| |
| |
Cover
story
: 10
Mar 05
Vol.
21 No. 23 |
|
|
By
Jasmine / Photos by Inchan
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
The
efficacy of traditional Thai massage in relieving
muscular pain and stiffness is being accepted
by more and more people who have tried it. There
is a place in Bangkok which has gained wide fame
for teaching massage and providing massage service,
i.e., the Thai Traditional Medical and Massage
School located inside Wat Pho* or Wat Phra Chetuphon,
also known to foreigners as the Temple of the
Reclining Buddha. In addition, traditional Thai
massage can be obtained at several leading hotels
and massage parlours.
---------------------------------------------------
*Wat Pho, a tourist attraction famous for its
Reclining Buddha, is located behind the Grand
Palace on Sanamchai Road, Phra Nakhon District,
Bangkok, tel: 0 2221 2974 fax: 0 2225 4771. See
map of Bangkok |
| |
|
|
Atlas of the body's essential
massage points |
| |
Among
the Thai people, Wat Pho is well known as the
first university of Thailand. It was King Rama
III (1824-1851) who ordered the renovation of
the temple, and made the temple the centre of
knowledge by having the temple walls covered with
numerous stone tablets inscribed with writings
about various branches of knowledge, so that the
knowledge could be spread more widely and easily.
The
king also ordered the attachment of pictures of
traditional Thai massage showing various channels
and points on the human body, and the placement
of statues of Yoga postures and 317 marble slabs
bearing 1,100 formulae of curative herbal medicines
in the temple. As a result, Wat Pho became an
appropriate place for providing knowledge on traditional
Thai massage and a school for teaching this subject
was opened over 40 years ago, being the first
school of this kind in Thailand. |
| |
|
|
The building of the Thai Traditional
Medical & Massage School.
|
| |
| Wat
Pho's Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School
offers courses on Thai Traditional Medicine and
Practice, Thai Herbal Drugs and Thai Traditional
Massage. While the first two are open to Thais
only, the last is offered to both Thais and foreigners.
Traditional massage began to gain interest from
people only a few decade ago. |
| |
|
|
Stupas in the Monastery
|
| |
| Recently,
both Thais and foreigners have come in large numbers
to learn massage or receive the massage service.
The basic massage course takes 30 hours in which
students will be taught a simple kind of massage
for relieving fatigue, muscular cramp and nervous
tension. Also the massage at this level is intended
to make muscle and joints supple and to stimulate
the blood and lymph circulation for physical fitness
improvement. |
| |
| Top |
|
|
|
A posture of the Thai
version of yoga
|
| |
| After
completing this course, students can further their
study by taking the therapeutic and healing massage
course which teaches the Thai fundamental massaging
techniques for healing muscle pain, muscle sprain,
muscle weakness and nervous tension. Reasons for
study of Thais and foreigners are not quite different;
some want to give massage to their family members
and others hope to use the skills to earn some
extra money. |
| |
|
|
Receiving a massage can help boost
the body system. (Photo by courtesy
of the Siam Heritage Hotel) |
| |
| The
efficacy of Thai traditional massage is proved
by the increasing numbers of people who have come
to take the courses and to receive services. The
massage service that the school provides has a
threefold purpose; to stimulate blood circulation,
to relieve tension and to make the patient feel
comfortable. |
| |
|
|
| |
| But
it is not for curing disease. To improve its result,
massage can also be conducted with the use of
a bag of heated Thai medicinal herbs. People of
all ages are welcome to receive massage except
pregnant women, menstruating women and those who
underwent a surgical operation less than one year.
|
| |
|
|
Clients receiving massages
at Wat Pho
|
| |
| A
masseur or masseuse uses not
only his or her hands, but also feet, knees and
legs to give massage. How much force will be exerted
on the patient's body depends on the strength
of the patient's muscle. |
| |
|
|
Bags of heated Thai medicinal
herbs will improve the effectiveness of the
massage.
|
| |
|
One
who regularly exercises will have stronger muscle,
enabling him to endure a more forceful massage
than the one with weak muscle. Interested persons
do not need any preparations before receiving
massage except wearing a dress that is loose
and comfortable. The fees for service and study
are inexpensive here and you are recommended
to have a try.
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
