In a world that is in a hurry , even when it comes to issuing or obtaining certificates of qualification at various massage schools, Thais decide to take it easy , and in their main traditional Thai massage school , that of Wat Po in Bangkok, it takes a lot of study and practice time to be able to go out and practice.

More and more non-Thais are going to Bangkok to learn at the over 60-year-old traditional school of Wat Po, founded inside a Buddhist temple with which it shares nature.

Among these many Italians, some of whom are stationed only temporarily, while others, intending to deepen the subject, settle down longer, with the awareness that to master such an ancient amount of knowledge and to know how to practice it, it takes years .

Study, practice and ointments

This is also what Salvatore, a Sicilian boy met while eating a pad thai in the amulet markets of Bangkok, tells us.

Without going into specific details, he tells us that in addition to the classic theories based on a continuous and profound study, in the temple of Wat Po free massages are offered to the local population , so as to be able to offer students the opportunity to practice, deepen and refine the own technique without stopping .

In addition, in the temple of Wat Po are also produced special balms and ointments , according to ancient traditions, of very high quality and impossible to find around, not even in Thailand.

The production of these products is also part of the knowledge to be learned in the Wat Po temple .

The origins of Thai massage are very ancient and include the influences of both Indian marma massage and Ayurvedic knowledge, as well as those of Chinese massage and acupressure . These are knowledge dating back to before Christ .

Furthermore, during its evolution Thai massage has developed in many sub -schools , with 2 main currents, the most famous, the north and the south, softer or stronger, more pressure-based or more focused on tractions.

But the Wat Po temple, erected under the aegis of the Thai Ministry of Education, is to be considered a true modern school, whose qualification certificates are recognized all over the world , including in Italy, where masseurs trained at different levels in this school, they can practice in various authorized centers.

The Wat Po temple school was founded , as mentioned, in the 1950s , but the temple in which it resides in 1700, when, under the reign of Rattanakosin, the king decided to found a temple with functions of open university , where disciplines such as anatomy, pharmacology, herbal medicine and massage were taught, among other things.

After 3 centuries, today it is still possible to go to Bagkok for long periods of study by making a full immersion in the school temple of Wat Po, which also offers room and board .

Most of the courses are now also available in English , although Thai remains the main language with which the various knowledge are handed down.

Every year, about 200 Italians come out of the Wat Po temple school .