Hip Young Things

I made an appointment with the spa of one of the Thailand luxury hotels I’m staying at which my business booked for me. I wanted to get a Thai massage. I’ve heard so much about them from everyone I know, so I decided to check it out and see if what they are all raving about is true.

I arrived at the spa and was lead to the massage room. I am in a corner of a plain room full of about a dozen thin mattresses, surrounded by the tuneful singsong conversations of masseuses, punctuated by the occasional yelps of pain or relief. It was a relief for me to simply escape the suffocating humidity of Bangkok that wilted even the most hardy of people and lay down in an air-conditioned room. My masseuse introduced herself and handed me a loose-fitting cotton outfit which kind of resembled a hospital fare, told me to put it on and asked how long I would like the session to last. I told her an hour would be fine.

After I changed clothes, she led me to our mattress, her hands explored my back with the assurance of a back surgeon, her elbow eased into a knot in my shoulders which brought a very sharp shot of pain followed by a sense of relief. She stretched my arm backwards into a unnatural position, but it loosened all the tension from my stiffened body. Then she laid me down and started on my legs, working from the feet, stretching, prodding and probing every joint. She stretched each toe and expertly applied pressure to points on my calves and hamstrings with a rocking, gentle motion. Her hands, elbows, knees and feet are all utilised as she methodically works her way up and down my back and neck. It’s as if she exploring for the solution to a complex puzzle. Not one inch of my body was left untended. The therapy continued down my arms, then she gentle rolled me over and the massage starts again from the legs.

What I found most fascinating, besides the Thai massage itself, was that my masseuse is blind. Apparently, there’s an understanding or a belief that Thai massage is better performed by the blind. It seems their sense of touch is better attuned to locating the slightest irregularity in the body. I was so impressed and at awe with my masseuse, especially, with broken English, she commented about the state of my lower back, she was aware of my mild pain and discomfort, so this is where she focused most of her attention.

I think all my friends were wrong about the Thai massage, it not only the best, it’s healing and everyone should experience it.

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