27/09/2025
Normally, Traditional Thai Massage is organized into sequences or “sets of massage postures,” which may vary depending on the school or curriculum where the practitioner has trained. In general, however, traditional Thai massage typically consists of four main steps:
- Pressing – Using fingers, palms, elbows, or feet to apply pressure along the energy lines (the Sen Sib or ten principal energy channels).
- Palpation & Kneading – Palpating or kneading to relax the muscles.
- Stretching – Applying techniques of bending, pulling, and stretching joints and muscles to increase flexibility.
- Adjustment/Relaxation – Relaxing the body and restoring balance of energy.
From an academic perspective, the Ministry of Public Health classifies Thai massage into 77 postures (according to the textbook of Applied Thai Traditional Massage).
However, in practice, a one-hour massage session typically involves only 10–20 postures, depending on the practitioner’s individual techniques.
