Historical
Jivaka Kumar Bacchha, Buddha's physician some 2,500 years ago, is traditionally revered as the father of Thai massage. Thailand was then a cultural crossroads which was imbued with influences from neighboring China and India. These massages have their roots in Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient Indian healing system, and yoga. They are also very much related to traditional Chinese medicine.
For many years, this art has been passed down orally, from generation to generation. Then texts were written, but they were largely destroyed in the 18th century, during the Burmese invasion. In 1832, the surviving texts were carved in stone at Bangkok's largest temple, Wat Pho.

Energy channels
Like Chinese medicine therapists, Thai medicine practitioners believe that health depends on the free flow of energy in invisible channels throughout the body. These channels, called  Sen, are comparable to the meridians of traditional Chinese medicine, which intervene in acupuncture, accu-pression and in Tuina massages. When the system of  Sen  is balanced, the subject feels in good shape, happy and relaxed, while having regained a lot of energy.

Technical
By exerting pressure on the meridians, it is possible to prepare the muscles of the body for stretching with beneficial effects. Various parts of the body are used to exert these pressures: palms, thumbs, forearms, elbows, knees, and feet.
A Thai massage session is comparable to a yoga session, except that you will not have to do anything, the therapist will take care of it for you. In fact, you will even discover that your body can stretch more and adopt more delicate postures with the help of the practitioner.

Progress of a session
Usually the patient lies down on the floor on a mat and remains dressed (the ideal is to wear loose and comfortable clothes), an outfit is proposed to you. To begin with, the practitioner tries to fight against blockages or imbalances in the energy flow with the  Sen. Once these pressures are exerted, the muscles of the body are stretched, as in some yoga exercises. Stress and tension can cause muscles to shorten and produce tension in the body. Careful stretching of the muscles helps relieve tension and gives the body greater freedom of movement. Musculoskeletal pain can also be relieved this way. The interaction between the therapist and his patient resembles a dance, because all the gestures are part of a series of long and fluid movements. Thai massages are particularly recommended for elderly people, because certain manipulations have the reputation of restoring flexibility and energy.