If you have no idea what Thai Massage is then Prenatal Thai Massage is not even on your radar. But, It’s not a new at all it’s been around for years. Most people have heard of Thai Massage but have no clue can be on Pregnant women also.
My friend and massage instructor Vanessa messaged me one day and said she had a class on Prenatal Thai Massage. I was so excited because Vaness studied Thai Massage in Thailand for a month. She has many years of experience in Thai Massage and Yoga.
Being a prenatal massage therapist for ten years and counting I got a bit weary of my skills as a prenatal therapist. I learned the foundation of prenatal massage in school in 2007. The side-lying position was the only option at the time. Then fast forward to 2009 I was four months postpartum (my 3rd and final child) I had what I call level II prenatal massage education. In this class, I was taught how to use The bodyCushion system so pregnant women could have the option to lay face down while getting a massage. I know right? My 2nd and 3rd pregnancies I did not know about the cushion system I had the table with the hole so my belly could fit in it. I was not a fan of this at all. My back hurt more than when I came, and the ligaments in my stomach were stressed even more. Not a good idea for me and my body. It was time to take my skills to the next level. It was time to get grounded.
What is Prenatal Thai Massage
Prenatal Thai Massage techniques are combined gentle, yoga-like stretching with compression of the muscles and energy lines with hands and foot, forearm rolling, thumb pressure and joint movement. A pregnant mom can receive her massage in side-lying, seated and sitting positions. While there are believed to have 72,000 hundreds of energy lines in the body, Thai massage focuses on the ten main energy lines with the intention to free stagnation of “lom” which translates to “wind.” When lom is not flowing freely, dis-ease can is present.
How is Prenatal Thai Massage Done?
Prenatal Thai is performed on the floor on a Thai Massage mat that looks like a futon mattress. It is firm yet very comfortable. There are a lot of pillow, bolsters, and cushions to support the pregnant mom as well as the practitioner. Thai Massage can also be performed on the massage table. However, I will be offering it the traditional way, on the mat.
On the Thai mat, I was able to get the body leverage necessary for the stretches and postures used in Thai Massage. Depending on the needs of the client. I was able to include my elbows, knees, and feet in addition to my hands. Yes, I did find my self-winded a few times when not using proper body mechanics. Once my posture was corrected it was smooth sailing.
I am so excited to add Prenatal Thai Massage new tools added to my toolbox of massage therapy skills to my practice as an option for my pregnant mommy clients. I consider this my level III prenatal massage. Prenatal Thai Massage is where training and preparation for your labor day take place. Your muscles must be healthy and well prepared, your endurance and mental grit will be enhanced for your delivery day.
P.S I got some much-needed bodywork myself for two days while in this class. I was so zoned and zen at night. On Monday I after I took my youngest to school I came back home and slept until 1:30 pm. My body had to process the two days of bodywork I received because I did not take the time to get a massage since late spring. I won’t be doing that again.