Encyclopedia of Thai Massage: A Complete Guide to Traditional Thai Massage Therapy and Acupressure

289 Pages·2011·20 MB·English

by  David Roylance, Deepak Chopra, Pierce Salguero

Encyclopedia of
Thai Massage
Second Edition,
Fully Revised and Updated
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Companion Book Available
978-1-84409-564-3
available from your local bookstore,
or directly from publisher at
www.fndhornpress.com
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Encyclopedia of
Thai Massage
A Complete Guide to
Traditional Thai Massage Therapy
and Acupressure
Dr. Pierce Salguero
and
David Roylance
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All materials unless otherwise attributed:
©1997–2011 C. Pierce Salguero
The rights of C. Pierce Salguero to be identifed as the author of this work have been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.
First published by Findhorn Press 2004. Second edition, fully revised and updated,
published by Findhorn Press 2011.
ISBN: 978-1-84409-563-6
All rights reserved. The contents of this book may not be reproduced in any form,
except for short extracts for quotation or review, without the written permission
of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Massage photography by Keith Edwards of Statesider Photography
(www.statesider.com), © 2011 David Roylance.
Special thanks to our models Viengkhong Khambay and Ketsarin Phaopanfeung,
who volunteered their hard work for this book.
Anatomical drawings © 2001-2011 David O. Schuster
Yoga Correlations © 2004-2011 Kate Hallahan, RYT
Edited by Nicky Leach
Cover design by Richard Crookes
Interior design by Damian Keenan
Printed and bound in China
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
Published by
Findhorn Press
117-121 High Street,
Forres IV36 1AB Scotland,
United Kingdom
t [phone]
f [phone]
e
I n Memory of
Ajahn (“Master”) Sintorn Chaichakan
Traditional Thai Medicine Doctor
Founder of Shivagakomarpaj Lineage
(“Northern Style” Thai Massage)
Founder of Thai Massage School Shivagakomarpaj
(“Old Medicine Hospital”)
August 2,  – October , 2
H ROUg HOU T the long history of Thai Massage and Traditional Thai Medicine, there
Thave been a handful of highly respected individuals who have made exceptional contribu-
tions to the body of knowledge practiced today. This book is dedicated to the lasting memory of
Ajahn Sintorn, who was one such person, and who originated the teachings shared here.
Ajahn Sintorn’s life was dedicated to pursuing knowledge and giving to others. He and his staf
regularly provided free medical care to Buddhist monks and remote Thai villagers. He operated his
traditional hospital based on a sliding scale to ensure all those who needed medical attention could
be treated. His life and his legacy exemplify compassion in care for others, generosity in teaching,
and loving kindness to all.
We, Ajahn Sintorn’s family, and the direct inheritors of his lineage and school, would like to
express our deepest appreciation and respect for Ajahn Sintorn’s lifetime of teachings. He is our link
to the past and he will continue to live on in our hearts and our mind. We would also like to express
our endorsement of this book. We are very pleased to see his teachings honored and reaching those
outside of Thailand. We believe that our past is our future, and that Ajahn Sintorn’s teachings are
vibrantly alive in the hands of the next generation.
Ajahn Wasan Chaichakan Mr. Parawat Poungpiam
Director Managing Director
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Contents
u
Preface 11
Part 1
The Basics of Thai Massage
1 Introduction to the Tradition ................................................................................................................................................. 17
What is Thai Massage?. .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
History of Thai Massage ........................................................................................................................................................ 19
The Old Medicine Hospital and the Shivagakomarpaj Lineage .......................................... 23
Thai Massage Styles and Diversity of Practices ....................................................................................... 25
Spirituality in Thai Massage Practice .................................................................................................................... 26
Ethics in Thai Massage ............................................................................................................................................................ 28
Metta .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29
2 Before and After the Massage .................................................................................................................................................. 31
The Therapeutic Environment ....................................................................................................................................... 31
Interviewing the Client ........................................................................................................................................................... 33
Working with Specifc Conditions .......................................................................................................................... 34
Observing Thai Cultural Protocols ........................................................................................................................ 35
A fter the Massage ........................................................................................................................................................................... 36
3 The Fundamentals of Thai Massage ............................................................................................................................... 39
Overview of the Routine ......................................................................................................................................................... 39
Basic Techniques ............................................................................................................................................................................. 41
The Pain Threshold ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Sen in the Classic Routine ................................................................................................................................................... 48
Stretching and Breathing ...................................................................................................................................................... 52
Body Mechanics ............................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Timeframes .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Additional Important Factors ......................................................................................................................................... 55
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Part 2
The Classic Thai Massage Routine
4 The Classic Thai Massage Routine .................................................................................................................................... 59
Feet and Leg Lines Series ........................................................................................................................................................ 61
Leg Stretch Series ............................................................................................................................................................................. 73
Hands and Arms Series ............................................................................................................................................................. 95
Abdominal Series .............................................................................................................................................................................. 105
Full-Body Stretches ........................................................................................................................................................................ 113
Back Series ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 134
Head, Neck, and Face Series ............................................................................................................................................... 153
5 Variations and Advanced Steps .............................................................................................................................................. 161
Variations for Side Position ................................................................................................................................................. 161
Variations for Seated Position .......................................................................................................................................... 170
Advanced Postures. ......................................................................................................................................................................... 177
Walking Massage .............................................................................................................................................................................. 187
Part 3
Thai Massage as a Therapeutic Practice
6 Sen: The Thai Energy Lines ........................................................................................................................................................ 193
What are the Sen? ............................................................................................................................................................................ 193
Sen Charts ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 196
Correlations Between Sen and Symptoms ..................................................................................................... 204
Correlations Between Sen and Massage Steps .......................................................................................... 206
The Shivagakomarpaj (“Northern”) Style of Sen Work .................................................................. 207
7 Thai Acupressure Therapy . .......................................................................................................................................................... 209
Acupressure Techniques ......................................................................................................................................................... 209
Hot and Cold Pressure ............................................................................................................................................................. 210
Acupressure Atlas ........................................................................................................................................................................... 212
Correlations Between Symptoms and Acupressure Points ....................................................... 213
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8 Therapeutic Thai Massage ........................................................................................................................................................... 221
Sen Diagnosis ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 221
Designing a Therapy Routine ......................................................................................................................................... 222
Sample Therapy Routines ..................................................................................................................................................... 224
9 Thai Herbs and Massage ................................................................................................................................................................. 251
Herbal Compress Massage ................................................................................................................................................... 251
Recipes for Herbal Compresses .................................................................................................................................... 253
Herbal Balms and Other Topical Applications .......................................................................................... 255

Homemade Massage Balm ................................................................................................................................................ 255
Herbal Sauna and Other Methods of Inhalation Therapy ......................................................... 255
Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 257
Appendix 1: Wai Khru ............................................................................................................................................................... 258
Appendix 2: Ethical Codes . 260
Appendix 3: Thai Massage Diagnostic Form ............................................................................................... 263
Appendix 4: Overview of the Classic Routine ............................................................................................ 264
Appendix 5: Where to Study Thai Massage ................................................................................................... 266
Appendix 6: Further Reading .......................................................................................................................................... 271
Endnotes ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 273
Index . ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 274
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