Experience Thai-Style Natural Healing
A massage to restore balance among the elements.
A herbal sauna to cleanse and rejuvenate the
body. A herbal pack to calm nerves and redirect
the energy. All this may sound very New Agey
in the West, but it has been part of daily life
here for centuries.
Before the arrival of modern medicine, herbalists
filled the dual role of doctor-pharmacist. Originally,
village doctors were monks or former monks,
since Buddhist temples were the center of learning,
not only of religion but of more worldly matters
like astrology and medicine as well.
Thai traditional medicine holds that the body
has four elements: wind, water, earth and fire,
and ill health results from an imbalance between
them. To remedy an ailment, the village “doctor”
would make a herbal pack for the patient to
ingest, rub onto the skin, or add to a steam
compress. Another major component of traditional
medicine is energy. When the energy lines are
blocked, the individual will become ill, physically
or emotionally. A massage or sauna would be
prescribed.
Experience Thai Massage
Traditional Thai massage is a proven physical
therapy that dates back to ancient India sometime
before the lifetime of Buddha. It has been practiced
here for centuries, and many swear by it as
effective cure for common ailments such as aches
and pains, fevers and nervous strains.
Traditional massage reached the peak of popularity
in the early 18th century. King Rama III, great-grandfather
of the present monarch, had all available knowledge
on the subject gathered and inscribed on stone
slabs. These now stand on a corner of the Temple
of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), along with
stone figures of rishis demonstrating various
massage postures. You can try this ancient therapy
in its original form at the temple; masseuses
trained at Wat Pho massage school offer their
service seven days a week at very reasonable
prices.
Most hotels rated three stars and above offer
traditional massage as part of their health
and fitness services. All the spa resorts include
it in their therapy programs. Despite common
misconceptions, clothes stay on the whole time.
If you are interested in learning the techniques,
Wat Pho’s massage school offers a 10-day
course that costs 6,000 baht. Contact the school,
in the temple’s compounds, Chetupon Road,
or call (662) 225-4771.
Thai-Style Herbal Therapies
Herbal sauna is no newcomer to Thailand. For
many centuries people with just about any kind
of affliction would visit a sauna, where herbal
packs formulated just for the ailment would
be added to a water heater. The resulting steam
would be absorbed both through the nose and
the skin. The heat also sweated out toxins and
cleansed the pores. As recently as the beginning
of this century, hundreds of these saunas existed
in Thailand, but with the arrival of modern
medicine most of these went out of business.
But even today, home-made herbal sauna—along
with a diet regimen packed with herbs is the
post-natal therapy Thai women, especially those
living in the countryside still swear by. Herbs
also dominated Thai women’s beauty and
skincare regimens. Sour tamarind worked wonders
as a body scrub, for example, while crushed
turmeric would be rubbed onto the skin to keep
it soft and smooth. With the recent revival
in holistic therapies, indigenous herbs are
being discovered anew for their health and beauty
benefits. Discover Thai-style herbal experience
at the following facilities, or at the spas
listed in the next section:
