Experience Thai-Style Natural Healing. A massage to restore balance between the elements. A herbal sauna to cleanse and rejuvenate the body. A herbal pack to calm nerves and redirect energy. All this may sound very New Agey in the West, but it has been part of daily life here for centuries. 

Before the arrival of modern medicine, herbalists filled the dual role of doctor and pharmacist. Originally, village doctors were monks or former monks, since Buddhist temples were the center of learning, not only of religion but of more worldly matters such as astrology and medicine. 

Thai traditional medicine holds that the body has four elements: wind, water, earth and fire, and ill health results from an imbalance between them. To remedy an ailment, the village “doctor” would make a herbal pack for the patient to ingest, rub onto the skin, or add to a steam compress. Another major component of traditional medicine is energy. When the energy lines are blocked, the individual will become ill, physically or emotionally. A massage or sauna would be prescribed.

Experience Thai Massage
Traditional Thai massage is a proven physical therapy that dates back to ancient India sometime before the lifetime of Buddha. It has been practiced here for centuries, and many swear by it as an effective cure for common ailments such as aches and pains, fevers and nervous strains. 

Traditional massage reached the peak of popularity in the early 18th century. King Rama III, great-grandfather of the present monarch, had all available knowledge on the subject gathered and inscribed on stone slabs. These now stand in a corner of the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), along with stone figures of rishis demonstrating various massage postures. You can try this ancient therapy in its original form at the temple; masseuses trained at Wat Pho massage school offer their service seven days a week at very reasonable prices. 

Most hotels rated three stars and above offer traditional massage as part of their health and fitness services. All the spa resorts include it in their therapy programs. Despite common misconceptions, clothes stay on the whole time. If you are interested in learning the techniques, Wat Pho’s massage school offers a 10-day course that costs 6,000 baht. Contact the school, in the temple’s compounds, Chetupon Road, or call (662) 225-4771.