We had a recent query, “Is Thai Yoga Massage beneficial for ballet dancers?”

The answer is, “Yes!” Most emphatically, yes. 

Most ballet dancers we know live, breathe, smell, taste dance – such is their passion.  Dancers live in their bodies.  They are 100% present – connecting their mind and body as one.  They feel and express themselves through beautiful movement.  To be able to maintain this level of coordination and grace, keeping their bodies in tip-top condition is paramount. 

The path towards being a ballet dancer and the training that goes into producing a great performance is tough but oh-so rewarding.  Physically, the body is taxed with the amount of practice necessary.  As a result, injuries may occur with pulled muscles, overstretched tendons, and muscular fatigue from repetitive use.  Further impact upon old injuries can lead to chronic issues and eventually wear down the dancer’s body, particularly the feet, to be fully mobile, thereby shortening the lifespan of one’s career.  With postural imbalance, the body starts compensating and this snowballs into incorrect stance. 

Thai Yoga massage is based upon dynamic, progressive stretching, which enable very flexible people like dancers to feel the benefits of the treatment right away.  Unlike other types of massages, the technique behind Thai Yoga massage is aimed at moving all the joints to achieve optimal mobilisation.  It is also based upon lengthening the muscles and tendons progressively, so that muscular functionality is restored from overuse, tension, or contraction.  This is very useful in helping prevent injuries.

At Melt Therapy, we take each individual’s body to its limit, and then gently elongate the muscle into a beautiful, lengthening stretch.  It’s this optimal point that release starts to truly happen, and the body can begin to recover itself and restore balance.  We repetitively move each joint so that the brain engages with the new sensation within the body, enabling the mind to remember and recall an improved level of mobility and function.  When ballet dancers leave our hands and go perform, they will feel their performance and ability to focus boosted.  We treat retired ballet dancers as well to help preserve their bodies.