Living Greene - December 24

What are we talking about? Thai Massage

Where and who? Mia Blackwell, 250-896-2547, victoriathaiyogamassage.com

Can ya dig it? A 3,000-year-old system of healing that actually originated in India, Thai massage combines massage, acupressure, gentle twisting and assisted yoga stretching to stimulate and balance your body’s energy, releasing stress and tension and increasing vitality. It is does not require any oils and is usually performed on a large floor mat with the client wearing loose comfortable clothing. When I arrived, Mia explained that she practiced a northern-Thai style of massage (which included more stretching) and the practice would be like the most relaxing yoga class I could ever take, as someone else would be manipulating and stretching me. And honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

Would I do it again? The treatment took about an hour and in that time I decided that this gives new meaning to “full-body massage.” I felt like a human pretzel being bent and molded into a variety of positions and poses, allowing every part of my body to feel the benefits of the stretch. It also drew my attention to areas of my body I would never previously have considered to be tense or stiff, such as my forearms and hands. This is certainly a more active massage style and requires the ability to truly relax and allow the practitioner to move your body without much thought on your behalf. I really enjoyed it as an alternative to table massage, and felt very connected to my limbs and extremities afterwards. It’s easy to say Thai Massage will now be a welcome addition to my approach to health and wellness.

Got a holistic product or mind/body/spirit system for Rachel to try? Drop us a note and she’ll give it a Greene go in a future column.