Thai massage builds upon the Buddhist tradition. As the name suggests, it is an inseparable part of the Thai culture. It goes back a long time, about 2500 years ago. Thai massage combines the influences of the cultures of China, India, Japan and other South Asian countries with the customs prevailing in those regions. Legends have it that the inventor of the Thai massage was Shivago Komparaj, supposedly a Buddha’s personal physician. Original massage techniques and all the relevant indications associated with it were passed down orally, because most people at that time could not read yet. The Thai massage ritual was strongly associated with the Buddhist religion and was therefore practiced in Thailand by the monks in the temples as a kind of oriental therapy. The emergence of special massage rooms outside the temples is, in contrary to what it may seem, a recent phenomenon.
This massage is an ancient healing art that is based mainly on wide knowledge of human health and body. In the past, Thai massage was beneficial in the emotional and physical dimension. Inseparably. Today, Thai massage is more often referred to as a healing form, often better than conventional medicine. One could say – “finally”.
The Indian and Chinese medicine had a significant influence on the history of Thai massage. The combination of knowledge (among others) in the field of medicine, stretching, breathing, herbal and acupuncture techniques has resulted in the creation of this ingenious and effective form of relaxation, which we would like to emphasize once again – involves both the body and the mind.
At the end of the 1980s, Thai massage was met by the western medicine in the search for traditional therapies. Wanting to know the secrets of this discipline, many nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, masseurs and yoga enthusiasts came to Asian countries with the intention of acquiring professional knowledge, skills and practice. The current Thai massage is the effect of the centuries-old building and improvement of various techniques. Today, it is already well-developed and well-known all over the world, and as a result it collects a wide range of enthusiasts. The art of Thai massage was put in order only in the nineteenth century and now, the Royal Massage Academy in Thailand is considered the best school of this type of massage worldwide.
While looking through offers of beauty salons, luxury spas, or wellness centers, we can find different names defining this massage. Thai, classic or ancient massage is the same type of treatment. Its original name is nuat phaen boran or nuad boran.
A great achievement of Asian culture is the fact that Thai massage has not only survived to this day and has gained a lot of popularity, but it has become realiable and unbelievably recognizable in every country. Today it is considered one of the world’s oldest healing arts.