Therapeutic Thai Massage

I'm in the middle of week 3 of my 5 week program and we are starting to get more specific. The first two weeks were all about learning to do a basic 2 hour relaxation massage and now we are starting to learn how to use those routines, as well as new techniques and pressure points, to treat specific ailments.

So far this week I have learned treatments for: knee pain, sprained ankle, shoulder blade stiffness, dizziness fatigue and nervousness, neck stiffness, headache and neck pain, menstrual cramps, arm weakness numbness and stiffness, indigestion and gas pain, constipation, leg pain, lower back pain and massage for those with special needs. Tomorrow we learn how to make herbal balls from fresh herbs which I've been looking forward to the most!!!

Tok Sen:

I've heard about this treatment since I got here and have been curious to try it. It is only taught and practiced in Northern Thailand and is thought to trace back 5000 years in Lanna while acupuncture developed in China. "Tok" means "Hammer", or "Hit", and "Sen" refers to the energy pathways in the body, which are called "Sen Sib". The hammer and chisel are made out of the trunk of the tamarind tree and are used by the therapist to rhythmically stimulate energy lines in the body. It uses mechanical sound vibration, working deeply through the fascia and muscles.

There are no books on Tok Sen and it is only taught orally in Northern Thailand, originally passed down through generations. There is a two day course that I have been thinking of taking this weekend on top of my regular curriculum but I wanted to try it out first hand before spending another $200 and losing a whole weekend, one of my last in Chiang Mai. So I decided to try it out and after seeing a sign for "Hammer Massage" ventured downstairs and gave it a whirl. I just wanted to see if it was worth taking a 15 hour course or not.

Most of the massage involved the tapping technique with the wooden hammer which does have quite the vibrational effect. It seems to me just another way of stimulating the energy lines (she worked on the exact lines I've learned in class) instead of using palms, thumbs or fingers. Other than that, the massage was almost the same as what I've been taught. I liked the tapping but actually preferred the hands on contact. I talked to another student who took the Tok Sen course and he said a lot of it was repetitive, you only learn about a 20 minute routine with the hammer and the rest is the same as we have learned already. I think I'm going to say no to the course. I'm still going to buy a Tok Sen hammer and play around with it a bit, but other then getting the tapping rythym down it doesn't seem too hard to use. I'm not sure if I will incorporate it into treatments or not, but it is a useful tool to have around and I look forward to experimenting with it a little.

In the meantime, I'm still not sure what to do with my last free weekend. I want to make the most of my time here but only have a couple of days to decide.... On a side note, I bought some really lovely Thai Turmeric soap today! Thinking of bringing a few bars home as well, it smells heavenly and turmeric is really good for the skin and muscles.