The Thai Massage advantage
Thai Massage has some unique advantages over other massage styles. One of them is that it is very therapist friendly. Why is that?
Look at a western massage style like Swedish massage. The therapist is constantly using the hands to stroke, knead, or squeeze. This can get very tiring for the hands, and can even lead to injury which is one of the reasons why many massage therapists don’t last very long.
Alternatives in Thai Massage
Thai Massage however does not have this problem for two reasons:
- You can use many body parts, like hands, forearms, elbows, knees and feet. This takes the pressure off the hands.
- There are many stretches in the Thai Massage repertoire which don’t require much work from the hands.
The real art of Thai Massage
However even when you do use your hands in Thai Massage, there is an art to it which makes it much easier on you, the therapist. There is a wrong and a right way to use your hands, and it is essential to know the difference:
- The wrong way tires the hands and can lead to injury.
- The right way can save your hands and prolong your career.
Watch the video to see exactly how to to use your hands in the easiest and most therapist-friendly way possible.
The advantage of Thai Massage is that you have many options or ways how you can use your body effectively. Swedish Massage therapists can also use forearms and elbows to some degree, but nowhere near the large variety of uses in Thai Massage.
Small therapists with big results
In Thailand there are thousands of small female therapists who have impressive skills at moving even much larger clients around. Besides using your hands in the correct way, there is another element which goes hand-in-hand with this:
In Thai Massage you can use your body weight more effectively since you can get right on top of your clients without being obstructed by a massage table (as long as Thai Massage is done on a floor mat).
Technically this is called ‘good ergonomics‘ or ‘body mechanics‘. This is a skill which is not always taught very well in Thai Massage schools. However this skill can make the difference between burning out in the massage profession and enjoying a long, rewarding and satisfying career.
Techniques without good body mechanics neither feel good for the client nor do they facilitate the well-being of the therapist. So good ergonomics is an essential skill to possess and practice.
Going beyond techniques in Thai Massage
At Thai Healing Massage Academy we do not only teach techniques, but we show how to apply them in the most therapist-friendly way possible. We also teach how to modify them to accommodate various body types, sizes and weights.
Thai Massage is not a one-size-fits-all system where every client gets the same routine treatment. It requires modifications and adjustments and creativity to produce the ideal result for each client. This is a learnable skill and a real art.
In Thailand there are many therapists who have been practicing Thai Massage for decades. This is more than a system of techniques, but a real healing art which can help with many physical problems.
Learning Thai Massage the right way
If you learn Thai Massage just to have some new techniques, you would be missing a lot of its potential.
However if you learn it as a complete healing art, with all its therapeutic value, its refinements, and its many creative applications, then you will love what you do, your clients will love your work, and you will never have to worry about competition since you will be in a class of your own.
You will also never have to worry about burning out, an all too common problem in the massage profession, since you will know how to treat your body in the right way, a kind way.
To find out more about learning Thai Massage through Thai Healing Massage Academy’s online training programs, follow the link below:
The author, Shama Kern, is the founder of Thai Healing Massage Academy. He has been practicing and teaching Thai Massage for 20 years, and he is the creator of 20 Thai Massage online training courses.
Suggested Reading:
Thai Massage Benefits For The Therapist
How To Keep Your Balance In Massage Therapy
How Massage Therapists Can Extend Their Careers