I received a question the other day, “Does Thai Yoga massage help cold hands?”

I’ve had loads of experience helping people regain circulation and strength in their body.  For example, a client came to see me who always felt cold, and when I assessed her, did not possess the strength even to gently grab my wrist.  She wanted a therapeutic massage treatment which did not require the removal of clothes, simply because of her tendency to feel cold.  The wonderful thing about Thai Yoga massage is that it is given fully-clothed, and even though my client was sometimes under five layers of blankets, Thai Yoga massage is powerful enough to penetrate fabric and benefit her body. 

Though she was not physically ill, this woman’s system was clearly stagnant, which meant she constantly felt run down.  I gave her a series of very thorough, very comprehensive two hour long treatments.  We met weekly, and for over the period of one year.  Thai Yoga massage incorporates strong stimulation of meridian lines running throughout the body, warmed up with rhythmic palming and then precise thumb-work.  This type of stimulation is akin to an acupuncturist’s needle, sending a call and response to the brain to engage in healing.  I treated my client’s body holistically, so that all of her was stimulated and cared for.  Over time, she began to regain strength in her hands and she was able to grab hold of my hands when I pulled her into a forward bending stretch. 

As her energy levels improved, my client was inspired to take up activities like yoga and walking.  The yoga complimented my Thai Yoga massage, furthering each treatment’s effects.  The walking helped her get fresh air and to explore her neighbourhood.  Her muscles became more toned through this consistent conditioning, and she began to feel better and more herself again.  These twin physical activities worked to aid in calming her mind and to feel less anxiety.  She was carving out space for herself, and indeed, found that her digestion and the quality of her sleep improved.

After one year of recuperation, my client surprised me by enrolling into a diploma programme for Ceramics.  It takes a great amount of arm strength to throw on a potter’s wheel – one must have the power to steady the moving lump of clay, to balance it, and then the manual dexterity and control to pull the clay into a beautifully symmetrical vessel.  It was my client’s lifelong dream to pursue ceramics, and through my treatments, she was strong enough to throw clay.  She is now in her second year of her diploma programme.