-There is no oil and you remain full-clothed
For many this probably seems like a bit of a let-down. How else are you meant to totally relax unless you are in your most natural state of bare skin? Secondly, how can all those knots bunching up in your neck and back really get pressed out without the use of oil to ease the pain? Never fear lovers of massage. The owner of Enmasse Massage Concept mentioned that oil can make a bad massage therapist look good, so you know that when the week’s tension begins pouring out of your body like honey, the therapist really is doing a magnificent job.
–It’s passive yoga for the lazy
If you’ve been told just how good stretching and yoga is for you, but are yet to muster up the nerve or energy to get to a class, then this may be the perfect option for you. You can close your eyes, not move a single muscle yourself and still enjoy the full benefits of a good stretch class. Depending how on much stretch you can endure, you can tell your therapist to go easy and mention that you’re a dancer and need a deeper stretch and revel in the release in your muscles without having to stand on one leg, practice balancing or sweating in a hot room. Here, someone else moves your limbs for you making it the laziest and most luxurious way to stay healthy and supple.
–It’s ok if you happen to fall asleep
Nobody is going to blink an eyelid if you start snoring amidst a Thai massage on a beach in Phuket with all that sunlight, stretching and sea air. But even within a semi-private environment of massage ‘spa’ in the centre of Cape Town, my therapist didn’t seem to mind that I fell in and out of consciousness throughout the duration of my 60 minute massage. If you make anyone lie down after a long day’s work, tell them to relax and then massage their head, neck, feet, lower back, legs and hands, I am almost sure none of them will be able to stay awake. This leads me to my next point which is…
-You have not been drugged
If you ‘awake’ to find a strange man massaging your fingers with a hot cloth behind your neck and a warm blanket cocooning you in a bundle, be alarmed if he doesn’t resemble your massage therapist. If you vaguely remember him, breathe and enjoy the remainder of the massage. A full hour of muscle manipulation and stretching what needs stretching releases toxins into the blood which can wake you up. But if you’re doing so whilst lying down, closing your eyes and listening to Norah Jones, this is the perfect recipe for a comatose state.
No two Thai massages will ever be the same
I was told that Thai massage therapists can massage continuously for three or four hours and use different stretches and repertoire throughout. Whilst I recall a rather heavy Thai woman half-sitting on me whilst pulling my legs upward, a male therapist did more lifting. Many a time I would find either half my body or all of it suspended above the ground. The beauty of Thai massage lies in the fact that therapists can use their body weight to manipulate your muscles and depending on your own physique and weight, they will vary their massage according to ensure you still have a blissful experience.
Massage Spot |
Enmasse Chill Lounge |
Enmasse Massage therapist |
Every tea imaginable |
Leave a Reply