After my latest local trip, I wanted to relax and recharge myself and so I booked an appointment at Nuat Thai during the first weekend after coming back from the trip. Also I got this idea from my latest moon reading. I'm not really a "massage person" so this was a new experience for me to do this. 🙂 I chose their Premium Massage + Ventosa package. It was also my first time to experience Ventosa massage (those with suction cups). Since I really don't do massages regularly (and most of them I had in Lasema), I was feeling excited on how this would go.

The first thing I noticed was that the rooms were dimly lit to create a relaxing environment, and there were curtains for privacy. However, I quickly realized that I could hear the other customers beside me. At first, I found it a bit odd, especially since the customer next to me was male, and I could hear the small comments exchanged between him and his masseur. While I was not uncomfortable, I did find it a bit strange. I would think that they would separate the males and females in the massage area, which is what is being done in Lasema, by the way.

During the start of the massage, I didn't right away catch the question that my therapist was asking me. She was inquiring about my preferred massage level, which can be light, moderate, or hard. I chose moderate because I was unsure. It is common practice to communicate with your therapist if you want lighter or harder strokes, but perhaps the introvert in me took over. s😅 There were parts that felt a bit painful but tolerable, so I let them be. This was especially true when my massage therapist was massaging my calves. I just bore with the pain because with what I recall with foam rolling, if the massage feels painful, it means that the muscles are tight. Experiencing that pain is actually beneficial, according to the foam roller instructors I watched online, as it helps to loosen the muscles and improve overall well-being. That was my mindset, which is why I didn't comment on the massage pressure. 😆 I remained silent for most of the massage process.

The Ventosa cup massage was also an interesting experience. I felt the cups sucking my muscle and felt the pressure during the first several seconds, then after a while I didn't feel anything anymore. When I got home, I actually checked and saw that I did have circular marks on my back. 

My therapist placed warm cloth on your shoulders and lower back when I rolled on to my back, which I found to be very relaxing. After the massage, I was given ginger tea, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt renewed and energized again!

Because of this experience, I now recommend doing this -- after a trip, go get a massage! Travel fatigue is real and so this is your way of pampering and reenergizing yourself. I would be interested to return to Nuat Thai, given that they handed me a loyalty card wherein I can get a discount after a number of visits.

I am glad I jumped on the gun and went to a massage!