During over twenty five years working as a Thai massage therapist and Yoga teacher, I have studied, researched and explored widely differing ideas on health, wellbeing and fitness from both Eastern and Western viewpoints. I’m particularly interested in the modern health sciences, evolutionary sciences and social sciences, how they interrelate and what that means for health and the body/mind. I’m also interested in Asian traditional medical systems, particularly those from Thailand and India, their holistic viewpoints and how their ideas and practices can help us stay well in modern societies.
My own experience is that health is a combination of factors: feeling physically strong enough, energised and balanced; feeling mentally/emotionally comfortable with oneself and others; having a sense of connection through community, nature and the wider world; and having meaningful and not overly stressful work with enough enough proper downtime. I believe that what this looks like between individuals at different ages and stages of life can vary a lot for many reasons.
Whilst it is certainly not the only way, for me a combination of Yoga, meditation, some weightlifting, some cardio exercise, a decent diet, enough sleep and making time for hobbies, community and social activities has so far been a winning combination in staying well amid the demands of a full life. When possible a regular sauna and receiving a massage also really helps. Some aspects of a self care regime might sound time consuming, but not nearly as time consuming as being compromised by illness, excessive stress or burnout. When in balance the improvement in energy levels and day to day quality of life is well worth it and we are then more available to give to others. Some phases of life and circumstances are clearly easier to create this than others, as life in a modern society with its social and financial pressures inevitably bear down on us at times. In response to this pressure we need a degree of courage and commitment to stand firm and prioritise what’s important in life. It’s not always easy. The best self care regime of course is the one you are going to realistically stick to in the context of your life and could take many forms.
Blog Posts:
Most of my blog posts are about this subject in differing ways.
My Notes from a Thai Massage Therapist Blog Series .
Notes from a Thai Massage Therapist #1. Learning Thai massage over 25 years, my experience.
Notes from a Thai Massage Therapist #2. Meditation and its Philosophy in Plain English.
Notes from a Thai Massage Therapist #3. Massage Culture in Thailand.
