https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85148262099&doi=10.4324%2f9781003058502-33&partnerID=40&md5=7215794f5972d826587bede37a669928

10.4324/9781003058502-33

The Phrachetuphonmangalaram Temple, commonly known as “Wat Pho,” was one of the first royal temples built after Bangkok was founded. The temple is believed to be where the Thai massage, listed by UNESCO as “an intangible heritage” of Thailand, has originated. It is also a training center, drawing thousands of students from around the world each year. Massage techniques are recorded in the forms of inscriptions, mural paintings, and palm leaf manuscripts. Furthermore, textual sources and the material culture at Wat Pho contain a wealth of information on physiology, medicine, and yoga āsanas. This chapter aims to identify what is Thai massage by looking at its origin and evolution through texts, inscriptions, and the material culture of Wat Pho. In keeping with the theme of the book, it aims to identify the “Thai body”; the Thai systems of physiology, the nāḍīs, and their connection to spirituality and Buddhism; and how they are used in the massage and yogic practices. They are then compared with the Indian systems of Ayurveda, Haṭha Yoga, and Rājayoga. Finally, the chapter explores how this knowledge might have been transferred to Thailand through centuries of transmigrations across the Indian Ocean.