Thai Yoga Therapy


                                   

            The history of Thai massage lies in India, within a system of healing that traces its origins back over 3,000 years, to roots in Yoga practice, Ayurvedic medicine and Buddhist spiritual practices. In the Thai language the massage is called “nuad borarn”, which means ancient massage. The word “borarn” comes from the sanskrit root word “purana” which means ancient or sacred body of work.

        The teachings and practices of Yoga date back at least 3,000 years (the Vedas and Upanishads) and some findings date the origins even earlier. Folk legend attributes the founding of this healing art to an Indian doctor and contemporary of the Buddha named Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha who is actually mentioned by name in the Pali Canon (the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism). The teachings of Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, Buddhism and Ayurveda spread throughout southeast Asia, reaching Siam (now Thailand) in what is believed to be the 2nd or 3rd century BC.

        Over the centuries, spiritual teachings and healing techniques such as Thai massage have mainly been passed down orally from teacher to student. More or less, the present form of Thai massage has been practiced in Thailand for over a thousand years.

        The theoretical foundation of Thai massage lies in the concept that all of the life at its most basic level is energy. This energy called “Prana” in Sanskrit (Chi in Chinese) exists in many forms from the extremely gross to the infinitely subtle and life is an interplay of these energies metaphorically a cosmic dance of Shiva and Shakti, Yin and Yang, the Sun and the Moon. Within the human body these energies flow along a network of channels or lines (nadis or meridians). In the Yoga tradition there are approximately 72,000 nadis. Each has a specific function and energy that it deals with. The three main lines energetically are the Sushumna (rising straight up through the center of the spine) and the Ida and Pingkala nadis which run on either side of the spine.

        Health in eastern philosophies is regarded as a state of balance between these energies, where all the systems of the body, including mind and spirit, function in harmony with each other. And disease (dis-ease) is seen as imbalance or disharmony in this flow of energies. But beyond feeling good physically an enlightened definition of health encompasses feelings of vitality, strength, inner peace and joy.

        Thai Yoga Therapy is a deep healing and powerful combination of rhythmic massage, acu-pressure, deep stretching, gentle twisting, energy work and meditation all rolled into one experience. This work aims at stimulating the flow of healing energies within the body, opening the areas which are blocked and bringing the body, mind and spirit back into balance and harmony, for health, happiness and wellness of being.

   

                                                http://www.thaiyoga.com

Task 1: Think about the following questions and then discuss them with your partner or group.

1. What can you predict from reading the title of this text?

2. Have you ever heard of Thai Yoga Therapy? How is it called in the Thai language?

3. Do you know anything about the history of Thai Yoga? Where did it originate?

4. In your opinion, do you think Thai Yoga Therapy is as effective as modern medicine? Why or why not?

Task 2: Reading for the Main Idea and Details

         

          Circle the best answer.

 

 

  1. What is a “Chi”?
    1. a kang-fu fighting
    2. inner power
    3. a short word for a chiwawa
    4. a  Japanese food with rice and raw fish

 

  1. What is the concept of Thai massage?
    1. eating a lot and getting fat
    2. for the body to relax
    3. a way to make human being able to reach god
    4. making humans immortal

 

  1. The main idea of paragraph 6 is  ______.
    1. The problem of Thai massage
    2. The roots of Thai massage
    3. How Thai massage has become popular
    4. The purpose of Thai massage

 

  1. The aim of Thai massage is to ______.
    1. relax the muscles
    2. heal the wound
    3. reduce stress
    4. stimulate the healing energies within the body

 

      5.  The passage tells us that Thai Yoga Therapy __________.
          a. originated 4,500 years ago
          b. is in conflict with modern medicine
          c. came from China
          d. is called “nuad borarn” in  Thai

    6.  In “Nuad borarn”, the word “borarn” comes from __________.
          a. the Sanskrit root word “purana”
          b. the Portugese language
          c. the Chinese language
          d. the Pali  root word “purana”

    7. According to the passage, Buddhism and Ayurveda spread throughout  ________ , reaching Siam.
          a. east Asia
          b. southeast Asia
          c. west Asia
          d. northwest Asia

 

 Task 3: Write T in front of the correct statements and F in front of the incorrect statement.

 

  1. ___ Stretching and medication help the body to relax.
  2. ___ Every living thing has an inner power (Chi).
  3. ___ Thai Yoga aims at stimulating the flow of healing energies within

            the body.                                          

  1. ___ The teaching of Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha ,Buddhism and Ayurveda      

            spread throughout South Asia.

  1. ___ People fall ill because of the imbalance in the flow of energies.

 

 

 

 

Task 4: Fill  in the blanks with suitable words.

 

1. Within the human body these energies ____ along a network of lines.

2. Thai yoga Therapy is powerful ____ of rhythmic massage.

3. Disease is seen as imbalance or ____ in this flow of energies.

4. The word “purana” which means ancient or _____ body of work.

5. Folk legend ____ the founding of this healing art to an Indian doctor.

6. Thai massage has mainly been passed down ____ from teacher to student.

7. The teaching and ____  of Yoga date back at least 3,000 years.

 

 

 

 

Task 5: Identifying References


          What do the italicized words refer to?

1. The word "its" (paragraph 1) refers to __________
2. The word "this healing art" (paragraph 2) refers to __________
3. The word "each" (paragraph 4) refers to __________
4. The word "this" (paragraph 6) refers to __________


 

 

Extension Task


Questions for Discussion

1. Do you think that Thai Yoga Therapy should be considered as medicine? Give reasons to support your answer.


2. According to the passage, how does Thai massage work within the human body?


3. Are there any other ways to treat diseases in the human body? Give some examples to support your opinion?


Answer Key

Task 1

          1. History of Thai Massage and How Thai Massage works.
          2. Yes/No , Nuad Borarn.
          3.  In India.
          4. Yes/No , because........

 

Task 2

1.     b

2.     b

3.     d

4.     d

5.     d

6.     a

7.     b

 

Task 3

            1. T

          2. T

          3. T

          4. F

          5. T

 

Task 4

1.     flow

2.     combination

3.     disharmony

4.     sacred

5.     attributes

6.     orally

7.     practices

 

Task 5

1.     Thai massage

2.     Yoga

3.     a Nadi or a meridian

4.     Thai Yoga therapy

 

Contributed by

Kannikar Weeramathachai

Ketsara Meesukanan

Waraporn Yingyoud

Apagorn Aumpaisumpunthakul

 

Editor : Antikar Rongsa-ard

 

WORD LIST

 

   

Theoretical (adj.)   =       based on theory rather than experience.

Energy (n.)            =       force, vigor, capacity for activity.

Gross (adj.)           =       overfed, repulsively fat.

Subtle (adj.)           =       evasive or mysterious; hard to grasp

Interplay (n.)          =       the operation of two things on each other.

Flow (v.)               =       glide along as a stream.

Tradition (n.)         =       a custom, opinion, or belief handed down to posterity

Spine (n.)              =       a series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the small of the back; the backbone.

Regard (v.)            =       give heed to; take into account

Harmony (n.)         =       a combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions.

Enlighten (v.)         =       instruct or inform.

Definition (n.)        =       the act or process of defining.

Encompass (v.)     =       surround or farm a circle about, esp.

Vitality (n.)            =       the ability to sustain life.

Strength (n.)          =       the state of being strong; the degree to which.

Inner (adj.)            =       further in , inside, interior the inner         

                                      compartment.

Combination (n.)   =       the act or an instance of combining, the process of being combined.

Rhythmic (adj.)      =       relating to or characterized by rhythm.

Stretch (v.)            =       draw or be drawn or admit of being drawn out into greater length or size.

Gentle (adj.)          =       mild or kind in temperament.

Meditate (v.)          =       exercise the mind in contemplations

Spiritual (adj.)        =       concerned with sacred or religious thing

Sacred (adj.)          =       connected with religion

Vedas (n.)             =       the most ancient Hindu scriptures

Upanishads (n.)     =       each of a series of philosophical compositions concluding the exposition of the Vedas

Attributes (n.)        =       regard as the effect

Contemporary (adj.) =     living or occurring at the same time

Oral (adj.)              =       by word of mouth; spoken; not written

Healing (adj.)         =        become sound or healthy again

Traces (v.)            =       observe, discover

Theoretical (adj.)   =        concerned with knowledge but not with its practical application

Interplay (n.)          =       reciprocal action

Philosophies (n.)    =       the use of reason and argument in seeking truth and knowledge of reality