Thai Massage
Though the arrival of Buddhism has been dated to the reign of King Asoka in the 3rd Century B.C, it is not possible to say exactly when Indian Medicine began to develop in Thailand. The first mention of Nuad Boran is in 17th Century palm-leaf scriptures, which King Rama III had engraved in tablets and statues in Wat Po, Bangkok. He did this to ensure that the knowledge they contained would survive, as prior to then Thailand had suffered from widespread plundering and destruction during the Burmese invasion of the capital, Ayutthaya, in 1767.
The knowledge and techniques that have been transcribed and preserved are known as the ‘royal tradition’. However, there is also the rural tradition of medicine in Thailand, which contributed to the development of the massage that is practiced today. The indigenous healers of Thailand utilised herbology, astrology and shamanism in their practices, and their knowledge was passed down orally from teacher to apprentice.
Wat Po remains an important centre for the continuation of Nuad Boran, as well as being a library of traditional medicine and herbology. The style of massage taught there has become known as ‘Southern style’ or Wat Po style’. The spiritual home of the ‘northern style’ is the Old Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai, founded by Ajahn Sinton in the 1960’s.
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