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History of Thai Massage
Traditional Thai Massage is a therapeutic technique that dates back thousands of years. Its precise origins are unknown, but practitioners traditionally trace their lineage to Chivaka Komarapatr, a private doctor and friend of the Buddha, is said to have successfully used massage and stretching techniques along with herbal and other remedies to treat ailments and conditions amongst the nuns and monks that were traveling with the Buddha, spreading Buddhism and these medicinal techniques all over Southeast Asia.
By the time, medical institution and practices of the monastery went along as integral parts of the religious system. When Buddhism reached Thailand in the 3rd or 2nd century BC, temples were built with adjacent dispensaries and medical schools.
Massage and other healing arts were taught and applied in the monasteries and within the family. In families, it has been mainly an oral tradition (as most people could not read) handed down from teacher to student. The purpose of writing it down was to preserve the medical tradition for the longest possible time and make it available to the maximum number of people of future generations.
As to where and when Ancient Massage originatedprecisely, it is difficult to ascertain for sure. A long time has passed andmany historical evidences have disappeared. Most text have been lost during variousinvasions.
Only fragments of the existing precious medical texts survived. These were used as a basis for the famous epigraphs at Wat Po in Bangkok so that people in the next generation can practice all techniques until now.