Daily Archives: April 26, 2011
At Chutima Therapy, Brighton we always try and give information and links to interesting massage and therapy related sites. In this article we want to share the knowledge of the world renowned Wat Po.
Wat Phra Chetuphon, or “Wat Po”, is well known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, as well as being Thailand’s first “open” University. After present Chakri Dynasty in 1782, HM the King had a royal instruction to restore Wat Po to be the first grade of royal monastery. From the great restoration during King Rama I and King Rama III, Wat Po came to be the center of Thai Arts and Knowledge where the wisdom of Thai Traditional Medicine and Massage were gathered from the ancestors and is still passed on today, e.g. instruction of herbal drug recipes, diagnosis and treatment for general ailments, baby illnesses and healing methods, massage inscriptions and drawings, Ascetic statues etc.
Being the base of Thai Medicine, Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School was opened in 1955 inside Wat Po. It is the first Thai Medical School under the approval of Thai Ministry of Education. The school presently offers 4 basic courses of Thai Medicine that are Thai Pharmacy, Thai medical practice, Thai Midwife Nurse and Thai Massage.
Wat Po TTM is acknowledged worldwide and the school’s original Thai Traditional Massage treatment and training course that is sometimes referred to as Wat Po massage. A large number of Thai and foreign students that graduate from the school participate in Thai Massage as well as enter into the spa business all over the world.
For more information please see their site:
www.watpomassage.com
The instinctive act to touch, rub, or knead different parts of the body when there is pain or discomfort can probably be traced back to the beginning of human evolution. Many different kinds of mammals will rub themselves with their paws or lick wounds that hurt them. With our superior intelligence, we learned to memorize, differentiate, and systematize our ways of touching and their effects on the body. Hence, various systems of massage developed.
The earliest historical records of massage appear to be from China over 5,000 years ago during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti. Recommendations for massage as a means of helping the body to heal itself also appeared in the Indian book of Ayur Veda around 1,800 B.C. There are also numerous references to the benefits and uses of massage in the medical literature of many other cultures around the world. Even in the Bible there are many references to the “Laying-on-of-hands” as a method of curing sickness.
Until recently, not only in the west but in Thailand also, the popularity of massage has been marred by the general population’s puritanical attitude towards the body. Massage is now once more regarded as a legitimate method of health care because of the surge of interest in the many alternative approaches to conventional medicine, particularly in the types of body-oriented therapy.
Over time, the art of massage has been developed into many different schools. There are institutes or teaching centers in many countries around the world. The most popular are, currently, the Swedish style (which, in fact, was developed from Chinese massage by Swede named Per Henrik Ling) and the Japanese massage (Shiatsu or acupressure).
Traditional Thai massage is believed to have come from India along with the expansion of Buddhism and Indian culture into Thailand. Some scholars speculate that possibly there might have been Chinese influences on Thai culture, through trading relationships over a long period, which also played a part in the development of Thai massage. This, of course, spanned many centuries of history and during this time the art has been refined and shaped into its present system.
At present traditional Thai massage is still taught and practiced at many Buddhist temples and massage schools throughout the country. The well known temples in Bangkok area are Wat Mahataat, Wat Parinayok, Wat Sampraya, and Wat Pho.
Massage exemplifies the “Four Divine States of Mind” of Buddhist teaching: loving kindness, compassion, vicarious joy, and equanimity. These are collectively known in Thai as the “Phramwihan See”. They embody the spirit in which Thai medical services were traditionally given, as opposed to the motivating forces of commercialism which are so apparent nowadays in Thailand.
From 7- 29th May Brighton Festival will be holding its yearly indulgence of the arts. With 3 weeks of continuous arts there is more than most could want but do look into all the events there really are some exciting things to see and do. For more information check:
http://www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk/
With so much to do and see you’ll need some rest and ‘me’ time. Our Brighton shop is so centrally located you can add a massage, beauty therapy, pampering package to your itinerary without having to go completely off route. If you can’t spare a full 1.5hrs we will be happy to offer you one of our mini massages or even tailor make your own treatment to concentrate on the areas that need therapy.
Also we will, still, be running our Spas products promotion ‘3 for 2’ so come and see our wonderful range of cosmetics and Asian gift items.
The Royale Couples Massage:
This Friday to celebrate the Royal wedding we are introducing the ‘Royale Couples Massage’, so why not come in and treat yourselves as we are adding new techniques and surprises to our already wonderful couples Thai and Swedish massages. If you have a ideal massage then drop by our Brighton shop and discuss with our Therapist your dream massage, areas you want concentrated on and likewise your partners ideal therapy and we will fuse it in with our therapy. Expect to leave feeling like a King and Queen!
