"Out of Asia" or… my year in China

La Moon...pre-massage

So here we go…second Thai massage…fifth massage in Asia. Let me tell you good cheap massaging- it is NOT getting old. This massage was less acrobatic and more instinctual than the last one I had here. Less pain…more relaxation. More creams, more attention to detail, more ritual…just …more.

This is my roomy massage outfit

Not that the last massage I had here was bad, far from it…it was a good, honest full-body Thai massage. By full body I mean your whole body gets attention as well as the masseur using their full body on you in the massage process. Not only their fingers, palms and elbows but their feet, thighs, and torso are used to manipulate, prop-up and work into your various muscles. From your feet to your hips, your fingertips to your temples, these women calm and cajole your muscles through a sacred ritual of witness.

Cleansing of the feet before we begin, thank you.

First you are given a roomy outfit to change into – Thai pants and blouse – see above. In China, you are also given pajama-like outfits to change into but they are often flannel (even in summer) and ill fitting with elastic waists and too-small head openings. We were provided with a locker and key to put away our things and on we went to one of many massage rooms. Ours was empty of other clients – so it felt private and welcoming and had the de rigueur calming Buddhist chanting soundtrack playing when we entered.  This time – even though I had taken the consideration of showering  just before I came (I was thinking of my masseur) – we were given a quick foot bath before beginning.  Always a good idea in Thailand as most people are wearing open shoes of some kind and you are often, as was the case in this establishment, obliged to take off your shoes before entering so you never know where the feet have been last.

In summary, I suppose I would have to say that I would have liked the massage to be harder overall – I am short but I am not frail. Although my body was much more relaxed this time around than it was last time when I was still recovering from my cold and had not yet adjusted to the rhythms of vacation time, I was still a bit worried that it was going to be too much. I think my masseuse sensed this and proceeded accordingly. Or maybe that is just how they do ladies here – with less oomph than the guys. Later, I discovered that they do indeed do a more relaxing massage than most — i.e. Roland wasn’t grunting and breathing through the pain as he did last time. I do kind of like that kind of hard massage and yet I enjoyed this one more so for the lack of it – if that makes any sense.

Unguents mixed and used on me

I truly felt that I was being taken care of and my muscles were being carried through some sort of ritual exercise. That saying that you should “treat your body like a temple” was certainly applicable here. Everything from the praying over you before beginning to the mixing and rubbing of the unguents on the spot made you feel special and as if you and your masseuse were one person. She was working harmoniously to extract what was no longer needed in my body, bringing out its best. While, as I said, she didn’t ‘work me hard’ the whole way through there were certainly moments. Such as when she put the full weight of her body over me with both hands firmly compressing my hip bones, I did indeed have to breath through it.

My massage bed

And breath through it all I did, a calm serene breath that almost lulled me to sleep and I never fall asleep easily, least of all in public places. In the end a lovely ginger tea was served to calm the insides before departing and heartfelt Sawasdee-ka’s were given all around.

La Moon in Cha-am – simply charming.