Thai Bodywork with Steven

Hello. My name is Steven and I offer Thai massage bodywork at Maitri Studio Belfast. 

I still remember the first time I received a Thai massage in Thailand. I walked into a local massage house with zero idea of what to expect and for 90 minutes I was thrown around, stretched, rocked, and massaged by a wee old Thai woman on a stiff and beaten mattress. I left feeling euphoric and thinking that was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Fast forward to today and I’ve been offering Thai bodywork for a few years now. Bodywork didn’t come naturally to me, but there’s something particularly special about the giving and receiving of Thai massage that I kept coming back to.. It’s more than just a mechanical massage. The practice is deeply rooted in the Buddhist concept of metta which translates as loving kindness. Thai massage is meditation in motion and sits alongside other Eastern practices including yoga, meditation, and chanting that bring us back to a feeling of completeness, wholeness, and contentment in the body and mind. The theoretical background of Thai massage involves working the ten main Sen lines (energy channels) of the body to remove blockages, promote health and flexibility, and relieve pain.

In a treatment you can expect a firm, supportive, and meditative experience. A Thai massage is performed on a futon mattress, so there’s plenty of space to relax. After some initial adjustments, there is a mixture of yoga-like stretching, rocking, and acupressure alongside massage techniques using the hands, forearms, and elbows that allow us to deeply connect with the whole body. I offer two distinct treatments rooted in the essence of Thai massage.

Traditional Thai Yoga Massage
A traditional Thai yoga massage experience is a rhythmic, restoring, and rejuvenating one. A lovely mix of assisted stretching, acupressure, and rocking alongside massage techniques using the hands, forearms, and elbows that allow us to deeply connect with what the body needs. Its firm but meditative movements have a distinctive quality and clients often notice reduced aches and pains, improved mobility, and a sense of stillness and deep relaxation.

• Dress Code: Loose fitting, comfortable clothing.
• Vibe: Grounding, supportive, rejuvenating.

Oil Fusion Thai Yoga Massage
An oil based massage on the futon mat using a blend of Thai yoga massage’s assisted stretching with deep tissue massage techniques to create a rhythmic, flowing experience that connects deeply with the body and nervous system. The mix of dynamic postures with moments of flowing and static massage is deeply nourishing and leads to a sense of lightness, reducing tension and stress within the body, and improving physical and mental wellbeing.

• Dress Code: Shorts/underwear with draping provided.
• Vibe: Restoring, nourishing, profound relaxation

While a Thai massage is a holistic treatment integrating the physical and emotional body, the practice can be beneficial in many ways:

• It can be deeply relaxing and nourishing for the body and mind, and can support those who struggle to sit still or have racing thoughts to find a sense of peace, stillness, and tranquility.
• It can release and soften muscle tension and stiffness for a body that spends a lot of time sitting down, or hunched over a computer at a desk.
• It can support those with lower back issues through targeted stretches and massage work.
• It can help restore mobility and vitality to the hips, and support those with hip related issues such as sciatica.
• It can support women during pregnancy who cannot lie belly down on a massage bed. The entire massage can be performed in a side position.
• And many, many, many more positive benefits from this type of treatment!

Reviews

“I had a Thai yoga massage with Steven before Christmas and it was incredible. Steven is so good at what he
does, he is knowledgable and works with such precision and ease and each time I have a treatment, I float
out and my body and mind feel so good. Thanks so much, definitely recommend to all and I will be back!” -
Janie Doherty, holistic bodyworker and owner of Soft Spaces by Janie.

“I had the most amazing massage with Steven, highly recommended” - Fiona Cameron.

“Have … had a number of Thai massages and would highly recommend it. I have had a painful knee for ages now and have tried different massages and this has been the first type of massage that has significantly reduced the level of pain" - Marian Gray

For prices and more details about Steven and his training, check out his therapy profile page here.