A Dedicated Self Practice

I’ve been reading a lot lately on what some term a “traditional” approach to practicing Thai massage. There are many interesting thoughts and opinions on this topic and I think they’re all valuable when formulating your own opinion on such things. Amongst these readings, there is the mention of “Ruesri Dat Ton” and “Wai khru.”

Ruesri Dat Ton is a form of movement meditation designed to open up your own body, mind and spirit and prepare them for a day of giving Thai massage treatments. Wai Khru is a ritualistic prayer that requires us to pay homage to our teachers and the the deities who patronize the art of Thai massage.

Some say that in order to be practicing authentic Thai yoga massage, you must be utilising both of these tools. I believe that instead of relying on specific sequences and rituals, authenticity comes from self and an exploration of self. That is to say that before we pay homage to spirits and teachers, why not pay homage foremost to ourselves. Why not rely on the guidance of ones own hands and intuition rather than the input of other beings?

This not to devalue the benefits of prayer at all, but rather to highlight that in essence, the important message in these texts is that it is crucial to have a dedicated self practice. In my own opinion this does not need to be Ruesri Dat Ton and Wai Khru; it can be yoga, a martial art or really any other mindful movements that not only open up our bodies for Thai massage practice, but also allow us to build a greater self-awareness and knowledge of our own bodies.

Extending this beyond Thai massage alone, a self-awareness practice is a valuable addition to everyone’s daily routine. When we consciously practice getting in touch with our body, we tap into a greater sensitivity, allowing us to recognise and change patterns of restriction (in mind and body) that aren’t serving us. If we become more sensitive to our own body, we open the doors to greater sensitivity when interacting with others, both in massage and social settings.

More than that, when we take time for ourselves to become more aware, we’re essentially paying homage to ourselves. We become grateful for our health and the abilities of our body. When we’re thankful and compassionate towards self, we are much more capable of showing compassion (Metta) to others and caring for our clients. As they say on flights “be sure to secure your own Oxygen mask first, then help others”. By building a dedicated self practice, we’re fulfilling the message of “taking care of ourselves before we take care of others”.

Be well,
Drew.