Relief for the Body and Mind

The reality of modern life in a bustling metropolis like London is a constant struggle that often leaves little time for the city dweller to tend to their physical and psychological well being. The daily routine is a battle against stress and fatigue: the fight to get out of bed each weekday morning, cramming onto an overcrowded bus or tube carriage, the pressures and long hours at work, the return journey home with countless delays, finding the courage to prepare a healthy meal only to succumb to the ease of ordering a takeaway and then finally crawling into bed before repeating all over again the next day until the weekend brings a welcome but brief respite. Even when free time is available for relaxation, demands are placed on the body as it deals with air and noise pollution and a diet contaminated with chemicals.

Thai massage is a perfect means of reinvigorating the body and the soul. Known as “Buat Phaen Boran” or ancient massage, this technique is said to have been brought to Thailand in the 3rd or 2nd century BC by Buddhist monks who drew on teachings by Jivaka Kumarbhaccha, a contemporary of the Buddha. This style of massage is ideal for those living a frantic pace of life in the nation's capital since, unlike other forms of massage it is performed clothed as there is no need for oils or lotions.

A typical session normally lasts two hours and always begins with “Puja” to assist both the practitioner and the receiver to reach a state of meditation and to prepare the body to receive healing energy. The technique rests upon 10 energy meridians radiating from the navel and 70,000 lesser meridians. Targeting these meridians helps bring the body and mind to a state of balance and harmony which facilitates self-healing. Starting with the body laying prostrate on the back, the practitioner very slowly works up from the feet to the arms and hands using a combination of pressure and stretches which focus on the joints and the muscles bringing blissful relief from pains, stress and tension. The receiver then lies on each side in turn for arm stretches before returning to the back where the practitioner concentrates on the most stressed areas of the body, the spine followed by the shoulders and neck. The massage finishes in the sitting position with back stretches. At the end of a Thai massage in London, the receiver will feel calm, refreshed and rejuvenated.