By Tania LaCaria
Lying on my stomach with the side of my face squished up against a cotton mat, I cringed in pain. The masseuse pulled my arms back, while pinning me to the floor. I tried to breathe through the discomfort of the first major adjustment reminding myself that this hour of relaxation (or torture) cost a mere 300 baht. I should’ve been grateful for such a unique experience, but it’s hard to be thankful when it hurts.
As I felt her knee release my vertebrae, I began to relax before being gently pulled upright into a sitting position. I was then forced to twist my torso around so tightly that I thought my head was going to spin on my neck. What kind of massage was this?
I obviously had no idea what I was signing up for when I opted to pay the equivalent of $10 for an hour-long massage at Wat Pho in Bangkok. Wat Pho (or Wat Po) is Thailand’s school for traditional massage and lies south of the opulent Grand Palace. The beautiful temple compound was mesmerizing with its shiny gold stupa turrets and ceramic tile mosaics. As I wandered through the Northern walled compound, admiring yet another one of Bangkok’s incredible feats of architecture, I thought the perfect end to my self-directed tour would be to indulge in a cheap, blissful hour of massage.
I paid my B300 and looked for the change rooms. I was led into a large, open room in the centre of the building full of clothed tourists lying on a giant elevated platform covered in cotton mats. Masseuses were clad in soft cotton scrubs and chattered amongst themselves while twisting their patients into contorted human pretzels.
As I turned around to inquire if I was in the right place, a small lady took me by the arm, leading me to my mat. She proceeded to remove my shoes and tapped the surface of the mat, a gesture for me to lie back.
Traditional Thai massage is a combination of deep-tissue massage and yoga-like positions. I was expecting a peaceful and private massage with oil, but I was wrong! Thai massage techniques originated in India and are based on ayurvedic healing and yoga practices. The massage experience involves a lot of movement and activity, so it’s not exactly relaxing.
As I adjusted to the pulling, pressing, and stretching, my masseuse gestured for me to flip onto my back in the last five minutes of my session. She kept her arms bent at 90 degrees and proceeded to lean into the backs of my thighs with her forearms. I felt her hands move up to my neck and shoulders and remained relaxed as she pulled down my shoulders in an attempt to pull them from my neck and head.
My masseuse ended the treatment by gently taking my hand into hers and rotating my index finger within its socket: slowly, softly, and then, pop! My eyes snapped open as she wiggled and pulled on every single one of my fingers until they popped in their sockets. She lay my hand down upon completion, bowed modestly, then turned to her girlfriend to continue chatting.
As I stepped out of the air-conditioned hall into the blaring Bangkok sun, I realized that Thai massage is very much like Thai people: it’s assertive, aggressive, and catches you off guard each and every time, but for some inexplicable reason, you just can’t seem to get enough of it.
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