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Nuat phaen boran or ancient massage is known in Thailand as นวดแผนโบราณ. It is a type of type of Thai massage that stretching and hard massage.
Other Translations
Nuat phaen boran which accurately translates as ancient massage and traditional massage is also know now as Thai massage, Thai ancient massage, ancient massage, traditional Thai massage, Thai yoga massage, yoga massage, Thai classical massage, Thai bodywork, passive yoga, or assisted yoga.
Description
Originating in India and drawing from Ayurveda, it has inevitably incorporated modalities like yoga. The receiver is put into many yoga like positions during the course of the massage. In the northeren style there are a lot of stretching movements unlike the southern style where pressure is emphasised. It was believed that the massage art was brought over to Thailand by a Dr Shivago K.,a contemporary of Buddha almost about 2500 years ago.
The massage recipient changes into pajamas and lies on a mat or firm mattress on the floor. (It can be done solo or in a group of a dozen or so patients in the same large room.) The massage giver leans on the recipient's body using hands and forearms to apply firm rhythmic pressure to almost every part of the taker's body. The massage generally follows the SEN lines on the body-somewhat analogous to Chinese Meridians. In some gestures, legs and feet of the giver are used to fixate the body or limbs of the recipient. In other gestures, hands fixate the body, while the feet do the massaging action. Usually no oil is applied. A full course of Thai massage typically lasts two hours or more, and includes pulling fingers, toes, ears etc., cracking the knuckles, walking on the recipient's back, arching the recipient's back in a rolling action etc. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage. Sometimes in a large group massage, the practitioners do the procedures in unison.
A full massage in Thailand of typically two hours costs around 300 Thai Baht (8 USD in 2005) depending on location (it may cost 5 times more inside a five star hotel).
On Phuket Island a variation called oil massage (or aromatherapy massage) popular with wellness tourists from Europe the Americas and East Asia is offered in many of the spas, saunas and massage salons: the naked body on the taker is anointed with aromatic herbal oils (lavender, jasmin, rose, sandalwood ect). The treatment becomes somewhat like Esalen Massage: more relaxing than invigorating. Ill-informed practioners (as found on the beach and as outcall practioners) use cheap baby (mineral!) oil. Prices are higher than for traditional Thai massage: 200-300 baht per hour, 400-500 for two hrs.
Note: The traditional therapeutic practice of Thai massage should not be confused with the sexual service of the same name that is available in some hotels and brothels. But the borders are fluid.
See also
External link
"Nuat Phaen Boran"