Encyclopedia of Thai Massage: A Complete Guide to Traditional Thai Massage Therapy and Acupressure

by C. Pierce Salguero

Drawing from Thai history, cultural studies, Buddhist religion, and yogic practices, as well as a modern understanding of anatomy and physiology, this book finally bridges the gap between the theory and practice of Thai massage.

Genres: Health

250 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

I am a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. I have a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2010), and teach Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. I also have been the editor in chief of the journal Asian Medicine: Journal of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine since 2016.
The major theme in my scholarship is discovering the role of Buddhism in the global transmission and local reception of knowledge about health, disease, and the body. I approach this topic using methodologies from history, religious studies, translation studies, literary studies, and ethnography.
I am continually seeking opportunities to cross disciplinary lines in publishing and presenting my work. I regularly publish writing for non-scholarly audiences, and am passionate about connecting my scholarship and teaching with contemporary issues and events both within and beyond the academy. More recently, I have gotten into documentary filmmaking and podcasting as well.

Reviews

[Nephyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, of course, you cannot learn Thai massage from a book. But if you have studied Thai massage with a real live teacher, this is a great book to have around to compliment your learning. As a massage therapist of 17 years and an instructor of Thai massage, I can easily say that this is one of the best books written on the subject in the english language.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent information and overview. Some of it differs from what I've been taught by ITM trainers, which leads me to want to do more reading from various schools of Northern-style Thai massage, but the info re Sen lines & acupressure points was very handy!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of Thai massage.

[Nicky Abell-Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great pictorial content for the thai enthusiast. Covering sen lines and related postures to aid energy flow. Very informative and traditional content.