It soothes sore muscles and improve blood circulation leaving you refreshed and relaxed.

Designed for those leading an active lifestyle or for those who prefer a strong massage. Tensions drift away while enjoying this unforgettable hot Thai massage, unchanged since the 14th century.

The balancing Thai Herbal Poultice opens pores and delivers deep medicinal heat to relax muscles.

  [ Directions ]

Sprinkle the herbal compress with water or rice wine and steam it using dedicated spa accessories or a electric water pot. Steam for about 10 -15 mins. Do not submerge the compress in water. Steam 2 poultices at a time so that the treatment can be conducted without interruption.

The poultice should be heated over a steamer or hot pot. It can be left steaming until needed for at least 5 minutes.

Take out the hot compress and press it against the upper arm to test the level of heat. If it is too hot, use the other hand to hold the poultice to reduce the heat. Three methods of heat transfer:

1. If the high heat is required, tap the poultice at the designated area quickly to transfer the heat to the body.
2. Leave the poultice at the designated area for some time.
3. The poultice is rolled or kneaded over the designated area to further transfer the heat.

Usually, step 1 is used first to reduce the heat of the poultice before step 2. This is to prevent scorching the skin.

Use the second poultice once the first has lost its heat. While using the second poultice, the first poultice can be put on the electric pot to re-heat.

Begin with the application of the herbal poultice over the back, neck, shoulders and head to relieve stress, soothes tension and re-energize. This is continued to the lower back, thighs and calves. It can be placed on these spots between 30 seconds to one minute. It should not be placed on the face or genital area. It is good for slimming.

While compressing, massage should be carried out alternatively with the compress, particularly at the area where the ache and pain is presented.

The poultice is prohibited in the case of inflammation during the first 24 hours as the swellings and bleedings would be increased.

After the herbal compress, bathing should not be taken immediately as the medicinal herbs would be washed away and also, the body may not be able to adjust to the change in temperature.

Caution must be taken in the case of people with diabetes, paralysed patient, children and the elderly as their response to heat is slow. Test the poultice to make sure that it is not too hot for them.

Use a kneading, rhythmic massage applied to the body at pressure points to relax the muscles and release tension. The poultice massage can be followed with an array of eastern and western massage techniques including, effleurage, kneading, and acupressure movements combined with Bali or Thai inspired essential oils that will take your body on an exotic journey of total renewal and well-being. The poultice can be left to dry and used a few more times until the aroma has diminished. To provide for an uninterrupted flow of aromatic massage, prepare between 2-3 poultices to be heated at the same time. When one poultice is being used and has cooled, another can be ready for use.

After the herb rubdown, light yellow color (Herb ingredient) may possibly stick on your skin. Take this into consideration. You may want to bring dark colored loose fitting clothes to wear following the treatment.

Do not take shower or bath after this massage for about 2 hours in order to allow enough time for herbal ingredient remaining on the skin to take full effect.

For home use, the microwave oven can be used to heat up the poultice.

Storage

The poultice can be used many times. The medicinal herbs should be aired in the open space. The poultice should be wrapped in a plastic bag after airing and stored in the refridgerator. If the poultice shows a diluted yellowish colour instead of a fresh yellowish tinge when the poultice is first used, it is time to use a new poultice.

[ Traditional Thai Medicine ]                          

Thai traditional medical science can be found throughout all of the Thai community, with certain cures from herbs and other ingredients. In the old days there were 2 types of doctors: a royal doctor and a local one. At the start of the Rattanakosin period, King Rama III appointed a royal doctor, Phraya Bamroer Rajaphat, as the chief of the doctors to inscribe medical texts on pieces of slate and framed them on columns of the cloisters around the Pra Maha Chedis and in pavilions or Sala Rai.

In 1856 King Rama V appointed his royal doctors to translate the great edition of Pali-Sanskrit medical texts into a Thai version; indexing the books as Medical Science Textbook (Royal Edition); and another on body massage known as the Massage Hand book ?Royal Edition. On 30^th May, 1962, a council of ancient medical science doctors were approved by Ministry of Health to found Wat Phra Chetuphon Thai Traditional Medical Science School (Wat Pho) for Thai traditional medical science and body massage.

[ Origins of Thai massage ]

Have you often seen statues or pictures of a Thai hermit in temples and other health facilities in Thailand? Well, that statue is known as 'Ruesri'. The word "Ruesri" refers to a hermit or an ascetic who lives in the forest and the mountains. Ancient texts and tales often refer to an ordained monk as "Ruesri". It is likely that in the past there were such people in Thailand seeking peace and quiet in the forests and the mountains. It may be that after sitting in meditation for a long time, their muscles were sore and stiff, and when they tried to move their bodies about, bending and stretching in various positions, their ailments were relieved and their tired, aching muscles were well again.

By word of mouth and observation, the practice of Ruesri Dat Ton (which means "Hermit's Self-Stretching Exercise" in English), passed down through the generations, and ordinary people came up with new exercise ideas.

For over 2,000 years, people in Thailand have used Buddhism as the basis for conduct and behavior. Perhaps the ordained monks and hermits were Buddhists who liked to sit in meditation; they might have been male or female hermits or monks. There is no evidence that the many statues of "Ruesri" were copied by Thai kings from models at other places. It is generally accepted that Thais regarded a "Ruesri" as a teacher; making statues of a "Ruesri" and naming it may have been a way to render it sacred because using statues as models for training is the same as training with a teacher. Every branch of knowledge has "Ruesri" who are considered as teachers. In the west, it is a common misconception that Ruesri Dat Ton is linked to "Yoga".

Certain individuals have tried to link Yoga exercise of India with the Thai Ruesri exercise method, claiming that Thais were imitating the Indian people. But when the Yoga positions and Ruesri Dat Ton, or Hermit's Self Stretching Exercise positions are compared, one finds many differences. The Thai body bending and stretching positions are neither too extreme nor excessively contrary to the body's normal state. For the most part, the positions based on the Thai method are gentler than Yoga, and can be practiced by people of average ability.

However, in the 80 positions of Ruesri Dut Ton, there is one Chinese position, one Indian position, and two bending positions. This indicates that there was an exchange of knowledge, and for such cases there were clear stipulations that a certain position was from another country. It is believed that the statues of these foreign positions were made later than the other statues, as human beings will first search for ways to help themselves so that they can have strong bodies and a long life, before turning to foreign cultures. For example, India has its own method of physical exercise called "Yoga", China has a practice called "Taikek", and Thailand has its own physical exercise positions called Ruesri Dut Ton.