Thai Massage Part 2 -- Stretch... Aaaaand Release

Anyways, what I REALLY wanted to share with you is the most interesting insight I got from this class. Thai massage is like yoga in that you are working at "the edge" of your existing range of motion, but it takes a gentler approach. Once the therapist places you in a posture (that may have seemed unattainable on your own), you are stretched a tiny bit past your existing comfort level. But, after only about a breath it is released. The muscles gets a chance to relax and rest--you can almost feel them exhaling! The same stretch & release is repeated again, typically about three times for a pose.

Because the stretches are held more briefly than in yoga you'd expect it wouldn't work as well, but in fact the opposite is true. The repeated combination of stretching and resting develops trust in the body. Because it knows the discomfort will only last a moment, the body is more willing to release and relax. Throughout the workshop, I saw this phenomenon repeated enough times w/different people and body types to know it's not a fluke.

After having a chance to experience this both as giver and receiver, I understand why it works. So many of us push ourselves so hard so continuously, whether professionally, athletically or even spiritually. In the continual push to do more though, it's easy to forget that incremental steps and rest are critical to the process. If a muscle is pulled relentlessly, its natural reaction is to defend by pulling back. But, when exertion is followed by time to rest and honor our effort, trust develops. We become more willing to stretch outside of our comfort zones. I see a profound wisdom in this.

Of course this is all based on my observation and intuitive understanding. I am not speaking as an LMT or a person with any medical background at all. But, it really got me thinking... What would I be willing to try if instead of jumping off a cliff holding an umbrella (as I usually do), I only had to stretch outside my comfort zone a tiny bit for a moment? Hmmm.

Now, stretch... aaaaaand release! :)

Thai Massage Part 1

Hey y'all!
I have something really interesting to tell you about now that i've had a little time to digest the whole experience. Back in May I had the great opportunity to take a class on Thai Massage with Martin Misenheimer of Zen Thai Massage, shown in the picture at right. Martin is a fascinating guy (read more about him & his wife Beth here) who just OOZES the loving-kindness and compassion Buddhism talks about . If you get any chance to take one of his classes, book a massage with him in Asheville, NC, or take one of their learning vacations to Thailand, Bali, or India, I would not pass it up.

If you aren't familiar w/Thai Massage, it's a combination acupressure, stretching and assisted yoga. It focuses on working joints and connective tissue more than just muscles. From my personal observation, it is incredibly relaxing and therapeutic. The results are like deep tissue and chiropractic work, but longer-lasting & without the pain. Martin said he sees somes interesting side effects to the work during the workshops: vivid dreaming, deeply restful sleep, and heightened physical senses are pretty common.

For me the most interesting effect has been my FEET. There is a lot of emphasis in Thai massage on working the feet & legs in order to awake the chi and circulate it upwards through the body. For the practitioner performing the work, feet are used like hands in quite a few poses. Well, after just the first day of class my feet, which I never really paid much attention to before, suddenly woke UP. It was like they started talking to me, & they haven't stopped since! I notice now when they are stiff, when they want to stretch, move, or rest etc. Honestly, it's like instead of feet I've suddenly got two more hands with a mind of their own. It's bizarre!

There's more to say about this, continued in Part II!