The Thai Massage Manual: Natural Therapy for Flexibility, Relaxation and Energy Balance

Explore the powerful secrets of Thai massage--a vigorous technique that will enhance your health, happiness, and wholeness, and create a fresh, stimulating, giving-receiving relationship between you and your partner. Like other forms of massage, you employ a flowing sequence of stretches, but instead of using only your fingers, pressure is applied with thumbs, palms, elbows, knees, and feet. It has been called "yoga in action," with its emphasis on relaxing your mind, restoring your energy, and conditioning your body. A detailed program for complete body massage covers ten lessons, each concentrating on a particular part of your body. Full-color photographs of every move match still shots with superimposed artwork that indicates the directions of the movements you make. Each technique is clearly explained and its benefits detailed. Many have names as calming and as invigorating as the actions: Spiraling Arms, Opening the Energy Gates, Rainbow Dance, Flying Wild Goose, and The Longest Yawn and Stretch in the Universe. More than most massage techniques, Thai massage enhances the bond between partners, with its unity of mind and body, and its harmony of body and body. As you become familiar with the sequences, you'll experience the coming-together of the precise positions and postures to create a cumulative impact. Besides the principal program, there's a section on ways to devise your own approach for addressing specific healing needs such as stress, chronic pain, postural problems, and insomnia. Another feature: brief sessions for busy days. 144 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 11.