The most common reason people put off a first Thai massage is not knowing what they have agreed to. It is an unusual treatment if you have only ever had the oil-and-table kind, so here is the whole hour, in order.
Before you start
You will be asked what you want from the session and whether anything is sore, injured or off limits. Answer properly — this is the part that decides whether the hour is any good. Mention past injuries even if they feel healed, and say if you are pregnant or being treated for anything.
You stay in loose clothing. Nothing is removed and there is no oil, so there is no undressing and nothing to wash off afterwards. Wear something you can move in, or ask at reception.
The hour itself
You lie on a mat on the floor rather than a raised table. The work usually begins at the feet and moves up, following lines through the legs, hips, back, shoulders, arms and neck, and it tends to finish at the head.
The therapist will move you: bending a knee towards your chest, rotating a hip, opening a shoulder, lengthening your spine with your arms drawn back. Your job is to stay loose and let them. Helping is the commonest mistake — a limb you are holding up cannot be stretched.
Pressure is firm and applied slowly, with palms, thumbs, forearms, elbows, knees and sometimes feet. It should register as strong, not sharp. If it crosses into pain, say so immediately; a therapist would far rather adjust than have you endure an hour quietly.
Things that surprise people
- It is quieter than expected. Long stretches of it pass without anything being said.
- Joints click sometimes during a stretch. This is normal, and is not something being put back into place.
- The pace is slow. Nothing is rushed, and you may lose track of the order entirely.
- You are worked on through clothing the whole way through, including the back and shoulders.
Afterwards
Expect to feel loose, a little spacious, and occasionally a bit tender the next day in the way a good stretching session leaves you tender. Drink water, and avoid heavy training for the rest of the day if the session was deep.
If it is your first, ask the therapist at the end which lengths and styles would suit you. They have just spent an hour with the answer in their hands.