Thai Massage is a sacred dance. It is a holy communion between two people used to unblock energy stagnation. It is essentially an ancient Eastern healing technique used as a tool to awaken our spiritual flame and inner therapist. Learning the beautiful art of traditional Thai massage is not just about memorising a series of exercises, not about thinking that can cure someone of their sickness. It is about learning to give from the heart with compassion and to have deep understanding of the other person’s suffering. We are all one. We are reflections of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We are all connected. Learning how to give and to receive….to touch….to breathe….to feel. When we massage, we don’t aim to heal, we aim to help others believe they can and will be healed. When we are connected to the Divine, the healing process happens all by itself. We are just channels to remind each other of this. And thus the dance begins…
Massage therapy is one therapeutic treatment method that has many benefits for people in recovery.
Thai Massage is an ancient practice that has been used in cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. Whether part of loving contact between partners, spiritual rituals, or formal medicinal practices, massage is a part of the long and rich history of human communication and healing. Today, massage therapy is gaining increased recognition within the addiction treatment community for its ability to ease physical and emotional distress, nurture the recovery process, and create profound personal transformation.
Thai Massage practitioners believe that all that stress the people try to hide from using drugs is pushed down deep inside the body. This undesirable energy creates tension, and it prevents energy from moving along its normal path. This stress can remain stuck indefinitely and these blockages cause physical and mental symptoms. Thai massage is said to be effective at releasing this built-up tension in the body, and it can assist in the healing process following addiction. It is common to feel like something has changed within following a session of Thai massage – a kind of loosening – and it can be like our body feels lighter. Thai massage can gently reintroduce us to our internal world so we can deal with feelings before they become problematic.
People in the early stages of addiction recovery often experience an uncomfortable gap between their body and mind. Therapeutic massage can bridge that gap, and is a powerful adjunct treatment in the addiction and recovery process.
Incorporating massage into a substance abuse program is advantageous in all of the stages of quitting an addiction: withdrawal, detoxification and abstinence. The physical, emotional and spiritual components of recovery all can be directly benefited by the healing power of therapeutic touch.
Massage treatments after the initial detoxification phase is crucial. When a person uses a substance to feel good, his/her body stops manufacturing its own “feel good” chemicals, (endorphins), and the substance takes over that task. Therefore, when a person quits using an abused substance, they lose their source of feeling good. Since it takes time for the body to start manufacturing its own endorphins again, this is a challenging interim to endure. This interim is the recovering addicts most vulnerable time to relapse.
The power of massage is undeniable. In fact, it’s become a powerful tool for many health and wellness programs. It’s no longer just offered in spas, but in hospitals, businesses, and clinics, including drug and alcohol treatment facilities. Massage therapy is a proven holistic approach to helping patients progress through their addiction recovery.
Massage therapy in requires therapists to be excellent communicators, great listeners, and compassionate confidantes. For many patients in recovery, human touch is difficult at first because it can sometimes be the root cause of their addiction. Some patients come from a place where touching was associated with negative feelings and may initially be uncomfortable with someone touching them. Massage is a great method to rewire the brain and associate touch in a more positive light. With continued massage therapy, patients can learn to trust again, and experience the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of therapeutic touch. Massage therapy helps create a safe haven where the patient feels comfortable and can start to accept the kindness of another person.
Massage therapy also reduces the body’s reaction to stress which can trigger the release of cortisol. This is a hormone that moves through the body to stimulate the body’s organs to respond to stress. By reducing production of cortisol, massage therapy helps minimize the anxiety and restlessness you may feel during early treatment.
Many treatments focus on the mind, for instance, behaviour therapy and group counselling. While these are helpful if the patient is willing and able to express themselves, therapeutic massage can be a guide to work out inner tensions without any words and this is when therapeutic massage for addiction recovery can be most beneficial.
The healing process during addiction recovery can go very smoothly with the help of an experienced and compassionate massage therapist. Massage therapy tends to be overlooked even though it can be a huge factor in a successful recovery.
For patients who make massage therapy part of their long-term recovery plan, they get a natural, alternative method of healing, free of drugs
A few benefits and side effects of therapeutic massage include:
- Increase positive feelings. Massage releases some of the same “happiness hormones” as drugs and alcohol, so it can help fend off cravings and reprogram the pleasure pathway.
- Reduce agitation and anxiety
- Provides a natural, alternative method of healing, with no drugs involved.
- Helps with the removal of metabolic waste. Therapeutic massage triggers or stimulates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This, in turn, can increase circulation and promote the effectiveness of the lymph system. The lymph system helps to alleviate pain symptoms and is responsible for removing the body’s metabolic waste build-up.
- Provides the client with a connection to their body and improves their body awareness.
- Helps to build trust
- Decrease pain. Massage addresses the muscle and deep tissue pain that previously existed or manifested itself during withdrawal
- During massage, patients feel safe and peaceful and more able to focus on healing thoughts
- Makes sleep easier. Routine massage is a drug-free option that helps many clients combat insomnia by increasing delta (deep sleep) waves.
- Stimulates brain activity. Massage for recovery can stimulate the neurotransmitter system, boosting alertness and improving focus. This is especially helpful for those pursuing drug abstinence, since they must absorb a great deal of information during therapy and education sessions.
- Improves health. Many individuals stuck in a cycle of chemical dependency struggle to stay healthy day-to-day. Massage stimulates the immune system, helping it to ward off illness and improve overall wellness.
- Gain self-acceptance. During massage, participants gain a deep sense of relaxation, allowing them to reflect on themselves, their relationships, and the obstacles they need to overcome.
On a physical level, massage therapy eases muscle tension and promotes relaxation. Therapeutic massage’s invigoration of blood and lymphatic fluid allows for a more efficient exchange of oxygen rich nutrition into the body’s tissues, and the delivery of toxic waste products out of the body’s tissues. All systems of the body function more efficiently with improved circulation and a reduction in tension of the soft tissues and musculature. Thai massage encourages lymphatic drainage. The lymphatic system transports fluids around the body while also removing toxins. If fluid becomes stagnant anywhere in the system, it can lead to health problems. Thai massage encourages lymphatic drainage, and this will help your body to heal.
On an emotional level, massage releases endorphins (natural pain killers) that lead to a feeling of well-being. regular massage sessions can aid the client’s awareness of his or her own body, including where and when tension exists. Being conscious is a step toward recognizing one’s own resistance and can lead to healthfully addressing emotions associated with cravings and stress. Emotional release can commonly occur with massage, which provides a safe, non-threatening opportunity to begin the process of recovering long-buried emotions and memories.
On a spiritual level, the deep relaxation of a massage can provide an inner place for the recipient to connect with themselves. A recovering addict has a whole new world opened to them when they acknowledge that they can simultaneously be anchored, present, feel good and be substance-free. As Kosakoski explains, “To allow oneself to surrender to the practitioner’s hands — to breathe fully and easily, to acknowledge and receive the gifts of nurturing, surrender and relaxation ….is an invaluable addition to the newly recovering person’s repertoire of relapse-prevention skills.”
Massage has the unique ability to affect all of our layers of being — from the spiritual plane all the way up to and including our body’s chemical composition. In the process of abandoning an addiction, these many parts of ourselves become fragmented. It is merely a matter of time before all addiction and recovery treatment programs recognize massage’s ability to mend the mind-body connection. When that happens, therapeutic massage will be integrated into addiction treatment, and clients will be optimally prepared to succeed in their recovery.
I once read that emotions are our body’s way of telling us how it feels about what’s going on. When you bring someone back to their body, it’s like bringing them home.
Bibliography and Further Reading:
Books:
C.Pierce Salguero Traditional Thai Medicine 2007
Bob Hadad Thai Massage & Thai Healing Art Dec 2013
Nephyr Anne Jabobsen Seven Pepercorns May 2015
Anicient Thai Massage Healing With Prana
Dr. Anthony B James Ayurveda of Thailand. Indigenous Traditional Thai Medicine and Yoga Therapy 2016
Articles:
By Renee Zagozdon, Myths Vs. Truths in the Massage Therapy Profession February 13, 2018
By Donna Shryer, Navigating the Path to Wellness With Massage Therapy August 22, 2017
By Clare La Plante, Massage and Addiction March 1, 2013