Thai Yoga Massage
It is a healing art of the Theraveda Buddhism and Buddhist medicine. It is not required that one becomes a practicing Buddhist to practice this healing art (but it helps!). Although it would be more accurate to call this medicine either by its traditional names or "Ancient or Old Thai Way of Healing with The Hands", the slang form is used and as long as this is so there will be some understandable confusion.
The primary outcomes associated with the practice are called “ProMiiWihan Sii” or Four Divine, Boundless or States of mind without limitation. They are Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. As long as these four qualities are transmitted and exemplified during a session it is said it was good and successful. The secondary outcomes, of lesser importance share characteristics similar or common to many forms of western massage as well, such as effleurage (stroking and kneading the muscles), Manipulation (manipulating or moving/ aligning osseous or skeletal parts) and pressure point or acupressure style technique (applying deep, consistent pressure to specific nerves, tendons, or ligaments and acupoints or Lomi) in order to balance the functions of the four body elements. It incorporates elements of mindfulness, gentle rocking, deep stretching and rhythmic compression to create a singular healing experience. However, as mentioned previously the applications of physical pressure are intended primarily to convey the Primary intentions of ProMii Wihan Sii. Much like a hug can convey care and consideration and love with physical pressure. The only difference is the level of sophistication in exchanging this love with pressure.
The four Thai Primary Ayurvedic Elements are: earth (din-solid parts of the body, including nerves, skeleton, muscles, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments); water (náam-blood and bodily secretions); fire (fai-digestion and metabolism); and air (lom-respiration, and circulation). Borrowing from India's Ayurvedic tradition, some practitioners employ Pali-Sanskrit terms for the four bodily elements: pathavidhatu, apodhatu, tecodhatu and vayodhatu. Thai Massage is Yoga!
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Neuromuscular Therapy
During the last several decades, neuromuscular therapy (NMT) has emerged as a significant methodology for assessing, treating and preventing soft tissue injuries and chronic pain. NMT, a series of manual treatment protocols based on the practitioner’s skill, anatomy knowledge and precise palpatory application, has found its home, not only in the treatment rooms of massage therapy, but also in occupational and physical therapy, nursing, chiropractic, osteopathic and physical medicine clinics worldwide.
With a foothold planted in both wholistic and traditional medicine, NMT emerged in both Europe and North America, almost simultaneously over the last half-century. It is interesting to note that the early developers knew little, if anything, about each other, yet the theoretical basis of all the modern protocols are similar since they are each rooted soundly in physiological principles.
Between the mid-1930s and early 1940’s, European-style neuromuscular techniques (as NMT is called in Europe) first emerged, developed by the skillful hands of Stanley Lief and Boris Chaitow. These cousins, trained in chiropractic and naturopathy, studied with teachers like Dewanchand Varma and Bernard Macfadden and integrated solid concepts of assessment and treatment steps for soft tissue dysfunction. Their practice of NMT was set in Lief’s world-famous health resort, Champneys, at Tring in Hertfordshire, England where they were presented with a wide variety of conditions on which to test their theories and methods. Many osteopaths and naturopaths, including Peter Lief, Brian Youngs, Terry Moule, Leon Chaitow and others, have taken part in the evolution and development of European neuromuscular techniques. NMT, now taught widely in osteopathic and sports massage settings in Britain, forms an elective module on the Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)) degree courses in Complementary Health Sciences at the University of Westminster, London, a program developed (in part) by Leon Chaitow, DO.
A few years after neuromuscular techniques emerged in Europe, across the ocean in America, Raymond Nimmo and James Vannerson first published their newsletter, Receptor Tonus Techniques, where they wrote of their experiences with what they termed ‘noxious nodules’. Over the next several decades, a step-by-step system began to emerge, supported by the writings of Janet Travell and David Simons. Travell and Simons’ two volume set of textbooks, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual (upper body published in 1983 and lower body in 1992) impacted the medical, dental, massage and other therapeutic communities with documentation, research and references for a whole new field of study - myofascial trigger points.
Eventually, several of Nimmo’s students began teaching their own treatment protocols, based on Nimmo’s work. Among Nimmo’s students was Paul St. John, who began teaching his own system in the late 70’s. In the mid-1980’s, Judith (Walker) DeLany became St. John’s first additional instructor of his method of neuromuscular therapy. DeLany (then Judith Walker) worked with St. John for five years (1984-89), where she assisted in the development of NMT techniques and protocols for massage therapy application. In 1989, the two separated their work into two styles. St. John's became NMT St. John Method, while DeLany's became NMT American Version™. Both systems still retain a strong focus on Nimmo's original material, although each developer has significantly influenced his or her own particular methodology with unique insights and new techniques.
European and American versions of NMT have a similar theoretical platform yet subtle differences developed in their hands-on applications. In the exploration to uncover contracted bands or muscular nodules, American-style neuromuscular therapy uses a medium-paced (thumb or finger) gliding stroke whereas European-style neuromuscular techniques use a slow-paced, thumb-drag method of discovery. They also have a slightly different emphasis on the method of application of ischemic compression when treating trigger points. Both versions emphasize the need to develop a home-care program and encourage the patient's participation in the recovery process.
In 1996, a landmark event for American NMT occurred when NMT American version™ was overviewed in Leon Chaitow's Modern Neuromuscular Techniques, as contributed by Judith DeLany. This significant text was the first to offer both the European and American methods within the same volume. Chaitow and DeLany have since published three definitive texts integrating the American and European versions of NMT. Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques, Vols. 1 & 2, with accompanying Case Study Exercises, which aims to standardize the training of NMT techniques.
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Hot Stone Massage
Stones have been used in many cultures, such as in the Native American sweat lodge, to adjust the temperature of the healing environment. Traditional lomilomi (Hawaiian massage) goes further and applies heated stones directly to the body. Hot stone massage is also an Ayurvedic massage treatment designed to anchor the root chakra (muladhara chakra) and the second chakra (svadhisthana chakra) and to relieve bodily tension.
The stones are typically a fine grained basalt (Ponamu may also work well), with a smooth finish of varying sizes heated and used in conjunction with hot oil. Before a treatment the stones are sterilised and heated to between 50˚c and 80˚c water.
The stones may be placed on key points or problem areas on the body so the warmth may penetrate to relax and soften muscles and tissues, or the stones may be gently used to rub over the body. For inflammation or muscle injury, cold stones may be used.
Note the stones should not be to hot or hurt bones.
Ayurvedic therapists are taught to work with the earth energy, which follows the downward flow in the body called apana vayu and is part of the curriculum at universities in India in a course called "Shila Abyhanga". Shila is a Sanskrit word for stone and abhyanga is a Sanskrit word for oil massage which is part of the standard learning for most Ayurvedic physicians.
Although stones have been used in many cultures in America as an adjunct to bodywork, their use was formalized in 1993 by Mary Nelson-Hannigan of Tucson, Arizona. Nelson-Hannigan developed a form of massage using a system of 54 hot stones, 18 frozen stones, and one room-temperature stone, which she calls LaStone Therapy. In addition to the use of stones as an extension of the therapist's hands in deep tissue massage, LaStone Therapy involves a spiritual element that opens energy channels (chakras) in the body, unblocks memories, and brings about spiritual healing.
Benefits
Stone therapy has benefits for both the client and the massage therapist. For the client the application of heat and cold on the body:
Stimulates the circulatory system and promotes self-healing.
Softens and relaxes the muscles.
Helps to release toxins from the muscles.
Induces a state of deep relaxation that washes away stress.
Helps relieve pain and muscle spasms.
Creates a feeling of peacefulness and spiritual well-being.
Stone therapy also benefits the massage therapist. It reduces stress and strain on the therapist's hands, wrists, and arms so that the therapist can work longer and more efficiently. The stones do the heavy work, so that the possibility of repetitive stress injuries to the therapist's thumbs and wrists is decreased.
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