Review: Thai Massage

What is Thai Massage?

Well, simply, it is an awesome, dynamic therapeutic massage technique that I have recently fallen in love with.

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I was referred to Reno Tahoe Thai Massage by Jen (my yoga teacher) and went to see Andrea before I went on vacation. I also saw her last night. Before I talk about my own opinion, here is some information from Andrea’s website that describes what Thai Massage is much more succinctly that I can.

Thai Massage, also called Thai Yoga Massage, is performed on a thai mat, on the floor. You stay fully clothed. No oils or lotions are necessary. The masseuse uses his/her hands, elbows, feet and knees throughout the session. You remain passive through the entire massage. 

 

Traditional Thai Massage is a form of bodywork that consists of passive stretching, muscle compression and the gentle kneading of muscles to allow for a better flow of energy, pain reduction and an overall greater sense of wellness. This is all done with flowing, rhythmic movements and gentle rocking along your body’s energy lines and pressure points. You will leave with a feeling of deep relaxation and rejuvenation. 

 

Thai Massage is never meant to be painful. Depending on your needs, Thai Massage can be performed more vigorously to awaken and rejuvenate you, or can be performed in a more soothing, gentler manner for a greater sense of deep relaxation. Both are extremely therapeutic and healing. 

 

The benefits of Thai Massage include:

1. Providing a deep sense of relaxation and rejuvenation
2. Reducing and relieving stress and anxiety
3. Relieving muscle pain and tension
4. Improving athletic performance
5. Increasing flexibility
6. Improving posture and balance
7. Relieving pain from arthritis 
8. Increasing range of motion

And I can tell you that this is all really true (except I’ll have to wait and see about improving athletic performance and I’m lucky enough not to have arthritis). I went to see Andrea right before I left for vacation, which also happened to be a few days after I aggravated my chronic lower back issue wakesurfing. I don’t know what she did, but I left feeling totally pain and tension free. I could bend over without feeling like I was going to pull something and it didn’t hurt to sit! She also worked on my calves and found tension I didn’t even know I had there. That was amazing–problems that I thought were due to my history of shin splints were actually due to my calves being crazy tight (which I realize are connected problems) and with some simple work the pain layers dissolved away.

Last night was my second appointment and we might have made progress were it not for the Great 108. As I mentioned yesterday, my hamstrings were really tight, so a lot of the work she did on my legs was to alleviate that tension. My calves had tightened back up and again she did magic on them and they loosened up. I can now touch the lower part of my shins/ankles without flinching! Yay! My upper body feels great–my shoulders aren’t as tight and my arms aren’t sore. Guess I could have done a few more chaturangas on Monday–that or Andrea prevented some soreness; I’ll go with the latter.

Why Thai Massage over traditional western style massage?

Well, I guess I like it because it is more dynamic, yet still so relaxing. I’m actually finding I’m able to relax more in the Thai Massage sessions than in a lot of the deep-tissue massages I’ve had. The Thai Massages also feel like a more authentic full-body therapeutic experience than a full body Swedish massage where you just lay there. Finally, the way I’ve felt leaving Andrea’s room is second to none. I feel deeply relaxed, yet my muscles feel alive, almost buzzing, like I feel after yoga. I guess they don’t call it Thai Yoga Massage for nothing.

For anyone who is in the Reno area and interested, here is Andrea’s website and her facebook page. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I can’t believe no one told me about it until now.  I will be going to her every three weeks or so over the next few months and, coupled with my chiropractic care and yoga practice, I am excited to see how my back continues to get stronger and my flexibility improves. Thank you Andrea!

(Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for writing about my sessions with Andrea.)