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Athletes, office workers and spa lovers who experience chronic pain can now avail of the benefits of a new treatment in town through Thai Warrior Massage: Dancing Style experience at the Al Areen Palace & Spa.
GulfWeekly experienced the treatment, which threads the fluid motions of Thai classical dances with Thai warrior massages of Mastere Pathompon Aiyarattanaruk, and it was entertaining, educational and instantly effective.
Suwit Sritrairasri or “Steve”, also known as Master Chaang from Thailand, designed this method of massage and showcased it at the World Championship of Massage where it won top honours for its innovation, flow and in particular, it’s ergonomics.
Steve said: “I have been practising as a licensed massage therapist in Florida for the last 10 years and I wanted to combine the traditional benefits of acupressure, pinning, stretching, bending and twisting with some of the graceful motions of Thai dance. Using this method, not only does the client get a massage that is much closer to natural body motions, reducing the risk of injury, it also is much more ergonomic for the masseuse ensuring a rewarding experience for both of them.”
Jalal, our colleague who found that after years of office-based work he had developed Office Syndrome characterised by a chronic pain in his shoulder which limited his arm’s range of motion, decided to try it out along with British Ambassador Roderick Drummond.
After just 20 minutes, Jalal found relief and was able to move his arm much more fluidly and without the clicking noise to which he had become accustomed. Roderick noted some similarities between the technique and physiotherapeutic exercises he used to do with team mates during his younger rugby days.
Roderick said with a chuckle: “This is the first time I have done a Thai massage. I loved it. I found it quite invigorating and I would definitely recommend it for people of all ages, including unfit old men like me.”
Set to traditional Thai music, the ambience itself relaxes one’s muscles before the masseuse starts the experience. Situated by the poolside, as the soothing sounds of fountains envelope one’s spa treatment, the experience starts off with a focus on alleviating back pain, before moving on to the arms, legs and head.
The key thing one notices when experiencing the massage is the mirroring of poses by both the masseuse and the client. As opposed to a unidirectional sometimes stiff massage administered by the therapist on the client, this is more of a therapeutic journey that relies on body weight, natural body movement and a bespoke experience for the client based on their fitness level.
Thai Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Thanis Na Songkhla added: “Master Chaang has won many awards for his massage techniques and this one combining the old and new, has quickly become very popular. It is more than a massage. It’s an art.”
The massage includes exotic routines like the crystal ball guardian, which applies pressure to calves and hamstrings to strengthen one’s legs, as well as “Pulling Naga’s tail” which stretches leg and hip joints so one can writhe in comfort.
Pamela Panduric, PR and marketing manager commented: “Al Areen has the largest spa in the region, with a variety of treatments for our clients, ranging from cold to hot. With this in mind, the Thai Warrior Dancing massage was a perfect fit and we are proud to be the first to bring it to Bahrain. This new experience will be offered by the seven female and one male Thai masseuse to our clients, and we encourage everyone to come try it out, as well as our other massage and spa treatments.”
The Thai Warrior Massage: Dancing Style massage can be experienced everyday between 10am and 10pm at Al Areen Palace and Spa, starting at BD56 for a one-hour treatment. Contact 66611168 for details and bookings.
