In Thailand, Thai Massage is not considered an independent healing method, but an integral part of the Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) framework.
To better understand the place of Traditional Thai Massage in Thailand, it’s good to have an understanding of the way TTM is approached in Thailand and therefore essential to have a basic comprehension of the Thai concepts of Body, Mind, and Energy and how they relate to a human being, of the Four Body Elements, and of a holistic approach to healing.
Body, Citta, and Energy
In Thai philosophy, human life is holistically viewed as a combination of three essences: Body, Citta (Mind), and Energy. The constant interconnection between these three essences is called the Circle of Life.
The Body essence — the physical body — refers to the substances (matter) of which we are made, the combination of atoms that make up our physical self.
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Citta (a Sanskrit, Pali, and Thai word), is usually translated as mind-heart, and is understood to be the entire non-physical human being — all of our thoughts, emotions, and spirit that makes up our inner lives, or our inner self. Being rooted in Buddhism, which does not recognize the existence of a soul, Thai philosophy states that the Citta is part of our entire being, not a separate entity, but “tied” to the Physical Body.
Energy, in the Thai system, holds (or connects) Citta and Body together. Energy (Life Energy, Prana, or Lom Pran as it’s called in thailand) is believed to be absorbed by the air we breathe, the food we digest, through sunlight (through the skin), and through barefoot contact with the Earth.
Like the Chinese idea of Qi (or Chi) and the Indian concept of Prana, this Life Force Energy is an intangible flow that runs through the body via specific Energy Channels called Nadis, Meridians, or Sen Energy Lines.
Four Elements
Another important concept in TTM is the idea that the human body functions through the interaction of Four Body Elements: earth, water, wind and fire. Actually, each element refers to the qualities or properties of a body substance, where substances are, for instance, organs, cell tissue, psychological and physiological processes and functions, and so on.
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Substances that are solid can be said to have the qualities of the Earth element. Substances that are liquid are of the Water element. Movement is the quality of the Air element, and heat is the quality of the Fire element.
The constant interaction of the Four Elements creates and sustains the processes of the human body. Therefore, it’s of vital importance to keep them balanced throughout life. When the Four Elements of the body are in equilibrium, a person will be healthy. By contrast, if an imbalance in these elements occurs, that is, if there is a deficit, an excess, or disability in any of the Four Elements, a person will become ill.
More specifically: illness is thought to be caused by an obstruction of the free flow of Life Force Energy (Prana or Lom Pran), which is typically due to a malfunction in the Physical Body or in the Citta, which is caused by an imbalance in the Four Elements.
Holistic Balance
In the Thai system, the root cause of all disease is the imbalance of the Body, Citta, and Energy, which is thought to be caused by an imbalance of the Four Body Elements. When the three essences are balanced, the human organism enjoys health and well-being.
The imbalance of the three essences Body, Citta, and Energy causes one’s natural health and immunity to break down, leaving the person vulnerable to discomforts and disease.
TTM, like all holistic healing systems, approaches disease not as a merely physical phenomenon, but as simultaneously a mental, physical, energetic, spiritual, and environmental phenomenon. Thus, in the Thai tradition, all ailments are treated holistically.
All parts of the circle are interconnected. Maintaining balance of the Four Body Elements and thus the three essences is therefore the primary focus of Thai Traditional Medicine and its individual healing modalities.
