I took a chance and got my second massage today, at the Happy Massage parlour featured in a previous post. It wasn't as fancy as the Unhappy Massage parlour, but I got an even better massage. Or else the first one loosened me up so the girl today was able to do more. That can happen too. I didn't leave the parlour feeling very happy, if you get my drift, but my body is really relaxed now.
Since a couple of you asked me how thai massages are different than the ones in the U.S., I think the main difference is the ones in the U.S. (well, the swedish massages and deep tissue massages, which are what I get) focus on slow and long strokes of the muscles, while the thai massages focus on kneading and unmoving direct pressure on the muscles. This means that in Thailand, you get a set of loose pants and a loose top to wear. They don't interfere with the massage because the therapist isn't trying to pull your muscles through the cloth. In the States, you're nude or close to it, so the therapist can drag their hands all the way down your muscles without the clothes interfering.
The two girls who worked on me here also used a lot more of their bodies than the therapists in the States. Both girls, for example, sat on the floor near my feet (I was on a mat on the floor) and grabbed on foot, while using their own feet to knead the backs of my legs. The girl today at one point had all of her weight on me while I lay on my stomach, using her knees on my legs and butt and her elbows and forearms on my back and shoulders.
I can't say which style I prefer, since I only had the two examples here. But I really, really relaxed during the one today, and I'd get more thai massages if the opportunity arises. Especially if they only cost $10 + tip.
Since a couple of you asked me how thai massages are different than the ones in the U.S., I think the main difference is the ones in the U.S. (well, the swedish massages and deep tissue massages, which are what I get) focus on slow and long strokes of the muscles, while the thai massages focus on kneading and unmoving direct pressure on the muscles. This means that in Thailand, you get a set of loose pants and a loose top to wear. They don't interfere with the massage because the therapist isn't trying to pull your muscles through the cloth. In the States, you're nude or close to it, so the therapist can drag their hands all the way down your muscles without the clothes interfering.
The two girls who worked on me here also used a lot more of their bodies than the therapists in the States. Both girls, for example, sat on the floor near my feet (I was on a mat on the floor) and grabbed on foot, while using their own feet to knead the backs of my legs. The girl today at one point had all of her weight on me while I lay on my stomach, using her knees on my legs and butt and her elbows and forearms on my back and shoulders.
I can't say which style I prefer, since I only had the two examples here. But I really, really relaxed during the one today, and I'd get more thai massages if the opportunity arises. Especially if they only cost $10 + tip.
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