tok sen
Tok Sen is an ancient therapy from Thailand that uses special wooden tools to tap along the energy lines of the body. The process is painless. You can compare it to the work done by a plumber on a water system, but with the body’s energetical system. The sound and rhythm created lead to a relaxed meditative state. The vibrations penetrate through each cell of the body to relieve pain, improve blood circulation, relax tight muscles, shake energy blockages and strengthen bones. Please bring comfortable clothing to wear during this treatment.
History of Tok Sen Therapy
Tradition suggests that Tok Sen therapy was developed by farmers over 5000 years ago in the Chiang Mai area of Northern Thailand. Farmers were often in desperate need of massage after long days of physical work. Although records about the origins of the practice do not exist, rumour has it that the farmers adapted tools used for building walls to tap over their hurting bodies. They used their knowledge of Sen lines to create Tok Sen therapy.
Regardless of the origin, the Tok-Sen energetic healing art has continued to grow in popularity and adopted all over the world after World War II.
Benefits of Tok Sen Therapy
Tok Sen is definitely one of my favourite bodywork techniques to receive. This is because it holds the virtue of relaxing and energising us at the same time. The consistent tapping sound has the power to bring us into a meditative state clearing our mind from any distractions. At the same time, Tok Sen stimulates our tendons, skin, muscles and circulatory system on a physical level. It opens up blockages and reactivates the free flow of energy throughout the body leaving us feeling activated on an energetic level.
What is so unique about Tok Sen Therapy?
Tok Sen is a combination of two words. “Tok” represents the sound created by hitting the wooden mallet on the wooden peg. Sen refers to the Sen lines or energy lines of the body. The deep vibrations created by the tapping of the wooden tools over the sen lines are not possible to achieve using ordinary Thai massage techniques. These intense sounds resonate through the body, stimulating from within and releasing stubborn muscle tension. Tok Sen is uniquely useful to loosen the fascia, a connective tissue beneath the skin that usually causes acute pain and stiffness. You may find the rhythm of the tapping to be hypnotizing, deeply relaxing the body and making the massage even more effective.
It is usually performed separately or in addition to traditional Thai massage moves. In any case, manual pressure is applied at the end of the session to further loosen the body.
The wood is obtained from the Tamarind tree through a ritual. The carving process is also treated as sacred. A mantra is inscribed on the side of the mallet as a sign of power and protection. A short prayer is recited before and after each treatment.