The Chinese medicine I know and praise, is the “classical Chinese medicine,” a rather different approach from TCM or bio medicine.

Indeed, studying from another viewpoint is always interesting: it questions our convictions, what we too often take as “given,” “natural,” “scientific,” “unquestionable,” “obvious,” or even “the only possibility.” Another way to approach human beings and their health leads us to ask ourselves: How do we know what we know? Where does our knowledge comes from?

This is not about contradicting Western medicine, nor criticizing it; it is rather about extending medicine to areas and in ways which may not have been thought of previously or not given enough consideration. Studying a medicine which for some 2000 years has quite successfully treated billions of people is a good opportunity to deepen and expand Western medicine.

It allows us to change our view on the importance of certain aspects, which are considered as particularly relevant in Chinese medicine:

1) Another view on health and disease.

In Western medicine, a disease is recognizable with a set of symptoms, identified with a name, and can be treated mainly after this official identification, with the appropriate protocol. In the classical Chinese approach, the disease is rather a disorder, an imbalance (in yin yang), with no clear limits between healthy and unhealthy condition other than the seriousness in the lack of equilibrium. It also shows if a person is capable of re-establishing their equilibrium by themselves or if the help of another person is needed. According to the classical Chinese thought, there is no real dichotomy, not even in yin yang.

Health and illness are not considered as two states, with a clear-cut border; one can shift from one condition to the other but - before an illness can be identified with the Western approach - the signs are already there, ready to be read by the penetrating (shrewd) practitioner or understood by the person experiencing the disorder. One can address the situation then, either by themselves or with the help of a therapist. 

And this is strictly connected to the following points:

2) Prevention

Prevention is present at all levels and in every moment. Not only to avoid falling ill––which depends on the personal conduct of life––but, once sick, also to prevent further damage; this belongs to the practitioner’s skill.

3) Nurturing life

The art of nurturing life (yang sheng 養生) is one of the foundations of Chinese medicine, which definitively opts for the care and taste of life rather than focusing on fighting death. Nurturing life is the best possible prevention, especially when it includes an inner work on one’s emotions and spirit.

This is deeply bound to a harmonious relationship with nature. The pattern for the organization of all interactions of the yin yang qi is the natural order. There is a profound analogy between the process of life in natural phenomena and in human beings; therefore, to know, understand and respect the natural order of life is to be aware of our true nature, original organization of qi and also the model for what we ought to be.

Nobody can be really healthy if they are at odds with the environment and their surroundings. It is the function of medicine to help people recognize a toxic surrounding as well as adjust to a viable environment.

4)  Holistic approach

As is widely known, Chinese medicine considers all the aspects of a person: the physical, psychological, mental health are seen as one, responding to the same balance or unbalance in the interaction of Qi.

5) Humaneness

Any therapeutic act is about two human beings interacting with each other. The bond between patient and practitioner takes part – one way or another - in the accuracy of the diagnosis and the effect of the treatment.

To be true therapists, practitioners must constantly work on themselves, to get closer to what it means for them to be a human being, to develop their ability to receive and accept the sick person with all their disorders, without becoming themselves destabilised; thus remaining able to treat them as human beings.

6) Emotions

A human being cannot be considered, treated and cured if the healing transformation does not reach the core of the person, what is usually called the “spirit” (shen 神).

Consequently, emotions are fully integrated in any pathological situation. Emotions, whether at the origin of the disorder, or a consequence of it, or just a customary state of mind (the psychological background of a person), alter the movements of qi. Chinese medicine regulates the movement of qi inside a human being; therefore emotions are part of the diagnosis. A more balanced psychology is normally one of the results of a good treatment. It is radically different from the psychosomatic approach of Western medicine and emphasizes the unity of the human being.

7) Guidance

More than giving simple advice, the practitioner of Chinese medicine educates the patients about what caused the disease and what will restore the balance, so that they may become co-partners in the treatment and even change the conduct of their lives (for instance, through diet or emotion).

8) Diagnosis and treatment

Both diagnosis and treatment are individualised to suit each particular patient; both are an evolving process.

9) Multiple Tools

Chinese medicine combines several therapeutic “tools,” such as pharmacopeia, acupuncture and moxibustion, massages, qigong and Taiji, diet… 

For these aspects of medicine, the Chinese approach is especially rich and interesting. A dialogue between Western and Chinese medicines is therefore highly desirable and advantageous. But a dialogue can only exist when both medicines are fully recognized as such.

Several prerequisites:

• A text corpus, that contains the knowledge, expresses theories and explains patterns to understand how to proceed to make a diagnosis;

• Operating procedures and techniques to treat according to the diagnosis;

• Research based on the corpus and methods of treatment. 

What is often called research on Chinese medicine is in fact research of Western medicine on Chinese medicine. That can be interesting and even fruitful, but it is not real research on Chinese medicine. To scrutinise one aspect of Chinese medicine, with the tools and postulates of Western science cannot qualify––or disqualify––the Chinese approach of health and treatments as true medicine. One medicine cannot receive its value from another but must draw it from itself. 

To continue to study Chinese medicine not only allows the practice of its techniques, knowing how to make a diagnosis and understanding the subsequent treatment, but it also keeps this medicine alive by innovations and renovations that do not alter its essential attributes. 

In summary, here are some reasons to study Chinese medicine:

• It is an efficient method of treatment, with considerably fewer side effects than Western medicine.

• It approaches health and disease from a different angle. This is always necessary but even more mandatory in a field where two (or several) human beings interact. Medicine is a science but it must also remain an art.

• When correctly understood, it offers perspectives and reflections that enrich the whole approach of medicine.

Conclusion

It is vital that classical Chinese medicine should be kept alive and therefore studied seriously.

The study of classical Chinese medicine empowers its own evolution and transformation, but only from its own roots, not as a graft making it merely a scion of Western medicine. 

It allows Chinese medicine to be and remain a true medicine, able to converse with Western medicine (or others).

Not only does it preserve the knowledge, tradition and reflection, but it also contributes to the expansion of human medicine for the future.

If we don’t study (and practice) classical Chinese medicine, it will disappear definitively. It would be a shame not to use its richness to continue to cure people and also to develop the best possible medicine for human beings.

www.elisabeth-rochat.com

Recently, there has been much discussion online about yoga and cultural appropriation, and this has spilled over into the Thai massage world as many have begun to wonder about how this critique may or may not apply to our own practice.

What we shouldn't do is simply write off the critique that Westerners practicing Thai massage is cultural appropriation. Clearly it is. Non-Thais traveling to Thailand, learning a traditional medicine technique, and returning to the West to use that technique to make a living is probably the very definition of cultural appropriation. The question is not whether or not this is cultural appropriation, but, rather, how we deal with the ethics of our crosscultural encounter.

I have just now written a blog post about the question of yoga as cultural appropriation. In that piece I argue that there is no simple way to resolve this issue if we are stuck in the binary of "neo-colonialism" vs. "freedom of choice." What is needed to understand this issue at a more nuanced level is an awareness of history. If you didn't get a chance to read that post, please do so before continuing here.

Turning specifically to Thai massage (or Thai Traditional Medicine, or Ruesri Dat Ton, or other Thai modalities, although that applies to far fewer people), I feel that the same sort of historical analysis can assist us greatly in navigating the ethical issues and deciding where we stand.

To begin with, I think it is helpful to remind ourselves that Thai massage is not some ancient practice that "dates from the time of the Buddha," as its mythology would have us think. As I have explored in many publications, Thai massage is a product of a long history of cultural intermixing by the Thais themselves, incorporating aspects of Buddhist, Tantric, Ayurvedic, Chinese, and indigenous Thai practices. I have discussed this in detail in this book, which in 2016 will have a second edition released by White Lotus Press. So, if are participating in cultural appropriation, then it is also the case that there is a longstanding tradition of cultural intermixing that came before us.

We might also note that the form of Thai massage most often practiced by Westerners represents a very recent synthesis, dating back no further than the 1950s in its current form. This form of Thai massage was "revived" in the 1980s by the Thai government and leading traditional doctors, specifically in order to bolster the tourism and spa industries. So, if we are participating in cultural appropriation, then it is also the case that this cultural heritage was packaged, marketed, and fed to us by Thai government and medical officials and institutions.

Lastly, it is worth pointing our that the Thai teacher most responsible for the popularity of Thai massage in the West (the "root teacher" of many of the most popular Western schools of Thai massage, including my own) was Ajahn Sintorn Chaichakan of the Old Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai. Ajahn Sintorn (shown in the photo above) repeatedly instructed his Western students (including me) to learn Thai massage in order to share it with as many people as possible in our own countries. So, if are participating in cultural appropriation, then it is also the case that we have been actively encouraged by our Thai teachers to share this knowledge outside of Thailand.

So, clearly, it's complicated. But, don't misunderstand my argument: these extenuating circumstances don't absolve us from considering the implications and ethics of our own participation in cultural appropriation. As a long-time practitioner and instructor of Thai healing, I have been thinking about the issue of cultural appropriation for a long time, and discussing it in my Thai massage classes (with all levels of students, including introductory) for almost two decades. Here are some of my thoughts about how to approach our practice of Thai massage and the question of cultural appropriation in an informed and proactive way:

1. First of all, don't simply deny the critique. Lean into it. Many aspects of modern Western culture can be critiqued as cultural appropriation.  Educate yourself about the issues, the ethical problems, and the history of each specific case. Adopt a proactive approach. Especially if it is meaningful to you (as a hobby, livelihood, etc.), you need to see the issues clearly and be able to articulate where you stand.

2. If you are somehow earning a living from a Thai practice, give a portion back to Thailand in the form of charitable giving. In my opinion, setting a percentage and sticking to it is probably the best way to do this. (In my own case, 10% of the sales of my Findhorn books has gone to Thai charities.) The argument that you can't afford to give charity doesn't hold water, since even a small sum goes a long way when converted into baht.

3. Honor the traditions and their Thai origins when you discuss, teach, and practice them. Educate yourself about Thai history and culture, and always remember that we have been able to "borrow" this knowledge because of our privileged position as educated, wealthy Americans/Canadians/Europeans.

4. Perhaps most critical is to maintain humility. Constantly remind yourself that we are not the "masters" or "ajahns" of this tradition. We are translators, facilitators, and proponents of Thai massage, but we should always direct our students' and clients' admiration and gratitude back to Thailand as the source of any wisdom we think we have gained from this practice.

I share my thoughts here as someone who has been thinking about the issue of cultural appropriation for a long time, first as a practitioner, then as an instructor, and now as a scholar of Asian medicine. I have discovered that there is no simple, one-size-fits-all answer for the ethical questions this issue raises. Rather, each person needs to think through the issues on their own.

Where do you stand? Your thoughts on this issue are welcome in the comments. The most important thing is that we keep talking about this.

Mama Nit loved teaching her art. Even after she stopped holding regular classes due to age and weakening health, she continued to welcome visitors and sometimes even give impromptu classes in her home in Nong Hoy. Over the last two years, a group of people had been going out to pay respect and visit her regularly, including many from Russia who studied with one of her students in Moscow. She would usually be sitting in her chair by the porch, a tiny woman with her hair cropped in a short pixie cut. Her face would light up when visitors came. She insisted that we call her yaay – grandmother. Her friend and caregiver, Pa Noi, was usually with her, and would offer food or tea. Mama Nit’s hands were always moving, seeking out the arms of guests to instinctively start massaging them.  Her hands were surprisingly small and delicate – birdlike is an apt description – for someone with a reputation for doing very strong jap sen thumb work. They remained strong and carried a surprising energy. As her sight and hearing became weaker, her hands became her main way for “seeing.” When she started working, she would take off her glasses and a peaceful expression would settle on her face.   Pa Noi said that Mama Nit even massaged her doctor when she went to the hospital for her dialysis treatments.

Nit Chaimongkol, known as Mama Nit, was born around 1932 in Sukhotai. She had an early interest in traditional healing.   As a girl, her grandfather would ask her to walk on his back and massage his arms. No one taught her what to do, she just did what she thought would be good and discovered she had a feel for it. She said this intuitive approach is the basis of her technique. The grandfather was a traditional Chinese doctor and acupuncturist and sometimes would direct her to press specific points to help him. Thus, although she never formally studied acupuncture, she learned the traditional Chinese meridians and pressure points, which later became an element in her training in addition to the Thai sen lines. Her mother was a traditional midwife, and Mama Nit remembered accompanying her as she made her visits.

When Nit was young, it wasn’t considered appropriate for a young woman to enter massage as a profession, as it might put her in contact with bad energy or bad intentions from male clients. Only older women could respectably do massage outside the family. Nit pursued formal training in Thai Massage in Bangkok at Wat Chettuwan Temple and at Wat Po in Bangkok, and at the Northern Region Herbal Institute. However, her husband didn’t want her to do massage professionally. Because of that, she made food at home and sold it at Suan Dok hospital. Pa Noi insists she was the best cook of traditional Thai sweets in town. She still did some bodywork with women; giving herbal compress treatments to women after birth. Traditionally, women in Thailand entered yoo fai, a period of rest after childbirth during which they lay on a bamboo bed with a pan of coals underneath to produce heat, and also pots of boiling water with healing herbs such as lemongrass, phai, and turmeric so that the steam would rise and warm the woman’s body. She used the compresses as part of this healing process.

When Nit was in her late 30’s or early 40’s, her husband passed away. She was left with six children to care for on her own. It was then that she decided to focus on massage. She did both general Thai massage, which is intended to relax the entire body, as well as jap sen, or plucking the sen, which was focused on specific areas of injury and intended to drive pain out of the body. She uses her whole hand when she does jap sen, plucking the sen lines with the thumb while pressing in with the fingers. She became known for very energetic, strong work which used the entire body, working along the energy lines and working the wind gates. She also did strong visceral work. Male students from the old days recall that she also did karzai (genital massage) which are remembered as “intense.”   Nit taught both traditional Thai massage and jap sen work as well as acupressure points. She has a fluid approach that emphasizes good sensation and energy, and very precise palpation of tendons and muscles.

Mama Nit used both Chinese and Thai herbs for healing. Herbs are good for the stomach, and also help the muscles relax. Once when she showed me an herbal remedy for inflamed skin consisting of pink chalk and turmeric root, she recalled how when she was a girl this kind of medicine was the only kind people had – there were no “Western” doctors. People had to know how to help themselves with what they could find in nature. She always kept a bag of dried aromatic herbs at hand, including lemongrass, phai, turmeric root (khameen), and camphor.   The herbs can be boiled in water and the steam inhaled.   She took a variety of Chinese herbs for her own care. She would often invite visitor to sample her stock, tapping a bit of the powder into their palm and gesturing to eat it. This was usually accompanied by a lively commentary on which preparations were most tasty and which smelled good or bad. Pa Noi would prepare a dark blackish paste into hot water to make a strong invigorating drink, tasting of turmeric, dried chili, and camphor.

Shortly before her stroke, we asked Mama Nit how she had been able to do Thai massage for so long. She said it was important to have good technique and good body positioning, so that the therapists isn’t putting strain on her own body. The movement should always be easy and not held for too long to keep the energy from getting stuck. One shouldn’t work with muscular tension or a lot of effort - more than once when I came in she told me “Relax your shoulders! You won’t last 30 minutes like that!” To protect from energy from clients, she recommended washing the hands in water after a massage. She also felt respect for the teachers was important to protect against bad energy – in addition to Shivago Kormarpaj or Maw Shivo as he known, she also honored Pha Si Suriyothai (Somdet Phra Sri Suriyothai), a historic queen of Ayutthaya who died defending her husband the King in battle against the Burmese in 1548. Nit’s image of Pha Si Suriyothai Thai showed a beautiful woman in historic garb brandishing a sword and standing in front of an elephant.

In the last two years, a small group, mostly Russians, had been regularly visiting and checking in on Mama Nit when they were in Chiang Mai. Most had never studied with her; some had earlier studied with one of her students.   This group kept in touch via Facebook about how she was doing for those out of the country, when someone left they tried to find someone else to go out. After she was in the hospital, some people continued to visit her almost daily when they were able. Visiting Mama Nit was an opportunity for us to learn from her energy and presence, to practice metta, and to pay respect and give back to teachers. Last year, a fund drive was organized to help her with some of her medical and living costs, as she no longer had income from teaching. She was very touched by this effort and that her students and even non-students from all over the world remembered her and wanted to help her, and enjoyed looking at the photos and messages people sent. She kept saying, “a little bit from a lot of people” – she didn’t want to be a burden and it made her happy that the money came not from one person, but from a collaborative effort of many.  Many thanks to all who helped her with their visits, with contributions, with good intentions.

To help preserve Mama Nit’s legacy, with the permission of her daughter, her student manuals and some other materials have been given to Dr. Rungrat of Mungkala Clinic in Chiang Mai to preserve.   A small booklet of photos from her teaching and students will also be left with Dr. Rungrat.

Biographical Note: Anne Golla, when not in Chiang Mai, is based in Washington, D.C. Many of the details of Mama Nit’s life are from a conversation with Mama Nit in spring 2015, with Tick Jitkuekul, a graduate student at CMU, helping with translation.   The article also draws on visits with Mama Nit in summer/fall 2014 and spring 2015 and notes from previous students.

Jap Sen is a deep tissue approach that improves joint function and mobility by restructuring and aligning muscles, tendons and bones, and by stimulating pathways in the nervous system. This unique style of Thai massage works to stimulate the flow of energy or “lom” throughout the body by “twanging” or thumb rolling over the intricate system of sen lines and the ridges of muscles. This creates a deeper release of blockages in energy flow and a resonating affect through dense or tight muscles, tendons and nerves. Lek’s style is a very specific approach with the intention focused on relieving painful and even debilitating conditions. Lek Chaiya refined her technique to especially benefit people with numbness and paralysis.

I was fortunate to have private study with Lek in 1997, as she did not advertise to tourists at that time. I learned by workingside by side with her in sessions that treated conditions like persistent back and knee pain, or easing andfacilitating a smooth pregnancy, as well as more serious cases such as paralysis. With regular treatment, a manwho was paralyzed and in a wheelchair was able to walk and even to garden once again. I was fascinated andmoved by Lek Chaiya’s knowledge, confidence and trust in her own abilities. I came toappreciate the nearly miraculous therapeutic changes that took place in her clients, and I began to understandthe potential of Thai massage to evoke deep healing on all levels; physical, mental, and spiritual. I observed one of her clients, an elderly man hunched over with pain and walking with a cane, after only two sessions with Lek (3 days apart) he was able to stand straight and walk unsupported. In another case, a recent stroke victim, 95% paralyzed on one side, was restored to 100% functioning after just a few months of weekly sessions. Witnessing Lek Chaiya and working closely with her gave me a lifetime of inspiration for this work.

The impact of watching a master working in their element is both fascinating and emotionally moving. What is it that makes her a “Master?” A refined and polished sense of touch, lead by purity of heart and excellent intuition. An intention for healing with the focused guidance of an ancient foundation and tradition. She begins and ends each day with prayers to the Buddha, the ancestors and the founder of Thai massage, Shivaka Kumarabhacca. To her, this healing art is an integral part of her everyday life.

I brought Lek to California seven times from 2002-2010, we co-taught together several trainings Basic to Advanced Levels of Nerve Touch Herbal Thai Massage. One night when we were in San Francisco for a sightseeing weekend, I couldn’t sleep. She advised me to recite the traditional mantra “Om Namo” until it calmed my mind. I realized that the spiritual foundation of this ancient healing art is available at each moment. These teachings are handed down through the generations from an early age. I hold dear to me the beautiful image of Lek in the mornings with my young daughter sitting at her side with hands in prayer, eyes closed and hearts open. When Lek Chaiya is giving a Thai massage, she holds this consciousness, this prayer in her movements with a child-like curiosity. This type of mindfulness and confidence clearly evokes change and facilitates deep healing.

Lek Chaiya dedicated most of her life to the study, practice and teaching of Traditional Thai Massage. She developed a style that has helped tens of thousands of people within her lifetime and through the transmission of her work in her teachings will continue to benefit the world.

LEK CHAIYA PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 19, 2013 at the age of 74 years. Lek Chaiya became a mentor, teacher and motherly figure in my life. I know that she has touched the hearts of so many people. She has truly graced us through her loving stewardship of the tradition of Thai massage.

LEK CHAIYA'S CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS

Special Training: Herbs Royal Project Committee, Lampang Thailand, December 1982

Special training : How to use herbs  Royal Project Committee, Chiangmai, September 1985

Nerve-Touch Massage Basic Training, Committee of Northern Herbs Association. Chiangmai, January 1987

Special Curriculum for Using Herbs, Committee of Herbs Center of Thailand. Chiangmai, March 1993

Special Curriculum for Using Herbs, Committee of Herbs Center of Thailand Chiangmai, January 1996

Award, Special Herbs Training Course, Mae Rim District, Chiangmai, January 1996

Training of advanced study for masseurs, Project of Rehabilitation of Thai Massage, Foundation of Health Development, Bangkok, December 1996

Training of advanced study for masseurs, Foundation of Health Development. Bangkok, December 1997

Appointed: Lecturer of Thai Massage, The Project of Rehabilitation for Thai Masseur(s), Foundation of Health Development, Bangkok.

******

MOTHER LEK CHAIYA PASSED AWAY ON 19TH APRIL 2013, aged 74 years.

 Janice Gagnon is the founder of Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage located in Nevada City, CA. She has been studying throughout all regions of Thailand since 1997. She studied at the Institute of Thai Massage and The Old Medi­cine Hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Janice has also studied extensively one-to-one with Master Lek Chaiya in “Jap-Sen” or Nerve Touch Thai Massage. Janice has hosted and co-taught with Lek Chaiya at Spirit Winds since 2002, Lek has been a primary influence in her therapeutic work. Janice is recognized as an Advanced Instructor and Therapist.

Spirit Winds School of Thai Massage Nevada City, CA www.spiritwinds.net 530-263-3181