• Massage Therapy

Many people find themselves overwhelmed by stress and the toll it takes on body and mind. Some respond by way of such venerable arts as yoga to limber up a stiff body, or meditation to calm a turbulent mind. These arts are powerful, but they take time and discipline to cultivate.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was some tool, some modality that could make it easier to get flexible and relaxed, grounded and centered?

Well, there is! It’s called Nuad Boran in its home country and it’s been around for centuries. The rest of the world knows it as Thai Massage.

Thailand is a diverse country whose culture reflects the influences of India and China, and Thai medicine is a blend of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and native Thai healing practices. Nuad Boran (literally, “ancient massage”) incorporates some of the best practices of the Eastern healing arts: powerful acupressure, yoga-like assisted stretches, and a mindful, meditative flow come together to balance body and mind. It’s gentle, powerful… and unforgettable.

Benefits of receiving Thai Massage

1. Clear the mind – Much like meditating, receiving Thai massage creates a balanced mental/emotional state for the client. And since stress is such a crucial part of so many chronic ailments, calming the mind also has positive and wide-ranging effects on many bodily systems.
2. Improved flexibility and movement – Thai massage draws from its yogic roots to stretch and mobilize the body. Muscles relax, joint surfaces lubricate, connective tissue warms and loosens. This improved flexibility and mobility has major implications for active people such as dancers, martial artists, yoga practitioners, and athletes in general.
3. Improved circulation to cleanse the body’s tissues – Much like Hatha Yoga, when the body is gently stretched, compressed, or twisted, blood flow is temporarily restricted. When the pressure is released, an abundant flow of blood and lymph rush into the tissue, flushing out stagnant fluid and toxins… resulting in a more efficient immune response.
4. Increased body awareness – Normally, when we stretch or move, some muscles contract so that others can relax and lengthen. But when the therapist does the work, everything can relax, and the client can go much further into their possible range of motion. When one receives Thai massage, a common result is to see that the body is much more flexible than one might have imagined.
5. Increased energy – A curious effect of all that mental balancing, improved flexibility, increased circulation, and increased body awareness: after receiving Thai massage, many clients report feeling not only relaxed, but energized. The mental and metabolic energy that was previously bound up with tense muscles and a stressed-out brain is now freed for more productive uses.
6. Thai Massage offers clients a highly effective remedy for many of the woes of modern life. And here’s the really wild and unexpected thing: all of those benefits are also felt by the practitioner! This makes the practice of Thai massage a natural fit for people with a passion for meditation, yoga, dance, or martial arts.

If you are looking for a little more Zen-like calm in a hectic day, a yoga-like flexibility for a sore and stressed body, or a right livelihood that is in harmony with a “yoga lifestyle”, then perhaps the Ancient Massage is for you.

By William Mathis