مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت ب

ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART B

TRADITIONAL THAI MASSAGE

Traditional Thai Massage is a powerful healing practice with a long history. It surprises many people that the roots of Traditional Thai Massage lie not in Thailand, but rather in Northern India, dating back thousands of years.

Is Traditional Thai Massage a pleasurable massage with a short history? No, it’s not.

Traditional Thai Massage is a powerful healing practice with a long history. How do people feel when they learn that the roots of Traditional Thai Massage lie not in Thailand? People feel surprised to learn that the roots of Traditional Thai Massage lie not in Thailand. Where do the roots of Traditional Thai Massage lie? They lie in Northern India.

The ancient Indians believed that each person is made up of 5 different interconnected bodies.

Who believed that each person is made up of 5 different bodies? The ancient Indians believed that each person is made up of 5 different bodies. Are those bodies separated? No, actually they are thought to be interconnected. How many bodies do you think you have?

There’s a physical body, composed of muscle, skin, and bone. An energy body, comprised of ‘prana’ or life energy. And a mental body, made up of emotions and thoughts.

What is the physical body composed of? It’s composed of muscle, skin, and bone. What’s the energy body comprised of? It’s comprised of ‘prana’ or life energy. How about our mental body? What is it made up of? Our mental body is made up of emotions and thoughts.

There’s also a wisdom body, where we find deep insight and intuition.

What do we find in the wisdom body? We find deep insight and intuition in the wisdom body.

And finally, we have a bliss body, which is the deepest level of our existence - an unbounded state of peace, love, and joy.

Is our bliss body at the surface level of our existence? No, it is supposed to be the very deepest level of our existence. Is the bliss body a well defined body? No, actually is said to be unbounded. Is the bliss body a state of emptiness? No, it is a state of peace, love, and joy.

Would you like to get in touch with your bliss body?

Some believe that many of our physical and mental illnesses arise from an imbalance in the flow of life energy. So Thai massage focuses primarily on working with the energy body.

What do some people believe that our illnesses arise from? They believe illnesses arise from an imbalance in the flow of life energy. Which of the 5 bodies does Thai massage focus on primarily? It focuses on the energy body, primarily.

And by putting the life energy back into balance, it affects the other bodies in positive ways, particularly the physical and the mental.

What happens when life energy is put back into balance? When the life energy is put back into balance, other bodies are affected in positive ways. After the energy body, which two other bodies are most likely to be affected in Thai massage? The physical and mental bodies are most likely to be affected in positive ways. What affects your body and mind in positive ways?

Receiving a Traditional Thai Massage from a true master is an unforgettable experience.

Is receiving Traditional Thai Massage from a true master easy to forget? No, on the contrary, it is an unforgettable experience.

You start off by lying down on the floor, fully clothed. The masseur then begins with a prayer, which allows him to sharpen his concentration and deepen his awareness of life energy.

Do you lie on a massage table when receiving Thai massage? No, you lie on the floor. Do you take off your clothes to receive a Thai massage? No, you experience it fully clothed. What does the masseur do at the beginning of the massage? He says a prayer. What does the prayer allow the masseur to do? It allows him to sharpen his concentration and deepen his awareness of life energy.

He then begins to apply slow, deep pressure to the various energy channels running through your body. He coordinates his movements with his breath, maintaining awareness of your energy and how it is interacting with his own.

Does the masseur apply fast, surface pressure to the skin? No, the masseur uses slow, deep pressure to the various energy channels running through your body. What does the masseur try to coordinate his movements with? He tries to coordinate his movements with his breath.

And what does he maintain awareness of? He maintains awareness of your energy and how it is interacting with his own. Do you ever coordinate your movements with your breath?

At times he’ll lift your legs or arms into the air and hold your body in positions that resemble those in the practice of yoga. He uses his fingers, his palms, his elbows, his knees and forearms.

Does the masseur ever lift your legs or arms into the air? Yes, he does. And he holds your body in positions that resemble those in the practice of yoga. What parts of his body does the masseur use during the massage? He uses many parts of his body, such as his fingers, his palms, his elbows, his knees and forearms.

At other times he stands, using his feet to apply pressure to your legs and back. He’ll even cut off the blood flow to your legs or arms, causing a tingling sensation to arise.

What part of the body does the masseur use when standing? He uses his feet when standing to apply pressure to your legs and back. What happens when the masseur cuts off the flow of blood to your legs or arms? A tingling sensation arises when he cuts of the flow of blood to your legs or arms.

The slow, rhythmic movements resemble waves lapping at the shore of a solitary ocean.

What do the slow, rhythmic movements of the masseur resemble? They resemble waves lapping at the shore of a solitary ocean. How does that image make you feel right now?

As the minutes pass, images from your subconscious mind will arise. And you’ll experience a range of emotions.

As the minutes pass, do images from your unconscious mind arise? Well, maybe they do, but definitely images from your subconscious mind arise. What else will you experience? You will experience a range of emotions.

One minute you’ll feel annoyed, and the next you’ll feel depressed, or you might even cry or burst out laughing. Sometimes you’ll feel as heavy as a stone, while other times you’ll feel as light as a feather.

What are some of the emotions you might feel while receiving Thai massage? You might feel annoyed or depressed, or you might even cry or burst out laughing. Will you ever feel as heavy as a feather? No, of course not. Feathers aren’t heavy. You might feel as heavy as a stone or as light as a feather.

He’s taking you and your mind and body on a healing journey, one that touches the depth of your being. You’ll both lose consciousness of self and other, becoming one with the endless flow of universal energy.

Is the masseur taking your mind and body on a vacation? Well, not exactly. He’s taking your mind and body on a healing journey. If the masseur is good, what will you lose consciousness of? You’ll lose consciousness of self and other. Will you become one with the floor? Well, maybe. But perhaps you’ll become one with the endless flow of universal energy.

And finally you’ll hear another prayer, signaling the end of the session. And when he thanks you and asks you to sit up, you’ll be amazed that two-and-a-half hours have passed.

What signals the end of the massage? A prayer signals the end of the massage. After the massage is finished, what will you be amazed by? You’ll be amazed that two-and-a-half hours have passed.

For some it feels like an eternity; for others just a moment. And is there really a difference between the two?