Sequencing in Thai Massage involves the way, art, and/or order in which Thai Massage techniques are carried out on the receiver. It’s also commonly referred to as performing a “Thai Massage routine” or “Thai Massage sequence.”
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The idea behind sequencing is to perform a meaningful, logical flow of Thai Massage techniques with the goal of achieving a certain premeditated result for the receiver.
Sequencing is also about ergonomics, that is, efficiency for the therapist in order to do as much work as possible with minimum physical and mental effort and/or repetitive strain, and as such avoiding fatigue or harm to the body of the masseur.
Additionally, sequencing is a common way of teaching a full body Thai Massage session to new students. In fact, by carrying out a massage session in well-defined, subsequent steps, it makes Thai Massage easier to learn for students, and moreover, make them not unwillingly skip certain parts of the massage.
Sequencing may involve starting a massage session in a certain position, such as in the prone, supine, seated, or side-lying position, and/or starting it with massing the feet and legs, gradually moving up to the abdomen and back, until the shoulders, neck, and head in order to give an entire full body massage. One may also start with the head or with the abdomen, all depending on the learning style or Thai Massage lineage, or perhaps the goal of the massage session.
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In any case, apart from the working order of treating body parts — from the feet to the head, for instance — sequencing may also involve what types of techniques are performed and in which order.
For instance, a Thai Massage practitioner might always first start with hand-palming the body area being worked on before doing acupressure techniques, joint mobilizations, or stretches. Sequencing may also concern the way and order the Sen Energy Lines are worked on.
Keep in mind that following a predefined sequence or working routine in Thai Massage is not a must-do at all; a therapist can always decide to carry out things differently, for many reasons, without losing the efficacy of a treatment.
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