A traditional Thai medicine, and by many accounts the most pleasant massage in the world.
Thai massage is one of the pillars of traditional Thai medicine, recognised by UNESCO as worth passing between generations and inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2019. Its founder is said to be Shivaka, physician to the Buddha, and it arrived in Thailand alongside Buddhism roughly 2,500 years ago.
A Thai massage covers the whole body, from the toes to the top of the head. Using palms, elbows, knees and feet, the therapist stimulates the energy lines known as sen in an unhurried rhythm. As stiffened muscle releases, circulation improves, the autonomic nervous system settles, and the body's own immunity and capacity to heal are said to rise.
We work primarily in the Chiang Mai style, which uses a great deal of stretching. Lengthening the body while releasing it builds flexibility, so fatigue has less chance to accumulate.
Thanks to some old television programmes, people sometimes picture Thai massage as painful or acrobatic. It is neither. We never force a posture or work through pain, so please come without worry.
During treatment the brain fills with alpha waves and you drift into a half-waking state where the mind settles and body and mind let go together. Most people feel that release quite clearly. Give the version of yourself that keeps pushing through the day an hour of this.
