Travel & Hospitality Awards - Spa & Wellness 2023
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TENETS<br />
OF THAI<br />
WELLNESS<br />
Spreading its message across the world, the Thai approach to wellness is probably the one best<br />
known to most people. Founded on an ancient belief system and encompassing everything from<br />
diet to spiritual mindfulness, Thai <strong>Wellness</strong> is a captivating approach to whole-body wellbeing.<br />
The most recognisable tenet of Thai <strong>Wellness</strong> is in massage, otherwise known as Nuah Thai.<br />
Founded by Chiwaka Komaraphat more than 2,500 years ago, this manual therapy is a fusion of<br />
other Asian techniques developed by generations of practitioners.<br />
Massage<br />
There are many forms of traditional Thai massage, and<br />
they are all featured in the UNESCO list of the Intangible<br />
Cultural Heritage of Humanity because of its overall<br />
importance as a form of traditional healthcare.<br />
Massage plays a prominent role in Thai healthcare as<br />
a blend of techniques such as acupressure, manual<br />
manipulation of the limbs, and yoga-like positions that<br />
stretch the muscles. Unlike western-style massage that<br />
relies on tables and uses oils, Thai massage is performed<br />
on the floor and the client remains fully clothed.<br />
Famously, Thai massage practitioners don’t just use<br />
their hands and arms to perform massage. Using the<br />
Ashi-Thai method, clients lay on their front while the<br />
practitioner uses their feet and “walks” over their back.<br />
Using handrails, the practitioner can deliver effective<br />
deep-tissue massage with pinpoint accuracy to help with<br />
a range of health issues.<br />
Thai massage concentrates on energy lines in the body<br />
known as “sen”. When these sen lines become blocked,<br />
health issues are more likely to occur. Thorough massage<br />
focusing on unblocking these sen energy lines to promote<br />
good health for the mind as well as the body.<br />
Acupuncture<br />
Although it originates in Chinese medicine, acupuncture<br />
forms an important part of Thai wellness practises. Tiny<br />
needles are placed along the sen lines in the body and<br />
around particular organs or glands to connect these<br />
energy pathways and treat a whole host of ailments.<br />
This traditional eastern form of medicine is often used in<br />
conjunction with massage and other techniques, such<br />
as cupping to stimulate sen lines and achieve harmonic<br />
balance in the body, mind, and soul.<br />
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