The Basics of Thai Massage

An ancient modality integrating body, mind, and spirit.

Thai massage is a traditional modality with Ayurvedic and Chinese influence, having been around for nearly 2,500 years. This practice is said to originate from the Indian subcontinent, during the Buddha's lifetime, from a legendary physician named Shivago Komarpaj. Komarpaj was said to be a friend and personal physician of the Buddha, also in service of political and religious nobility. The postures, herbal medicine traditions, and massage techniques he helped found have travelled far, coming to U.S. in the late 1980's.  

Now Thai Massage is growing in popularity, with an especially dense community in the Western United States.

 Thai Massage is based on the principle of energy moving in the body along pathways called Sen lines. Your practitioner will help open up the energetic pathways by moving, rocking, and stretching your body in various ways.

Some notables about Thai Massage practice:

The practitioner will use their entire body, including hands, feet, elbows, feet, and knees, to apply pressure to the client. Oil is not used during this modality, and the client is generally fitted in loose clothing in order to be guided into various stretches. 

Thai massage is deeply relaxing and tension-relieving. It is sometimes called “lazy person's yoga,” as you are gently guided into various poses allowing for deep stretching and increased mobility. Unlike Swedish massage, your muscles will not be kneaded but stretched, pulled, and rocked by your practitioner to ease tension.

Thai-Inspired Heated Herbal Compress

We've curated a selection of local herbs for our heated compress blend, which can be added to your service. Based on the traditional herbal medicine of Thailand, we created a 10+ herb blend of local plants to aid in your bodywork journey. The blend is inspired by a Thai recipe shared by one of our in-house Thai Massage experts, Marijean Rue. Herbal compress is like a super-powered hot towel, aiding muscle release, circulation, and immune function while smelling divine.

House Nine Wellness

1413 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

Portland, OR 97214

Email: hello@housenine.com

Phone: (503) 841-6460