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Thai Massage and the Grieving Client

September 11, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

From Jivaka Journal, 2006, by Laura Hoge

When a person loses a loved one, s/he embodies a host of physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological symptoms of distress. Often times, the weight of the loss is compounded by months of anticipatory caretaking, an exhausting process that can deplete a person’s energy to the point of illness. Some emotional symptoms of this depletion may include, but are not limited to, restlessness, emotional numbness, nightmares, cognitive impairment and lack of motivation. Physical symptoms may also impede function. Some of these include, but are not limited to, suppressed immunity, weight loss, muscular tightness, joint pain, digestive distress and/or an exacerbation of preexisting physical conditions.

Using traditional Thai massage to treat grief related energy depletion, practitioners can effectively help their clients to release emotions and alleviate physical symptoms. This is accomplished through a combination of knowledgeable soft tissue manipulation and compassionate intention. In the following case study, a client’s overall grieving process was addressed.

Case Study

In order to illustrate the effectiveness of addressing the energetic imbalance caused by grief with Thai Massage, the following case study is presented.

Patient History

The client is a 42-year-old female with a history of stress induced gastrointestinal disorders and sciatica. Her husband had recently died of an inoperable Glioblastoma (brain tumor). The length of his illness was more or less four months from time of diagnosis to time of death. The deceased underwent an ineffective protocol of both radiation and chemotherapy and was unconscious for the last week of life.

Shortly following funeral arrangements, the client became increasingly irritable, had isolated herself to the point of depression and was undergoing cognitive therapy and meditation instruction by a Zen influenced psychologist. She had begun a course of anti- depressant therapy (Prozac and Klonopin as needed) approximately one week prior to receiving Traditional Thai Massage Therapy.

For two months following funeral services, the client felt increasingly fatigued and cut back on the amount of exercise she was doing. She would have liked to have decreased the dosage of her medication, but found it effective in relieving symptoms of anxiety. She was plagued by the mental picture of her sick husband and was often irritated by the fact that she “couldn’t remember him when he was well.” She was also upset that her friends could not understand what she was going through and “never said the right thing to make her feel better.” When they tried to reach out and socialize, she became unavailable, emotional and exhausted. This upset her very much.

When I met the client, she presented as being very nervous and in digestive distress. She complained of lack of sleep and asked if it would be okay if she got up from the mat every so often to use the restroom. She complained of hip/low back and radiating sciatic pain and appeared weepy. The client was also having trouble staying asleep at night and found herself sluggish and cognitively “foggy” during the day as a result.

Treatment Modifications

I initially treated the client on the floor of her living room, though I would have preferred a smaller space to create a more nurturing environment. The living room was adjacent to a restroom though, which was necessary, as she often had to run to relieve herself. Chronic diarrhea was a problem for her, so I propped her torso up and increased the angle at the hips, which seemed to relieve her abdominal discomfort.

The prone position was not an option because of her gastrointestinal issues, so instead I used pillows to prop her on her side while manipulating the energy lines of the back.

Treatment Notes

Once the client was comfortable, I began the first few treatments with some light foot manipulation and joint mobilization at the ankle. The client was hypersensitive to pressure initially so most of the points on the foot were done lightly with a steady focus on metta. When it came to joint mobilization, (i.e. rotating and stretching the ankle joint) she found it difficult to release the full weight of her leg. This was eventually achieved with light shaking and prompted inhalations and exhalations of breath. I ended up spending over fifteen minutes on the feet at the start of the first few sessions because it gave her room to transition into the massage without me being physically invasive. It also enabled her body to become accustomed to the feel of manual support. At the start of our sessions, she would occasionally experience cramping in the internal arch of her foot. This stopped after the third or fourth treatment.

During treatment, I manipulated all 10 major meridians of the body and then concentrated specifically on Kalatharee and Sahatsarangsi-Tawaree Sen to address the emotional aspects of her grief as well as the physical manifestations of it in the form of gastrointestinal problems and sciatica. Eventually, light abdominal manipulation was incorporated to inspire proper digestion. Though I did incorporate some of the yoga stretches into the massage (i.e. lateral hip stretches, abduction and adduction of the hip joint, quadriceps and iliopsoas stretches), my main focus was in helping the client to release energetic blockages by means of acupressure (jap sen) along the aforementioned meridians. I also addressed digestive distress with hot herbal compresses on the abdomen and treated her sciatic pain with jap sen along the sacroiliac joint and outer thigh.

Sessions were concluded with a 20-minute head and neck massage with a primary focus on jap sen to the third eye point with the hope that it would relieve some of her problems staying asleep. I also used many of the points associated with Itha Pingala Sen and incorporated gentle neck mobilization into the massage to open up Kalatharee just above the axilla. The client often said that she felt her hands “tingling” while I mobilized her neck. Since Kalatharee runs down the arms and out each fingertip and thumb, this led me to believe that it had a positive effect on that specific energy line.

During sessions where her trapezius muscles were noticeably tense, I placed herbal compresses in that area while I focused on other parts of the body. This loosened the muscles and helped me to deliver deeper acupressure to the region toward the end of treatment.

Results

The patient received a total of 12 massages and during that time there was a noticeable improvement in her ability to sleep through the night without interruption. Though her digestion is still affected greatly by her mood, it has definitely improved to a point where it no longer interrupts the massage sessions. In the past month, she has begun to make appointments to see friends and socialize. She says that her sciatica only bothers her when she is in the car for a length of time and no longer keeps her up at night. She rarely experiences neck pain and attributes this to the constant use of herbal compresses and application of heat. I have recently segued this client out of weekly massages and into a steady yoga and meditation practice. This is complimented with consistent visits to her psychologist and she is attending a bereavement support group.

Conclusion

Though this particular client received Thai Massage in conjunction with western pharmacological and psychological therapies, she believed that her weekly massage sessions were effective in addressing both the physical and emotional complications of her grief. I would not recommend the use of Traditional Thai Massage as a sole treatment for those who have just lost a loved one, but I do believe that with a compassionate and trusting relationship between client and practitioner, a client can more effectively navigate the storm of emotions and physical symptoms that normally occur during this time. I encourage family members, psychologists, psychopharmacologists, etc. to incorporate this or a similar type of energy work into the protocol for addressing grief and grief related complications. I believe that it helps to expedite the processing of overwhelming feelings as well as encourages re-identifying one’s self in what can be a shocking and changed world for the client.

Thai & SE Asian Medicines

Interview with Wit Sukhsamran

September 11, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

Jivaka journal of traditional thai medicine — issue 3, 2007

In the past year I have had the enormous blessing of striking up a friendship Wit Sukhsamran. In addition to enriching my life with his friendship, my life as a Thai massage practitioner and teacher has been greatly affected by this relationship. Khun Wit, who lives in Bangkok, is without a doubt the most knowledgeable English speaking person I have ever encountered when it comes to the study and practice of Thai medicine. He is also a little shy, wishing as much as possible to stay out of the Western public eye. For these reasons, to name only a few, I am grateful to him for agreeing to this interview, and this chance to share some of his thoughts with you, my community of students, practitioners and teachers.

N: Wit, I’d like to start by asking you what led you to study Thai medicine.

W: At a young age I became a novice in a Buddhist temple. The monk who became my teacher had training in Traditional Thai Medicine and being his disciple, I learned that wisdom along with my other studies in Buddhism and so forth.

N: Western scholars of Thai Medicine often note a difference between a “royal” elite system of medicine and a folk, or “rural” system. Can you comment on this?

W: Well, these divisions of medicine in Thailand are created by scholars, as you mentioned, and for the most part, these scholars are not actually practicing the medicine. When it comes down to it, there is no clear distinction between the two divisions. The interaction between the two divisions has been a dynamic one. There are definitely influences of “folk” medicine on the “royal” tradition and vice versa. In Thailand the divisions are labeled as “Traditional Thai Medicine” and “Indigenous Thai Medicine”. So while it is recognized as two separate systems, the divide is not as distinct as Western scholars would have us believe. What is considered to be Traditional Thai Medicine is influenced by Indian Medicine and Chinese Medicine, but has its roots in Indigenous Medicine. As with many things in Thailand, it’s not black and white. It’s usually a case by case basis and each case has a varying degree of influence.

N: Would I be correct in understanding that when you speak of “Indigenous Medicine” you are speaking of medicine that is native to the geography of Thailand, and may even pre-date the arrival of the T’ai people?

W: Yes. That is correct. While the T’ai people arrived in the area now known as Thailand around 800 C.E. (A.D.), there were other inhabitants who had been living here for many centuries. Both the Mon and the Khmer empires ruled various parts of what is now known as Thailand. The Khmers even had hospitals in many parts of N.E. and Central Thailand, so we know there was medicine being practiced here long ago. The important thing to remember is that the medicine comes from the land. It is a result of the environment around the people. The medicine we use is indigenous to the area. The theory is based on the experiences we encounter on a daily basis. So as long as there were people, with organized civilizations inhabiting this land, there was Indigenous Medicine.

N: Most of the readers of this interview will be people who relate to Thai medicine through their experiences with Thai massage. Can you speak a bit about the role of Thai massage in Thai Medicine?

W: Thai Medicine, as taught in the regulated programs in Thailand, is composed of four separate but inter-related branches. These are; Massage, Medical Theory, Pharmacy, and Midwifery. So to answer your question, Massage is a huge part of Thai Medicine.

N: How would you say Thai Massage, as practiced traditionally in Thailand as medicine, differs from what westerners are being taught, and what we encounter when we go to get a Thai massage on the streets of Thailand?

W: Well, there are different levels of knowledge and practice. There are some people who practice Thai massage for the purpose of relaxation. There are some that practice for general health. And there are others that practice for the treatment of various conditions. In general, what most Westerners encounter in schools and in most massage shops is the first or second, or perhaps somewhere in the middle.

N: Most Western teachers of Thai massage, and Westerners writing about it, tend to teach the theory portion with a strong Ayurvedic slant. Would you say that this is an appropriate way of understanding Thai medicine in general and Thai massage in particular?

W: Absolutely not. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm. For a while it was Traditional Chinese theory that was being used to substitute for the traditional Thai theory. I guess people found that Ayurveda was a better fit. However, it’s still not completely correct. The theory of Thai Massage, as many people know, is unique to itself, and is not merely a ‘branch’ of Ayurveda. Thai medicine has been influenced by its neighbors, namely India and China. However, because of the specifics of the region and the differences in the culture, the medicine that came to be is very different from that of India and China. Especially in comparison to what has been brought to the West. I can’t express it in any other way but to say that Thai medicine is its own method and has its own theory.

N: Should Thai Massage be considered energy work?

W: To consider Thai Massage to be exclusively “energetic” work is ridiculous. Some of the techniques utilized are comparable to those used by physical therapists and chiropractors. By this I mean, if done incorrectly it could be dangerous and lead to injury. So no, it does should not be classified as ‘energy’ work in the Western sense of the word. In fact, it is one of the most physical forms of massage that I know of. However, despite this, there is of course an ‘energetic’ component. The difference is that the concept of energy in the Thai medical theory is different from the idea of energy commonly held in the West. In Thai Massage theory we do not separate the energetic body from the physical body. As we see it, one cannot really exist without the other. Utilizing the techniques available to us in Thai Massage we are working on both levels and not one or the other.

N: What do you have to say about Thai Massage “routines” as they are taught to and by Westerners?

W: The routines are used primarily by those practicing relaxation massage and massage for general health. There are various routines which are taught by different schools. Some schools teach routines for specific ailments. The routine is a good way to work with the entire body and to treat, or at least “touch,” all of the sen lines. However, it is really more of a collection of techniques, a medley. For those practicing therapeutic techniques they will often break from the routine and use only those techniques which are needed for the treatment of that particular patient.

N: You’re speaking of the different component parts of a Thai Massage routine, each being able to be seen as a form of therapy unto themselves – without the whole of the combination. Is that correct?

W: That is correct. A skilled therapist can use and apply the various techniques to form his/her own specific treatment protocol for a given patient.

N: Some teachers focus on knowing and understanding the sen lines, while others seem to disregard them (I’m talking about teachers in Thailand). Can you speak to this?

W: It really depends on the level of the practitioner. I feel that in the beginning it’s good to learn them (Sen) and all the foundational training. One should understand which Sen is being worked on and how it relates to the treatment. However, in the end, like with any art or skill, it has to become a part of you. It’s not enough to simply follow what your teachers have taught you or what the texts say. When it comes down to it, we are treating people and no two people are the same. It’s necessary to listen, to work intelligently and intuitively. Some teachers are teaching their students how to do this. Others are teaching the foundation. Neither is the best way or the right way. They are just different steps.

N: It seems like learning to read. At first you have to look at each letter and really think about what it means. Then later you just absorb the words, and don’t think about the letters anymore. Like with Thai massage, at first you think “I’m working on outside leg line 3, which is sen Kalatharee, which means….” then later, you just don’t think about it.

W: Correct. It’s no different. People often get too caught up in it all because it’s so different from what they are used to doing or because it is exotic and mysterious. In fact, learning Thai massage is the same as learning to ride a bike or learning anything to do anything that requires us to be able to work from a point of true understanding and intuition.

N: Can you talk about how Thai Massage differs from other Asian forms of bodywork?

W: Well, the major difference is in the theory. The techniques don’t differ much from other methods because we have to remember that we are working with the same body. There are only so many ways in which a stretch, point press, etc., can be done. I’d say the major difference is the sen theory. The sen theory is what makes Thai Massage unique. Chinese meridians relate to elements and organs. They have specific pathways that they follow in accordance with their theory. The Indian nadis, I can’t comment on as I have no knowledge of their system, but I know that the nadis are based on a chakra system and this system of chakras is not a part of Thai medical theory.

N: Before we part, do you have any advice for Westerners studying, practicing and teaching Thai massage?

W: My advice would be to learn from more than one teacher. Try to get various interpretations of the method. There isn’t one person who knows it all. Also, take time to actually practice the work before moving on to the next teacher or teaching yourself for that matter. In Thailand we usually say that we start beginning to understand massage after at least five years of practice. Question and investigate, but do so from a practical understanding, not just a theoretical one.

Thai & SE Asian Medicines

Thai Massage: A Cross-Training for Dance

September 11, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

Scott Putman is an Assistant Professor in dance and choreography at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a practicing and certified Thai massage practitioner. He believes that choreography is the art of shaping energy in space. This belief continues to inspire him in his research to find the most effective way to channel energy into expressive dance and movement techniques.

During my graduate studies at the University of California, Irvine I was forced to justify my belief in and ideas behind the dances I created as well as my passion for dance in general. A strong dedication to martial forms and dance continued to cultivate energy in my body and therefore made perfect sense to me, but academic and western justification were still necessary to articulate its importance to others. It was no longer enough for me to sense and feel the energy of my own body. I had to find a way to build a bridge of communication between what I knew to be true in my dancing soul and what society seemed to embrace in the world around me.

Since that time I have been inspired by parallel movements in modern art such as Fauvism, Cubism and Futurism as a means to embark upon a four-year project known as the Experiment in White Project. Not only has this endeavor proven to be a rich and rewarding source for work but it has also raised questions about how to train my dancers so that they might manifest their energy and technical abilities to perform in new and creative ways.

Dancers have been trained for some time with the idea that the pelvis is the anchor and initiator of all movement. I still find that this is the best way to get at the center of movement and the place for the greatest propulsion. However, I am now finding myself interested in weaving other ideas into this method of teaching and moving. I am curious about integrating the idea of gathering energy from the earth and translating that energy into kinetic energy. I believe that by stimulating the intrinsic musculature to move the dancing body, a similar and even more effective style of movement might be initiated.

For over two years now, I have been practicing Thai massage, and in that time I have witnessed amazing benefits in my own capacity to cultivate energy as well as the healing effects that it seems to offer both myself and my clients. As a result, I have drawn the conclusion that utilizing Thai massage as a cross training for dance can be physically and psychologically beneficial when combined with an avid dance practice and/or training program.

In order to access the technical demands of dance, as well as its depth of performance, a dancer must be able to blend a variety of techniques with a full embodiment of expression within each piece of choreography. In order to do this, my dancers often train in ballet and in modern dance five days a week for an hour and a half each. This adds up to 3 hours of technical training before the rehearsal process even begins; a demanding day for both body and mind.

Knowing how rigorous a dancer’s schedule can be, I propose that consistently receiving Thai massage can be utilized as a means of cross training. I believe that it addresses issues of balance, flexibility and strength through its inherent non-gravitational movement and does not create unnecessary physical strain and/or exhaustion on the body and mind; a byproduct sometimes created within the pressures of a gym environment. Though “cross training” is traditionally associated with working supplementary muscle groups to support a primary mode of training, a well organized dance class, regardless of style, will address multiple muscle groups and the majority of physical needs of its dancers. This type of class also helps to build a dancer’s stamina and strength on a muscular and aerobic level. The rehearsal process, when well directed, also promotes aerobic activity through its repetitive nature.

Taking into consideration the aforementioned demands that a dancer often places on his or her body in class and during rehearsals, it seems counterproductive to risk injury and/or exhaustion at a gym training on machines and in repetitive motions that do not serve the health and well being of body and spirit. By using Thai massage instead as a method of cross-training, a dancer’s physical body will not only feel revitalized, but the cultivation of spiritual focus that often takes place during traditional sessions will enable him or her to connect more deeply with body and mind, and ultimately inspire a more successful artistic expression on stage.

In my experience, it is often the case that dancers are unable to access correct alignment and placement of dance forms. They get “stuck” trying to create a picture or imitate movement while overworking the exterior musculature and inhibiting correct placement of the physical dance form and greater range of motion. Repeating this time and again exhausts the body and slows the growth and development of a dancer’s process. Working like this can also develop poor movement habits that take time to break and modify.

I believe that if regime dancers added Thai massage to their practice on a bi-monthly basis, the benefits to their technique, focus and energy would be well worth it. By allowing a practitioner to guide them through sensations of correct body alignment, they would be able to sense and feel without gravity the potential of what they can ultimately achieve with gravity. With repetition, the memories of these sensations will manifest while working at the barre or center practice. Instead of trying to “muscle everything,” the aforementioned sensory feelings achieved in a relaxed state during Thai massage will help the dancer find form and placement during practice. This will also occur utilizing

only the necessary intrinsic musculature rather than the exterior musculature that can potentially cause injury through over and misuse.

Another aspect of Thai massage that I find beneficial is its internal focus on breathing. A similar focus is necessary in dance. Rather than utilizing a manipulating and forcing technique, the internal guiding that one develops when receiving Thai massage offers dancers a way of communicating with their bodies while in movement and within the demands of a classroom experience.

The cultivation of energy that often occurs during Thai massage also offers great benefits to dancers as it encourages a sustainable flow of energy throughout the body. It inspires an accurate firing of musculature and management of energy in technical exercises and therefore addresses the issue of endurance in both practice and performance. Understanding how energy flows throughout the body and being able to manage it is a key factor in executing technique and performance qualities. An uninterrupted flow of energy along the sen lines will help to maintain a dancer’s physical health and allows his or her body to move more efficiently.

As the director of a dance company, choreographer and teacher, I am more interested in the health and longevity of my dancers than in a dancer who is removed, exhausted or lacks presence in his or her body. I believe that a healthy and happy dancer creates the foundation for masterful work. By cultivating those qualities in my dancers, a perfect creation and expression of art becomes manifest. This occurs within the choreography that is created, in the way that it is interpreted by the dancers and ultimately through how it is experienced by the audience during performance.

At present, these thoughts are a springboard for me to deepen my practice of Thai massage within the dance environment and quantify the effects it has on both a personal and performance level. I welcome others with a passion for both dance and Thai massage to join me on this journey to help communicate these ideas in an academic and western setting.

Thai & SE Asian Medicines

Anonimity, ethics and validity: Multi-sited fieldwork into Thai integral healing

September 10, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

By Marco Roncarati, SOAS

The mainstay of my fieldwork, covering a one-year period until September 2000, revolved around the study of traditional healers and health care developments within the context of Thai Buddhism. This paper attempts to look at certain ‘challenges’ many anthropologists face when in the field and when ‘writing up’, particularly with regard to the identity of those studied, the validity of their experiences, and related ethical matters. With reference to a case study it is argued that, in order to enhance understanding, knowledge in its various forms needs to be contextualised, while consciousness is more usefully understood as capable of being developed to ‘higher’ levels beyond the ‘mental-rational’ level to more adequately reflect the reality of ‘supernatural’ phenomenon described by the anthropologist’s informants….

Read more here: http://www.anthropologymatters.com/index.php/anth_matters/article/view/141/268

Thai & SE Asian Medicines

What a Thai Motorbike Accident Taught Me About Grounding

June 6, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

First published in Jivaka Journal

Grounding, quite simply, is rootedness. Rather than spinning in your head, when you are grounded you are in your body, and you feel connected.

Feeling grounded, really grounded, is an aspect of mindfulness. Your mind connects with your body. Your body connects to the earth. You are in touch with your emotions, but not governed by them.

Perhaps you feel grounded in your yoga class, on your morning run or on the meditation cushion, but we cannot always be in yoga class, on a run or on our cushions. How do we stay grounded and connected as we live our over-filled lives?

Let me give you an example (with a little back-story). I am a Thai massage therapist and teacher and have been since 2001. Yes, I am in the grounding business. My work has taken me to Thailand where I lived for several years, married a Thai man and gave birth to my son. During that time, I made my home in Chiang Mai, a beautiful city at the foothills of the northern mountains, a city filled with country people.

One afternoon as I pushed the stroller along a sidewalk in Chiang Mai, two little Thai motorbikes got into an accident in front of me. Now, motorbikes are the preferred vehicle for Thai people and children are raised on them, literally. To say that Thai people are completely at home on their motorbikes misses the point. They carry their kids (all three of them at once), their dogs and their groceries on them with a sense of balance and relaxation I could never manage.

So when these two little motorbikes touched each otherʼs handle bars in the intersection and spilled the riders to the pavement, it was a surprise to us all.

Imagine what happened next.

The first thing each rider did, before checking themselves or their motorbikes for damage, was this. They placed their hands together in the prayer position at their lips, lowered their heads and rushed toward each other. Why? To ask forgiveness and to make sure the stranger they had just spilled to the pavement was alright. They laughed. They dusted each other off. They picked up each otherʼs motorbikes, and they went their separate ways smiling.

No yelling. No blaming. No kidding. Imagine that same accident in your neighborhood.

Hmm. Why the difference? To me it is this. Thai people are, by and large, grounded. They do not spin in their heads. They are connected to the earth, to the present moment and most importantly to each other.

To be grounded is much more than the experience we have on the yoga mat or on the meditation cushion. To be grounded is to connect.

Yes, we know that grounding connects us with ourselves, but more importantly grounding allows us to more fully connect with others. When we are grounded, we make easy connection to those we love, those we work with and even those we meet on the street.

If we accept that learning to be grounded (or not) is cultural, what are we to do here in the Western world? My mamma didnʼt teach me to be grounded. I am sure she never gave it a thought, but all is not lost. We take it one step at a time. Most of it is common sense in the end.

Here’s What My Thai Family Taught Me About Grounding

Worry is pointless (of course, because it makes you spin in your head). Taking care of each other is a duty and an honor (and gives life real meaning). And, itʼs never too early to start planning tonightʼs dinner (seriously, planning, preparing and sharing food is a centering activity in a Thai household).

I could recommend to you exercises to help you feel more grounded, but those would have a small, and probably short-term effect. Letʼs think bigger. Letʼs think about connection.

Hereʼs my list to help you, offered up gently, not in a we-in-the-West-are- bad, those-in-the-East-are-good kind of way. Just in the way my sweet Thai sister would, “Here, Pam. Try this. Do you like it?” With a smile, of course.

Spend less time alone, especially at home.
Look at, listen to and touch the people in your life more than usual. Drop the worries. Really.
Help someone for no reason, and then do it again. Smile at strangers.
Oh, and start talking about whatʼs for dinner at breakfast!
Make gathering for meals a centering activity for everyone under your roof.

When I moved back to New Yorkʼs Hudson River Valley after my years in Thailand, friends told me I seemed softer and more relaxed. At the time, I didnʼt really understand. I had a toddler and a busy Thai massage practice much the same as before. But, Thailand has taught me many lessons, and I am working through them day by day.

Borrow a few of them for your own life. It will help you feel more grounded.

Thai & SE Asian Medicines

Gratitude to the Lineage of Teachers

February 20, 2014 Guest Post Leave a comment

On Thursdays throughout the Kingdom of Thailand, students express their gratitude to their teachers. The ceremony can be elaborate or simple. In

Thai language to wai means to show respect with hands in prayer position and head bowed. Khru means teacher. When we wai khru, we show our respect to our teachers.

Thai massage therapists honor as well Dr. Jivaka Komarabhacca, often referred to simply as the “Father Doctor” of Thai medicine (and spelled variously). If you have spent some time in Thailand and in Thai massage shops (and why wouldn’t you!), you have surely seen beautiful altars honoring the Buddha, the Father Doctor, the King and Queen of Thailand, past kings of the country and revered monks. Honoring, respecting and showing gratitude are a daily practice in Thailand, one of it’s most lovely daily practices.

When my little feet first touched down in Thailand as a traveler and student of Thai massage, I quickly learned how to kneel properly, bow my head deeply and recite the chants that my teacher taught me.

These things have become a habit for me. My massage studio has an altar which reminds me of the long lineage of practitioners of Thai medicine, of which I have become a part.

It became a habit from the very beginning to add some words in English each time I chant my respect. I honor my teachers, “in all the forms they have come to me.”

Each time I say these words, I remember a beautiful Thai woman whom I rode with in a song tau on my first visit to Thailand. Picture us both on a metal bench in the back of a covered pick-up truck taxi. Me with that excited “nothing like this has ever happened to me before” look. She, catching my drift. She sidled right up to me, as Thai women will, and asked, “Do you speak English?” She slid even closer and placed a hand on my thigh, as Thai women will, in a sisterly gesture. She asked why I had come to Thailand, where I lived and about my work. What she really wanted to

know was if I was traveling alone and did I have a husband. Alone, yes. Husband, no (not yet, anyway).

She told me how strong, brave and lucky I was to be able to travel the world alone. She told me she was in an unhappy marriage to a bad husband with no option to leave. She smiled at me broadly, showing me how excited she was for me, as Thai women will do, and hopped off the back of the truck.

We were together no more than five minutes.

To this day, I still think of her and what she taught me. I am strong, I am brave, and above all else, I am lucky. For these things I am deeply grateful. I do not take them for granted.

And I keep my eyes open for new teachers, in all the forms they may come to me.