Not as painful as it looks. Barney Green chats about how the cobra thai massage position could help you.
Thai Massage – Hamstring Stretch
A quick introduction to a thai massage leg stretch with Glasgow therapist Barney Green
Thai Massage Position – Spinal Twist Video
One of the positions used in Thai Massage, a spinal twist to relieve tension.
Hamstring stretches benefit desk workers too
Hamstring stretches are favourites for sportspeople and people very active in the outdoors. Indeed, Thai Yoga Massage can be helpful to such people pre and post event and I’ve often worked on members of Glasgow University’s Thai boxing club. But it’s not just the very active that can benefit from this posture; office workers and students, service sector workers standing up all day and the generally sedentary all can too, perhaps even more so. Whether sitting or standing, if we’re inactive for most of the day, the muscles and tendons at the back of the thigh become rigid and shortened. In this hamstring stretch, I don’t simply pull on the client’s foot and push their thigh away with my own foot to allow a strong stretch, I’ve actually placed my foot along one of the major energy channels or Sen lines in the body.
Much Asian traditional medicine and bodywork is based on the idea that there is a system of energy channels in the body. If they are blocked, health problems develop. Unblocking this energy flow results in improved health. In Chinese medicine and Japanese Shiatsu massage, these lines are known as meridians, in Ayurveda they’re known as nadis and in Thailand these channels are called Sen lines. It’s thought that stimulating these lines helps the smooth, effective passage of energy around the body and in Thai Yoga Massage we focus on the ten principal Sen lines in the body, but it’s thought there are many more – even thousands!
Tension? Get in a (spinal) twist!
Generally in modern life, we do everything in a rather rigid, very forward focused way. Especially if we work at a desk all day, we push our heads forward on our necks, causing strain. We often slump and hunch over our desks too, causing compaction of the spine. This spinal twist is similar to the yoga asana “Ardha Matsyendrasana” and is used for opening up the spine laterally. Many asanas bend the spine forward or backward, but to keep the spine truly flexible, it needs to move from side-to-side too, something we very rarely do in our daily lives. Most bend the spinal column either backward or forward, but to become truly flexible it must be twisted laterally as well.
In Thai Yoga Massage, because the client is fully relaxed, a powerful stretch is attained without force or strain, allowing the release of deep-seated tension. The theory in Thai Yoga Massage is that tension, aches and ‘knots’ in the body are essentially energy blockages and by helping to allow a smoother energy flow through the body, these blockages can be alieviating before they cause more problematic ailments.
What’s going on here? The Cobra
Thai Yoga Massage is often referred to as “lazy person’s yoga” because the therapist does all the work instead of the client sweating and straining away at a yoga class!
Usually, when a person practices yoga postures or asanas, they can’t help but tense their muscles. Though yoga itself emphasises that it’s a personal practise with nothing to do with competition, it’s also common to have a mindset of pushing yourself when attempting yoga postures. In Thai Yoga Massage, because the client is completely relaxed and the therapist supports them into various positions, stretches can be deeper without discomfort. This helps to release tension by opening up the body.
This particular position is similar to the cobra posture or ‘Bhujangasana’ which is often used to open up the chest, shoulders, and abdomen. I usually perform this posture around about half way into the treatment time and it’s a good one for helping to identify aches and blockages that perhaps the client wasn’t even aware of at first. In it, the knees of the practitioner lean on the bottom of the glutes of the client, helping to release tension which is very common here in people who suffer lower back pain.
What is Thai Yoga Massage?
Traditional Thai Yoga Massage is practised all across Thailand, and people around the world are increasingly discovering the benefits of this practise for maintaining physical and emotional good health. The massage takes place on a large mat on the floor, and the client remains fully clothed throughout the treatment, so it’s a good idea to wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes. Sessions usually last about 90 minutes and involve acupressure and reflexology techniques, and stretching and breathing exercises. Since it has a basis in Yoga teaching, it also incorporates many positions similar to yoga asanas.
Thai Yoga Massage originated in India and arrived in Thailand at the same time as Buddhism around the 3rd Century BC. It’s said that the original founder was a contemporary of Buddha, a physician called Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha. The Thai Yoga Massage that is practised today has developed from a combination of influences from the traditional systems of medicine from India, China and Southeast Asia in general. Because of this diversity, there is no one rigid practical framework accepted by all practioners, and there are noticeable differences in Thai Yoga Massage between regions of Thailand.
In 2004, I learned from aspects of both the ‘Northern Style’ at Chiang Mai and the ‘Southern Style’ at Wat Pho, which is in Bangkok and also home to the famous huge gold ‘Reclining Buddha’. I had resolved to travel to Thailand to deepen my knowledge and practise of Thai Yoga Massage as I had been so inspired by the course I had taken in the subject in London the previous year. After the course had finished, the teacher took us out for a Thai meal, and she explained how Thai cusine aimed to creatively stimulate all five tastes. I found this so colourful and thrilling, I just knew I had to go to Thailand to develop my practise. This way of looking at food is similar to Thai Yoga Massage, because it encompasses so many different techniques that some people refer to it as “three-dimensional massage”.
Thai Yoga Massage is suitable for most and I always adapt my treatment to the client’s specific needs, although pregnant women and those with conditions such as osteoporosis should check with their health professional before booking a session. From sportspeople to desk workers, shop staff to carers, Thai Yoga Massage is a particularly exciting therapy as the fact that the client isn’t static means that they can be engaged in their own healing through the energy flow between client and practitioner.
Ready to go
I have just had my introduction to how to blog! I hope to get a chance to let let everyone know more about thai massage, thailand and how it could help you. I’ll let you know about ailments I have treated, reactions and more.
Hello world!
Welcome to thai-massage-glasgow. We hope you have found our webpages useful and answered most of the questions you have. If not, use the contact page to ask us. Barney or one of his team will answer your questions. We also hope to tell you more about treatments, ailments and history in the furure.