Thai Massage | Sib Sen Energy Lines

 Published: Dec 12, 2014 | Revised: Jul 7, 2024

Thai Massage Sip Sen Energy Lines in Thailand

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The Sen. Sip Sen. Or Sib Sen. The ten main Energy Channels running through our bodies. We all know them, well — we most probably learned about them when we took a Thai Massage training course.

We learn their trajectories and locations, we learn how to manipulate them with palm pressure, acupressure, rocking, with stretches, and with Yoga poses (Asanas).

The Sib Sen or Sen Sip are the canals, the channels, the pathways trough which Vital Energy is conducted and distributed. Life Energy. Human energy. Bodily fuel. Some call it Prana, others Wind, Chi, Qi, or Universal Energy, and in Thailand it’s called Lom Pran. More important, by opening the Energy Channels (or unblocking them, if you wish) and by “balancing” the flow of Life Energy, we restore proper functioning of our body and mind. It’s as simple as that!

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eBook - Sib Sen Energy Lines

Yes! But when we take a closer look and ask some critical questions, the whole thing becomes much less obvious. For instance, we may observe that various Thai Massage schools and every distinct style and lineage of Thai Massage uses another map of the Sen Energy Lines. This is of course not easy to accept — to say the least.

Harald Brust — perhaps better known as Asokananda — a Thai Massage teacher who did intensive research with regard to the Sip Sen, clarified this phenomenon by stating that each map historically focused on different therapeutic aspects; he gives us the example of a modern topographic map that either focuses on rivers and streets, or alternatively only on restaurants and hotels. Depending on the focus, the maps are drawn slightly different. Well, okay! Got that!

Yet another issue is that we cannot anatomically see the Sib Sen Energy Lines. If you would dissect a body you wouldn’t find them. They are invisible. And naturally the question arises how in heavens name one can manipulate invisible things?

But then some say: well, you just feel them! With practice and intuition you can feel the invisible channels and the invisible energy. Okay! Fine! I’m willing to take that being true.

Then there are these special points located along the Sen Energy Lines. Good for this, and good for that. Therapy points, distribution points, healing points, acupressure points, acupoints. Points that are sometimes quite sensitive and even painful when pressed. But then again, who are we to question thousand years of healing experience?

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Yoga Nadis Energy Channels - eBook

However things may be, knowledge of the Sip Sen can come very handy. Quite practical. When you give a Thai Massage session it simply helps not to forget to pay attention to all parts of the body. And besides that, talking about the Sen Lines and their purpose with clients helps to better get health issues to the surface.

Today, it seems rather clear that the Sen Lines have striking parallels with both the Chinese Meridians and the Indian Yoga Nadis. Especially with the latter.

It’s also evident that a bunch of Energy Lines have a similar built-up as our nervous system, lymphatic system, blood circulation system, and muscle make-up. It’s even suggested that maybe the Sib Sen were just an ancient way to describe the layout of different body tissues.

Moreover, the use of the word “Sen” in Thailand can also refer to physical structures of the body, which may include the tendons, ligaments, nerves, arteries and veins, muscle and fascia fibers. Of course, this doesn’t make it easier to understand the Sen Lines.

But maybe there’s nothing to understand here. Maybe it’s really only something we can feel. Can sense. Invisible things. Energy things. Well, for now, I’m happy we only need to learn ten Energy Lines and not the full set of 72,000. That would’ve been something, wouldn’t it?





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