Imagine your spine lengthening, your hips opening, your shoulders releasing, all without your doing a thing. Ah, this is the bliss of a Thai yoga massage, an ancient healing art that is said to date back to the time of the Buddha. Thai massage can feel like a nurturing, effortless yoga practice in which your partner moves your body in and out of postures, enticing your muscles into gentle stretches and your mind into deep relaxation.
Legend has it that the practice began in India more than 2,500 years ago, then migrated to Thailand, where it was performed in temples and regarded as a spiritual practice. In offering a massage, the giver cultivates the four divine states, or brahma viharas, of Buddhist practice: metta (lovingkindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy), and uppekha (equanimity). In this way, a Thai massage becomes both a meditation and an offering of sublime kindness. Bringing this spirit to a massage makes it truly healing for both giver and receiver.
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