My Thai Massage Experience

I’m no triathlete, but I do try to exercise regularly. Part of
my daily activities include walking, some Pilates, and Zumba. With my busy
schedule it can be a challenge to find an outlet of release for my body. Over
the past several months I’ve felt extra tired, sleepy and just drained. I
decided to look into the different options before running to the doctor’s
office. Not only did I want to be fully aware of what was going on with my
body, I wanted to explore my options in addressing it naturally.

I used to get massages on the regular, but it was more on
the classic side with a hint of aromatherapy. The sessions were usually good,
but I didn’t think that type of massage was going to take care of me this time
around. I was tense, my muscles were tighter than usual and I needed relief. So
I looked into Thai massages and what they offer. After jumping around a few
sites, chatting with people who had their own experience and reading a couple
of brochures, I decided to give it a try.

I found a local Thai massage place in my area. According to
their website it was staffed by an acupuncturist, yoga specialists, and a
nutritionist. I decided to make an appointment with them.  I arrived at the clinic which was a cute
cottage style house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. I walked into a very
inviting sitting room and was warmly greeted by my name. I love when businesses
do that! It made me feel comfortable right away. Anyway, I was told to go to a room
upstairs and that the therapist would be there shortly. I walk upstairs into a
room that had a nice amount of natural light and a large floor mat with a
pillow. There was meditation music softly playing in the backgrounds and the
scents of different herbs and oils were in the air – nothing overwhelming, just
gently present. I wasted no time getting myself situated after taking off my
coat and shoes. I lay on the mat and waited another minute or two when a
pint-sized woman with the bubbliest personality walked and introduced herself.
I thought to myself, “okay what could she possibly do to get these kinks out of
my body?” She couldn’t have been more than 105 pounds. So she asked me the
purpose of my visit, was it just for a general massage or was there a specific
problem area to focus on. I pointed out that I had a lot of tightness on my
neck and shoulders and some soreness in my calves. She wasted no time getting
to the target areas.

It started off with me facing up with my arms and legs
relaxed. She started with my feet and firmly worked her way up to my thighs and
waist area, lifting and stretching my legs to release locked up tension and
soreness. She quickly determined where she needed to spend more time applying
pressure and massaging. I didn’t realize how sore I was – especially when she
started working on my upper body. Whoa. She reached the side of my neck, tilted
my head to the side and applied pressure on the muscle that helps rotate the
head and neck. It was painful! She did it repeatedly before going to the other
side and did the same thing. I’ll be honest; I thought I was going to die from
the pain. I even cried out a few times. This was not the massage I thought it
was going to be. Even as I cried out in pain, she was not fazed. She simply told
me to take deep breaths so that the pain and tension could be released.
Apparently this is something that happens all the time and she was so used to
it. Afterwards I turned face down and she worked on my lower extremities, then she
took herbal compresses to massage my shoulders and neck. The scents from these
compresses weren’t offensive at all and I could feel the effect of them as she used
them on my back. They were very effective.
After using the compresses, I heard her walk over and pick something up
that sounded like something with metal. It was part of walker – she used that
to maintain her balance as she walked up and down my back. I’ve never
experienced this before and it felt really good. Again, she focused on the
problem areas that had knots and tight muscles. She got off my back and did a
deep massage on the back of my neck, applying the lightly scented oils as the
session wrapped up. After the 90 minute session I was left to take my time
getting dressed and go back downstairs. At first I laid there for a while,
wiped my face and just let the experience soak in for a bit. The relaxing music
continued to play and I took some more deep breaths, transitioning me to
reconnect with the world now that my session was over.

Some effects I felt immediately and some I felt a while
after my visit. When I went back downstairs, I literally felt like a new
person. My posture felt different, my mind was clearer, and I had a sense of rejuvenation.
The staff even told me I looked different – and taller! As that week went by I
felt and immense difference in my neck and shoulders. I didn’t realize how
tight I was until my session. I was more active, able to get things done and
had an increased ability to focus and accomplish my tasks quicker. My masseuse was
awesome. Of course I underestimated her ability because of her size – she ended
up proving me wrong as she was able to knock out every tightened muscle in my
body. It was well worth the time and I will definitely be going back.