thai massage which originated in india has been around for over 2 500 years originally regarded as a healing art traditional thai massage includes influences from both ayurvedic and traditional chinese medicine unlike typical western type massages it doesn t involve lying on a massage bed while a massage therapist applies oil to your body and kneads your muscles and pressure points instead you lie fully clothed on a mat on the ground while a practitioner uses stretching pulling and rocking techniques to relieve tension promote relaxation and improve flexibility and circulation