing with herbs, special diets and spiritual practices along with meditation.

Thai Yoga is profoundly connected to Buddhism which flourished when it was founded and is a path for one to cultivate the four divine states of this philosophy: Metta (loving kindness towards other people), Karuna (compassion), Mudita ( contagious happiness) and Uppekha (onlooking equanimity and non-agression).

When one applies Thai, one has to be in a meditative state, flowing and dancing to your divine rhythm, going deeper and connecting mind, body and soul. The effects are the same as the ones in Yoga: increase in vital energy, relief from muscular tensions, increase in flexibility and release of interrupted energy flow and inner peace and serenity.

I call Thai-Yoga® the body technique that combines Yoga and Thai-massage.

Everyone should practice pránayáma, asanas and bandhas daily. Meditation and repetition of mantras can help you in your sadhana ( spiritual path). All must be embodied almost into a routine… Yes, because nothing is simply a routine, the sádhaka (seeker) must pay attention to the changes that arise in the natural and spontaneous path of the Sháktí, the rhythm of life, the dance of Shiva manifested. In the same way, the practices alternate (Yoga-Thai-Yoga) and adapting themselves to the particular moment of each individual.

Thai-massage is also known as slothful yoga or passive yoga because the results are identical. It’s worth a try!

Oscar Quiroga - astrologist and psychologist: "After many years of practicing yoga through the traditional and modern methods, Thai Yoga revealed itself for me as being the most efficient in correction of the posture and use of muscles I thought could never be used. Thai Yoga is evidence that a small amount can be a lot and that what is important when we try to join body and soul is the quality and not the quantity."

Tania Sturzenegger