In offering treatments of Thai Massage and Shiatsu Massage, Surya Marga's philosophy is based on care and the act of receiving with the depth of touch. Our capable masseurs will make you appreciate the benefits of massage, whether in the relaxing setting of our studio in Cisternino or in the comfort of your home or your holiday stay in Puglia.
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Thai Massage
Thai massage is the result of a long history that borders on legend. It was codified in the fifth century BC by the Indian physician Shivago Kumar Baj, still considered today in Thailand as "Father of medicine".
As the Pali Canon attests, scriptures of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, he was a contemporary, friend and follower of the Buddha, practiced medical art at the court of the Indian king of Maghada Bimbisara and was the doctor of the Buddhist community (Sangha).
When the Buddhist monks and the doctor's disciples arrived in the area where Thailand is now, in the third or second century BC, they spread this type of massage as a practice of mettā, "loving-kindness". There are no documents that attest to massage practices in that same area prior to this period.
The Thai massage is based on the concept that the body is furrowed by channels, Indian medicine believes that there are over 70,000, called sen (Sanskrit nadi), crossed by the prana vital energy; ten sen are of primary importance; 1) Sumana, 2) Ittha, 3) Pingkala, 4) Kalathari, 5) Sahatsarangsi, 6) Thawari, 7) Lawasang, 8) Ulangka, 9) Nanthakrawat, 10) Khitchanna.
Invisible and not verifiable by the current scientific instruments, the sen constitute a second body, Prana-maya Kosha in Sanskrit, or energetic body, tightly intertwined with the physical body, Anna-maya Kosha, the only body of which we have sensory experience. Indian medicine, from which the Thai massage derives, classifies five bodies; in addition to the aforementioned, the Mana-maya Kosha, mental body, the Vijnana-maya Kosha, emotional body and the Ananda-maya Kosha, body of cosmic consciousness; Thai massage works on the second body and has beneficial effects on others. When the prana does not circulate adequately in the sen it goes to meet discomforts that can degenerate in pathological states.
The purpose of the Thai massage is to restore the correct circulation of energy. The one who receives the Thai massage lies on a mattress that is not too soft on the floor; he wears comfortable clothes that allow ample movement; it can be alone or with other patients in a large room (as usually happens in hospitals). Before starting, the masseur recites the following prayer with hands joined (Wai Khru พิธีไหว้ครู): “Om Namo Shivago Kumar Baj Puchaya”, cioè “Respect the compassionate Shivago Kumar Baj with good behaviour”.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a technique that uses finger pressure on particular points of the human body to favor the regular flow of energy. Shiatsu performed by accredited professionals is able to create well-being and improve the health of the individual. Although its roots lie in Chinese culture it is thanks to the contribution of the Japanese masters that shiatsu acquires the methodology and discipline that led it to cross borders and become part of Western culture in an authoritative way.
Characteristics of Shiatsu (from the Japanese Shi = finger and atsu = pressure): manipulation, therefore, occurs through the pressure carried out by the fingers, by the thumb precisely even if in some cases the palms of the hands and elbows are also used (depends on the area to be treated).
Shiatsu pressure must always be constant in the amount of weight carried on the body, firm and static; the treatment is performed without muscular effort with slow, constant and repeated techniques that activate different depth levels: from the essence of the person to the physical, to the energetic and to the mental. The strength and power of this pressure derive from the centering of the operator in Hara, the important sub-umbilical area held in high regard by the Orientals and which constitutes the true physical and energetic center of gravity of the body and its movements.
There are no standard treatments, the pace and depth of the pressures and their repetition and duration depend on the conditions of the "recipient", or of the one who undergoes the treatment. The reality of Shiatsu. Talking about shiatsu means accepting centuries of history and principles, still valid today, that see the human being in relation to the universe, in particular in the styles that have their reference in traditional Chinese medicine.
The world of Shiatsu is very rich and multi-faceted due to two main factors. In the first place, the social breadth of its diffusion: many thousands of people of different ages, sexes and social conditions approach Shiatsu today, to learn it or receive it. Secondly, the cultural orientation expressed in it.
The development of Shiatsu has in fact been intertwined in recent years with a vast and serious activity of exploration and interpretation of the thought and traditional practices of oriental culture, producing a rich and interesting bibliography everywhere, even in Italy. Finally, the cultural significance that is given to the experience throughout the training is not to be underestimated: its recognized value is the foundation and necessary companion of a flexible knowledge, capable of an approach that is not preordained with reality.