Nobody seemed to think that there was anything unusual about this picture, and customers simply walked around the impromptu massage setup. When I mentioned that I would like a massage also, everyone in the store erupted with appreciative laughter.
Today I went to a restaurant for dinner. There were no customers inside, but an unusual scenario was happening. One of the restaurant cooks was lying face down on one of the wooden benches in the dining area, and the other cook (both female) was standing on her co-worker's thighs and was walking up and down her legs and buttocks while clinging to the curtain next to her to keep her precarious balance.
When I walked in on this scene, all the employees broke out into heart-felt laughter. I told them to go right on doing their massage, which they did. The restaurant manager was right there and did not take any issue with his employee's extracurricular activities. Imagine such a scene in an American restaurant!
I have seen similar scenes countless times in Thailand. In all my travels I have never seen any country where spontaneous massage was happening as naturally and frequently as in Thailand. Thai Massage therapists set up shop anywhere: on the beach, on the sidewalk in the middle of busy markets, on rickety wooden platforms during festivals. And there are established massage shops all over the place where you can get a one hour session for $5.
On the higher end there are lots of fabulous spas with gorgeous decors and beautiful settings. There is no valid excuse to not treat yourself to lots of bodywork in Thailand.
Massage in Thailand is often a very public and social activity. Since Thai Massage is done fully dressed, there is no need for private massage rooms. Many times people will gather around a massage session-in-progress, chat, eat and watch. Nobody thinks that there is anything strange about that.
This easy availability of massage is one of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting Thailand. Thai Massage is not considered a luxury like in the West. It is often seen as a necessity to maintain good health, and as one of the good things in life that many Thais treats themselves to on a regular basis.
Here is an interesting tip: Use your Thailand trip as a spa adventure and cultural experience. Sample many different massage places, spas, and individual therapists. Since the cost of massage is so much lower than in the western world, affordability is not an issue. Besides experiencing all the treatments, it is also a great way to get to know the Thai people, hear their life stories, and even make friends.
Therapists in Thailand are generally very happy to talk to you, and many speak some English. You can learn a lot about Thailand, its culture and way of living by paying $5.- for a one click here hour massage with a therapist who speaks some English.
For some people, their first massage experience maybe a painful one. But do let that stop you from going to a massage spa. The benefits will far out weighing any short-term pain that you will experience. Here are some other reasons why you should go to a massage spa on a regular basis:
Stress Relief; massage is probably the best way a relieve a person's stress. Many people swear by this and as a result visit a massage spa on a regular basis to help relieve their stress.
Sensitive to Touch; for every square inch of body skin there are up to 50 nerve endings. There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin that constantly send messages to our brain. One of massage does it is it relaxed is that stimulates the receptors, which results in reducing blood pressure and lowering the heart rate. A massage also causes the brain to release endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers.
Restoring One's Strength; With the regular visits to a massage spa, a person will notice an improvement in muscle strength and function. Even muscle spasms can be reduced from a massage. When a person exercises regularly, the muscle tissues produce certain harmful toxins like lactic acid. A good massage will help release these toxins from the body.
Increase Blood Circulation; One of biggest of benefits of a good massage it is the enhanced blood circulation. With a better blood circulation, the nutrients will feed the body's cells and also remove waste products from cells and tissues.
Improves The Nervous System; With the regular visits to massage spa, the nervous system function will improve too. Every day stress affects the nervous system. A good massage will help sooth the numerous nerve endings found the skin and muscles.
Improves Flexibility; Think of your joints as thoroughfares for nerves, veins and arteries. A good massage will keep the joints, hips, shoulders, spine and neck too flexible. Freedom of movement of joints it is associated with greater energy and improves the blood flow.
Massage and Diseases; A good massage will help tremendously in relieving conditions like colic, diabetes, migraines and hyper activity. Recent research has also shown that I'd good massage can help people with asthma, boost immunity in HIV patients; lower anxiety levels and even improve the concentration of autistic children.
With all these tremendous benefits derived from a good massage therapy, one should seriously consider visiting a massage spa on a regular basis to remain stress free and healthy.