The nuad plakob thai

You are only pain. You sleep regularly in a bad position. In the evening, you feel bowed, the trapeze at half-mast, the lumbar ragged. Until now, the only solution was to immerse yourself in a hot bath filled with relaxing substances. But hardly the truce of the past bath, your old pains remember to your good memory.

Why this one: because this ancient massage (fifteenth century, it seems) was practiced on warriors in the north of the country after training and fighting to relieve contractures and muscle pain .

The principle: it combines the effects of traditional Thai massage (a little painful) to applications of compresses hot herbs prepared by steam.

How it works: The massage begins with stretching of all parts of the body and all the joints alternating with deep pressure (comforts abstain). Little by little, the muscles are loosened, the joints loosen and the body regains its flexibility. As and when the phase comes plants. A mixture of ten fresh plants (eucalyptus, lemongrass, yellow ginger, camphor ...), with antalgic and relaxing virtues , is prepared in chaplets. Steam heated, these traditional compresses are then applied in pressure on the aching muscles and the zones of tension.

Result: soaring the body aches thanks to the aromatic mixture whose potential painkiller is multiplied by the heat. One comes out untied and warmed from the inside. Ideal against the tensions due to the cold.

Japanese shiatsu

You are among the many victims of stress with their cohort of associated symptoms: nibbling and digestive disorders , insomnia and fatigue, headaches and bad moods. Acupuncture would work wonders, except that the mere mention of a needle planted in your skin makes you wink.

Why this one: because shiatsu (shi for fingers and atsu for pressure) is a Japanese massage inspired by the energetic principle of acupuncture , the needles less and the power of touch and more.

The principle: it restores a harmonious circulation of energy in the body and releases it from its negative emotions.

How it happens: it is a codified protocol that begins in a succession of pressures more or less slow and supported, which eliminate tension and relaunch a good circulation, practiced all over the body with the thumbs, the palm of the hands, elbows, even feet. Stimulating a point too "charged" with energy can be slightly painful. Then come the stretches to restore the mobility of the joints so that the released energy flow can circulate again correctly.

Result: after a session, one feels soothed, untied, and a quiet force invades us. It is not uncommon to shed a few tears at the first time. In the evening, we fall asleep like a baby, light-hearted.

Or ? French Federation of Traditional Shiatsu, tel .: 01 48 05 56 29. Spa des Cinq Mondes, tel .: 01 78 09 59 59.

And the watsu?

Those who have tried it swear by him to regain their energy. Contraction of shiatsu and water (water), the watsu is a massage which is practiced in swimming pool . Immersed in water at 37 ° C, the body frees itself from weightlessness and abandons itself without resistance to the hands of the practitioner who stretches stretching and pressure on the acupuncture points. We close our eyes and let ourselves go into a real aquatic ballet that we do not control anything. The contraction zones relax, the body relaxes and the energy circulates again. During that time, you made a little comeback in the fetal state, as surprising as it was unexpected.