Thai Massage is not just another kind of massage. There is a lot more to it, as you will see.

There is more than one style of Thai Massage

Before we get into the 9 unique elements, we have to consider that there are all kinds of styles and variations of Thai Massage. They range from mechanical one-size-fits-all sequences to very effective and refined holistic therapies.

For the purposes of our list of 10 unique elements, we are talking about the way how Thai Massage is taught by Thai Healing Massage Academy in our online training courses.

1.  Thai Massage is not just a massage, but a holistic therapy system which includes elements from massage, yoga, energy work, and physical therapy. It doesn’t just move anatomical parts, but it also moves energy.

2.  Thai Massage is not just a sequence of techniques. It’s a creative, intuitive, and flexible system which allows you to work with your clients in the most effective way, accommodate the client’s needs, and get specific results.

3.  It is not taught with lots of dry, complicated theory and fancy anatomical terms. The training is easy to understand and follow. It’s a practical, hands-on approach for learning therapeutic methods to help your clients.

4.  Thai Massage is not the new kid on the block. It hasn’t just been invented recently. Actually, it has been around for many hundreds of years and has helped millions of Thais with their issues. So it’s a time-tested and proven system.

5.  It is much easier on the therapist’s body than table massage. It doesn’t rely as much on the hands. Instead it uses many other body parts like forearms, elbows, knees, and feet.

Also the body mechanics are a big advantage since it works primarily with body weight instead of muscle power. This makes it much easier for small and light therapists to work on much larger clients without straining.

6.  A Thai Massage business is easier and cheaper to set up than a typical western massage business. You don’t need a table, you don’t need draping sheets, you don’t need oil, and privacy is not such a big issue since the client is fully dressed. 

So if you want to make a house call and work in someone’s living room – no problem. 

7.  It is not just a mechanical system with techniques and sequences. There is an awareness of the interconnected nature of the body. Thai Massage focuses on the energy flow, on the artistic expression, on the flow of the moves, and on the healing intention. It is a truly holistic system.

8.  Thai Massage works in a three-dimensional way. The client is moved through space through many stretches and manipulations. The body is designed for movement.

We all know that the movement and stretch-based yoga system is very beneficial for our health. And we all know that couch potatoes have a bigger risk of getting sick.

Healing works best if this need for movement is included in the treatment by improving flexibility and range of motion, instead of just lying in one position and receiving primarily work on muscles. Thai Massage is ideal for this.

It incorporates more stretches and movement than any other massage system.

9.  Thai Healing Massage Academy’s online training programs are not a copy of the same training which is taught in other schools. It is a refined and upgraded style which includes many techniques which are not available anywhere else, and many specific therapeutic applications.

Examples are the large variety of rocking techniques, or our Heavenly Head Massage system, or our many specialized therapy courses like knee massage, sacrum massage, shoulder massage, hip massage, back massage or sciatica therapy.

“I took a local training in the US a year ago, and didn’t feel comfortable practicing it on my current Reiki or Yoga clients, and had nothing to refer back to for resources. In the back of my mind was ‘what if I am not doing this correctly’? The what if’s kept coming up. Your program is exactly what I need and every time I get a new email newsletter or post I am in awe of the knowledge you present to us.

I don’t have the time as a studio owner these days to travel and take classes as often as I would like, so this is the perfect solution and, as a bonus, it’s an amazing course with a great teacher. Can’t wait to bring on Thai therapist heaven 🙂 here!” 
Kitty Ward, yoga teacher and Reiki master

How to learn Thai Massage

This all sounds great – but how do you learn all this?
Thai Healing Massage Academy has a unique training program:

• All training is online and can be conveniently accessed from anywhere in the world.
• You have personalized and unlimited teacher support. You are not on your own. If you have questions, you will get them all answered quickly. If you don’t know how to apply a technique, the instructor will tell you how to do it correctly. Yes, it can be done online!
• If you choose, you can be part of our supportive online therapist community. We have a forum and a facebook group, and you are invited to participate.
• Both certification and CEUs are available. 
• You have a choice of 20 online training programs to learn the exact skills you want.
• Learning is gradual, just like in any real school, and at your own pace. There is no information overload and no pressure to keep up.
• You don’t just learn techniques, but a creative approach where you can modify techniques to fit both you and your clients – regardless of your size or your client’s size and weight! 
• You learn to work in a pain-free, pleasant and sensitive way which your clients will love!
• It’s very therapist friendly. So much actually that it has saved the career of quite a few therapists who started to have problems with the daily stress on their hands.
  You will love the relief on your body and hands when practicing Thai Massage.
• You learn to get the best results without effort or strain. How so? By using perfect body mechanics and by working with your natural body weight instead of muscle effort.

The author, Shama Kern, has been practicing and teaching Thai Massage for 19 years. He is the founder and director of Thai Healing Massage Academy and the creator of 20 Thai Massage online training courses.

The elements of Thai Massage

Thai Massage is not just a massage. It includes a wide variety of techniques. Some of them are similar to elements which you can find in other holistic and healing arts styles, as in this partial list:

• Massage (compression and kneading)
• Yoga (stretching and breathing)
• Physical Therapy (therapeutic and rehabilitation work)
• Energy Work (the Thai sen line system)
• Chiropractic (spinal techniques and twists which are similar to some Chiropractic techniques)
• Trager (rocking and motion elements)
• Acupressure (pressure points in the Thai energy line system)

Continue reading…8 Ideal Candidates For Thai Massage Training