What is
Jap Sen ?
A deep therapeutic Thai Massage style, founded by Master healer Lek Chaiya
Jap-Sen Herbal Thai Massage Founder
Master Healer Lek Chaiya
Lek Chaiya - Founder
Master Healer from the Jap Sen Style
Lek Chaiya, affectionately called “Mama Lek,” learned Thai massage and healing medicine from generations of women. Her first teacher was her mother (who learned from her mother), a practitioner of midwifery and herbal medicine in their home village, Jom Thong, north of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Lek continued advanced studies as an herbalist throughout Northern Thailand. She learned Jap Sen style Thai massage from her teacher MaNee. Lek became Head of the massage clinic at Wat Suan Dok and was made the lineage holder for Jap Sen. Lek developed specialized Jap Sen Herbal massage protocols for painful and debilitating conditions, including paralysis.Lek Chaiya later opened her own school with a clinic at the center of Chiang Mai. She won many awards for her work and was chosen to teach Prenatal and Postnatal Traditional Thai massage by the Traditional Thai Medicine Association in Bangkok. Her many years of experience and dedication truly have made her a treasure of the Tradition of Thai massage. Her work continues in her loving memory.
Jap Sen History, Method & Holistic Benefits
History of Thai Massage
Traditional Ancient Thai massage is a unique form of Bodywork that incorporates Hatha Yoga, acupressure and reflexology with origins dating back about 2500 years. The roots of Thai massage are traced back to the founder of the practice (known as “Father Doctor”) Shivago Komarpaj, a doctor, friend and contemporary to the Buddha. Ancient Medical texts were carved in stone in attempts to preserve the tradition of Thai massage; these stone inscriptions still sit within the walls of the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok.
In Thailand, there are many agricultural people who do a lot of physical work through the day and their muscles become very tight and sore, so they teach their children massage skills they learned from their parents. In this way Thai massage is passed down as an oral tradition. Massage has a unique style in each area of Thailand. When people would gather together from different regions they would exchange their techniques of massage. In this same way influences came from other countries such as China, India, Burma and Tibet creating its evolution and development.
The Thai Method
Thai Massage blends styles from Asian neighbors passed down through the generations. Unlike the scooping and continuous strokes of Western massage, the Thai method uses point pressure, muscle stretching and compression, done in a rhythmic movement of gentle rocking.
Not Just the hands
In Thai massage it is not just the hands that are used to free tension from the recipient’s body, but the therapists feet, forearms, knees, and elbows as well. Be assured northern style Thai massage is never painful. Thai massage is applied on a mat on the floor, the work is done fully clothed and no oils are required.
Medical Massage
Thai medical massage can move deeper into the mechanical functions of the body, working with deep muscle tension and joint mobility as well as nerve, muscle and ligament balancing.
There are six key points of Nuad Bo-Rarn (Thai Massage)
- Yoga
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Reflexology
- Acupressure
- Healing Art
Holistic Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage
- Facilitates relaxation
- Heightens awareness
- Frees blockages in energy flow
- Invigorates the nervous system
- Relieves pain and muscle tension
- Increases ability to absorb nutrition
- Strengthens and rejuvenates the body
- Improves circulation of blood and lymph
- Increases flexibility (passive yoga postures)
- Gives a general feeling of well being assisting in balancing body, mind, and spirit
- Enhances elimination of wastes and toxic debris from physical, mental and emotional strain
- Thai massage can be particularly helpful in relieving: Headaches, migraines, arthritis, whiplash pain, paralysis, numbness, sciatica, back pain and other conditions.