|
|
Tok Sen
My Newest Specialty in Pain Management
|
|
INTRODUCTION TO TOK SEN
Tok Pua Lai Sen = "Tapping to chase energy lines"
|
|
"Tok" is a verb, meaning "to hammer" or "to apply force" and, of course, "Sen" in Thai medicinal
practice refers to the "lines" that energy, or "lom" (literally "wind") follows as it flows through
the body. Tok Sen is a healing practice which evolved in Northern Thailand amongst the spiritual
healers native to that region, and has now become part of the larger Thai Medicine tradition. It is
practiced by tribal healers and Thai Masters of the as a largely spiritual, intuitive modality, what
we might identify in the West as energy work or even call "shamanic." But it is also practiced throughout
Thailand, and by practitioners all over the world, as a physical modality to relieve tension, release knots
or trigger points, relax the client, and, just as importantly, to add hand and body-saving tools to the
treatment repertoire.
|
|
Tok Sen is used to treat sore muscles, joint pain, pinched nerves, paralysis or stiffness, and diseases
associated with specific sen lines. As massage therapists, wedo not diagnose any of these conditions, but can
use Tok Sen to contribute to the supportive treatment and palliative care of any such malady. Tok Sen is seen
as efficacious in accessing and treating the deeper levels of the body, traveling through the dermis and
subcutaneous tissue, alongthe sen lines, and down to the bones and the organs.
|
|
There are mulitple theories as to ewhy Tok Sen works. Traditional Thai Medicine Masters use this practice to
clear energy lines and dispel spiritual ailments, diseases resulting from supernatural causes. A more empirical
approach suggesrs that the vibration of the tapping softens tissure, while the consistent sound and feel of the
rhythm can activate the calm of the parasympathetic nervous system.
|
|
As you practice Tok Sen, the degree to which you engage with this practice's spiritual origins is up tyo you.
It is not necessary to believe or practice that the practitioner is invoking a healing deity or spirit to work
through the "khwan" or hammer and "lim," the chisel or pestle, or even for the focus of the work to be on
manipulating the energy of the client's body. It is important, however, for anyone using this practice to be
aware of these origins. Thai Medicine is a practice that the Thai people freely share with the world as an act of
love and compassion, and in order to practice it with integrity we need to be knowledgeable and respectful. We are
free to use this technique in the way it is most intuitive to us, as long as we acknowledge and respect its source.
|
BENEFITS OF TOK SEN
Benefits for the Client:
|
| • |
Induces Relaxation.
|
| • |
Improves Range of Motion/Mobility.
|
| • |
Relieves Tension and Sore Muscles.
|
| • |
Decreaces Joint Pain and Stiffness.
|
| • |
Releases Knots or Trigger Point.
|
| • |
Improves Blood and Lymph Circulation.
|
| • |
Treats Pinched or Compressed Nerves.
|
|
THE SEN SIP
|
|
This energy flows through a vast network of invisible lines or channels in the body thagt have many energy centers
or points on each line. All Asian traditional health systems agree that there are 72,000 energey lines in total
within the body. This is because as with most things in life there are serveral paths to reach the same destination.
|
Image.
|
|
Thai massage uses the sen line system, or the sen sip. Literally translated, sen sip is the ten energy lines: as sen
is Thai for energy and sip is Thai for ten. All of the sen lines originate from the naval and all have different exit
points. Each sen line is assocated with different parts of the body, organ systems, and disease, pain or dysfuntion.
|
|
Knowledge of these sen lines and their relation to specific conditions in the body and mind allow the practitioner to
use Thai massage treats more than just muscle pain and inflexibility or induces relaxation. Thai massage is a form of
holitistic medicine.
|
|
It is rare that a practitioner will work along the entire length of one the major sen lines, and more common that
sections will be isolted to address specific soncerns or goals the client has. Every application of Tok Sen will be
unique to the client it is meant to serve. The protocols in this manual can be used individually or in combination
with each other or other treatments.
|
|
|
|
