Thai Yoga is Not Really Yoga | Reusi Dat Ton

Published July 9, 2017April 23, 2020 | Updated April 23, 2020 eBooks | Topics | Thailand | Countries

Wat Pho Rue-Si Datton Self-Stretching Exercises | eCourse
18 Thai Yoga standing exercises which can be done anywhere in about 30 minutes. An ideal daily stretching and strengthening workout to promote your fitness, flexibility and health.

Reusi Datton statue at Wat Pho temple grounds in Bangkok IMAGE BY HELISSA GRUNDEMANN

Reusi Datton, Rue-Si Dat Ton or Traditional Thai Yoga is not really Yoga. It’s a bit the same as with Traditional Thai Massage which is not really massage.

However, when seeing a Reusi Datton session one can easily get the impression of a series of Yoga-movements being executed. But doing it yourself, one very quickly discovers that it only remotely resembles Indian Yoga.

Reusi Datton is a seven-fold diamond in simultaneous, parallel, integrated action: strength, stretch, breath, balance, postural correction (chiropractics), muscle relaxation, and Thai Traditional dance.

That makes this Thai bodywork tradition quite hard to perform correctly and a seemingly simple work-out of about 45 minutes is in fact a very intense, concentrated, and meditative experience.

As believed to be the basis and foundation of Traditional Thai Massage (Nuad Thai), a Reusi Datton session also prepares the body well (warms it up) to receive a Thai Massage workout immediately afterwards. A little bit the same effect as having a Herbal Ball Compress massage session before a Thai Massage.

Reusi Datton is ideal bodywork for the Thai Massage practitioner as a preparation and stretcher before doing a massage session or as a compensator afterwards. Moreover, various exercises can be taught to the receiver to do “at home,” hence continuing the therapeutic work that needs to be done.

Reusi Datton or Thai Yoga is not really Yoga. No. But it sure as well does the job.