Stress can be found in all parts of your life. At home, at school, or at the office, no one is immune to its mental and physical pains.
Although some stress is good for a person, it makes you work harder and helps with critical thinking, but too much stress can be damaging to your overall health.
Many individuals do not know how to handle an abundance of stress. Practicing meditation and yoga can help, but most people can’t find the time to incorporate these exercises into their daily life. One fix for stress is to get a Jasmine Traditional Thai Massage once a week to feel more relaxed and be able to handle stress better.
Here are just 5 different types of Thai Massage that you may choose from to help you relax and release the daily stress of life.
1. Traditional Thai Massage (Nuat Boran)
A traditional Thai Massage consists of a variety of rubbing, pulling, pushing, and sometimes walking, on your body. Yes, the massage therapist will gently walk on your back, but you can always decline this type of treatment.
The overall massage can sometimes be painful, depending on your pain level and health walking into a massage parlor. You will need to tell the masseuse if you feel pain, for they will not know without being told.
The Thai Massage professional will use their entire body to place pressure on the different points on your body that need a release. It is a combination of massage and assisted yoga moves. More of a re-interpretation of some ancient yoga positions.
This type of massage uses the traditional mat on the floor, although sometimes a table is used, which is from Western influence. The table has been a help to the individuals doing the manipulation as it helps save their own physical health.
However, the use of a table is not what determines the type of massage you are going to receive, it simply helps move you from the hard floor to the softer table.
The traditional Thai Massage helps the entire body, from the feet to the head. Depending on what the massage therapist prefers, you may be placed on your side or stomach more than on your back. It will also depend on what is bothering you more when you walk in the door.
2. Northern Thai Massage (Chiang Mai)
The main focus of the Northern Thai Massage is about Asian Indian influences. This means the person giving the massage is using elements of Ayurveda and Yoga. Stretching and physical manipulation is at the core of this stress relieving massage.
The elements of this massage are taken from the laid-back style of the Northern Thailand people. It is not as physically “hard” as the Southern Thai style. It is a slower, “softer” and more gentle than its counterpart.
3. Southern Thai Massage (Bangkok)
The Southern Thai Massage is taken from the Chinese massage style. This means there is more emphasis on the acupuncture type of pressing on the pressure points than the other types of massages.
Focus is given to Sen Lines, which is the energy pathways and opening up these channels to help promote relaxation and healing. It is more reflective of the people of this area and their proximity to Bangkok. This Southern Thai Massage is more “active” than its Northern counterpart.
4. The Royal Style (Rajasamnak)
This type of massage places more emphasis on the relationship between the person doing the massage and the person receiving the massage. The massage therapist needs to be kind, gentle and caring.
The Rajasamnak massage is also more for the physical release of stress. The massage therapist takes the blood pressure, by hand, of the person being massaged and makes sure it is within a range that is comfortable for the person on the mat.
The person giving the Rajasamnak massage has to be well mannered as there is a tradition of bowing and approaching the person receiving the massage. This is out of respect for each of the persons in the room.
This type of massage is akin to a deep tissue massage as it affects the tissue and organs deep down. You may experience some soreness for up to a day following this type of kneading on the muscles, but it will feel better after that.
5. Yu-Fai Massage
This is a special massage for women who just gave birth. The translation of Yu-Fai is “staying in the heat” and is proposed to heal the woman’s body after childbirth.
This type of pressure is designed to replenish a new mother’s body while replacing her hormones depleted during the birth of her baby. The use of warm or hot compresses, herb-infused baths, and oils, is common in the Yu-Fai massage.
There are many benefits in each of these massage styles. Many give you more pain-relief and stress-relief than others.
The overall benefits consist of:
- Tissue and muscle release
- Helping the nervous system
- Making joints move more fluidly
- Cleaning out the blood and lymphatic
- Helping create better blood circulation
No matter which style of Thai Massage you choose, take the time to investigate the spa or parlor you are going to be using. Make sure they have not been sighted for any violations of injury and maintain a clean and healthy environment.
Another suggestion is, to be honest with your Thai Massage giver. If something is hurting you while you are receiving your massage, tell the person to stop. The point of a massage is to feel better, not worse. A little discomfort may be expected, but the pain is not what you want.
If at any time you feel uncomfortable, stop the massage and ask the person to leave the room so you can get dressed. The point of a Thai Massage is to make you feel good and relaxed. If you become tense or if something is painful, then you will not receive the entire benefits of the massage and it could do more harm to your body and mental health than good.
