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Free up at least two hours of my afternoon, abstain from eating for an hour prior, wear clothes that allow my full range of motion, and be prepared for a physical and psychological experience. These are instructions I was given before my first Thai massage.

The pursuit of this service was admittedly inspired by on HBO. The third season (which wraps up this week with its long season finale on April 6) takes place at the eponymous hotel’s Thailand location, a wellness resort where guests receive no such guidelines upon scheduling their massages. The “sports massage” that Saxon Ratliff (played by actor Patrick Schwarzenegger) signs up for seems much different from the traditional Thai version—or at least the one that I experienced.

Ironically, my authentic wellness moment occurred in the West—the Midwest, to be exact—at a Cincinnati-based yoga school and studio serendipitously named the . And while my Thai yoga massage may be more aligned with the show’s larger setting, it admittedly wouldn’t fit within the walls of the titular hotel, and it would definitely be a bit too real for the swanky Ratliff family.

All About My Three-Hour-Long White Lotus-Inspired Thai Massage

When I arrived at the church-turned-Masonic-center-turned-yoga space, the smell of incense penetrated the building’s exterior cement block walls. I waited outside to be let in by Will Brashear, the school’s owner, and an Ayurvedic yoga therapist who has practiced and trained others in yoga and Thai massage for more than 20 years.

Brashear greeted me and led me up a set of stairs to a small balcony that looked over the school’s main yoga sanctuary. It was dimly lit by table lamps and candles, and the limited floor space was covered in blankets and pillows—no massage table in sight.

Rather than a fluffy bathrobe or counters covered in oils and lotions, the room was adorned with educational posters and tchotchkes. I kept my yoga pants and athletic tank on and placed my head on a pillow on the floor in the center of the room. My body did its best to melt into the warmth of a heated pad beneath me as I mentally prepared for an all-encompassing, nearly three-hour journey.

But First, What Is Thai Massage?

At its core, traditional is the palming and thumbing of the body’s energy lines or meridians while it’s moved through assisted yoga postures and stretches—some call it “lazy man’s yoga,” Brashear told me. Along these meridians are acupressure points that, when massaged in combination with stretching, may release muscular tension, improve circulation, and boost the immune system. The “ancient healing way,” as Brashear called it, has been found to , , , and and draws inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and Japanese shiatsu.

Both in and outside of Thailand, every masseuse does Thai massage a bit differently. In Brashear’s opinion, many focus too much on forcing clients into pretzel-like positions and neglect the acupressure component, which not only increases injury risk but limits the opportunity for acupressure to do its magic. He calls his own form of Thai massage “Acu Thai,” an approach that aims to strike a balance between both components  (stretching and acupressure) and adds a third in the form of spiritual guidance.

Between stretches, as he meticulously massaged one point at a time, Brashear assessed and shared the greater meaning of my soreness using wisdom from of earth, water, fire, air, and space.

I Quickly Realized That Thai Massage Is a Little Painful—but in a Good Way

Brashear began the massage by squeezing my socked feet from top to bottom and popping as many toes as he could. Interesting, I thought. After those acupressure points were tended to, he stretched each foot and ankle by telling me to press into his hand like a gas pedal. Moving up one leg, he applied deep, pointed, fingertip-focused pressure in vertical bursts on the center, inside, and outside of the appendage, ultimately reaching my outer thigh—a point he called “jumping circle”—and I involuntarily sucked air through my teeth. It was at that moment that I realized that this type of massage isn’t exactly relaxing.

In Brashear’s words, it should “hurt so good” but should not exceed one’s pain tolerance or cause persistent discomfort. He told me to communicate any pain that felt like too much so that he could adjust accordingly. (I did, and so did he.)

(Will Brashear, an Ayurvedic yoga therapist, gives the author a Thai massage. Video by Kayla Blanton)

We Had a Pretty Deep Conversation

Brashear and I talked pretty much the whole time, which he said was standard, as conversation is integral to his assessment. I told him about the stresses of work and family, about my childhood as the eldest daughter, and about my desire to find more time for creative passions. All the while, he continued moving up and down each limb: squeeze, press, pop, stretch, knead, stretch again.

I rolled to each side so he could access the meridians there, then to my stomach so he could massage my back. At some points, he held onto rope handles suspended from the ceiling and used his feet and the weight of his body to apply pressure. Occasionally, he checked in to inquire about the soreness of particular points.

I Found Out That I Had Blocked Energy

According to Brashear, tender, knotted spots are a sign of blocked energy, which could be the cause of physical and mental challenges. Mine were located on meridians related to the elements of earth and space, which I was told signal a general imbalance between those elements in my life. After the massage, Brashear gave me specific yoga postures and self-care practices selected to restore equilibrium.

“To decrease the earth element, make sure you’re not taking on responsibilities that are not your own or could be delegated to others,” he advised. To increase the space element, he told me to initiate a new project, take small risks, and do .

The massage’s conclusion came with more intense stretching. While laying on my stomach, Brashear pulled my arms up behind me into an assisted . I hung like a ragdoll. I returned to my back, and he palpated the points along my skull, finishing with my ears and jawline.

To seal the treatment, he placed his hands over my eyes and said: “See nothing but black, like a blank slate.”

Grounded, Dreamy, Real Results

Brashear invited me to lay in silence for as long as I wanted (which was only a few minutes) before we began our wrap-up chat. He told me he’s seen clients cancel surgeries, sob, and experience liberation from chronic pain both during and after his sessions. And that’s his end goal: to make people feel better. “The emotional stuff is the most rewarding,” he told me.

Prior to my massage, I was a bit nervous. But I kept an open mind. I left feeling physically grounded, though my legs were a bit trembly. Mentally, I achieved a sleepy, dream-like state and wanted nothing but to sink into my bed indefinitely, which is saying a lot for a high-energy, restless person like me.

In the days following, I felt soreness in the areas where Brashear applied pressure, especially in those outer thigh spots, which ended up bruising. I haven’t yet tried the balancing practices he suggested, but I feel limber and less tense in my upper body, where I tend to carry stress.

It may not have taken place in a pergola in the jungle cushioned by plush towels like the massages in The White Lotus, but my Thai massage was effective and insightful. Plus, you don’t have to be at a luxury resort to appreciate an extra-long spa service.

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