DEEPENING YOUR THAI MASSAGE
An East-West Approach to Thai bodywork

Step 1 – The Potential of Nourishing Herbs

Deepening Your Thai Massage is a book written by Tirza Bottema, founder of Thai Dee and teacher of Thai massage for more than three decades.

The book is an invitation to deepen your practice by bridging the wisdom of Eastern traditions with insights from Western knowledge. It brings together traditional Thai healing principles, hands-on massage practice, and contemporary understanding of the body.

The journey unfolds in nine steps, organised into three interconnected pillars:

• Body
• Mind
• Energy

Each pillar consists of three steps that support and reinforce one another, creating a holistic framework for touch, awareness and therapeutic presence.

This blog offers a first glimpse into Step 1: The Potential of Nourishing Herbs.

Herbs as a Foundation of Thai Healing

In Thailand, herbs are not an “addition” to healthcare — they are a foundation.
They are woven into daily life, cuisine, self-care and traditional medicine, and are closely connected to Thai massage.

Herbal medicine, herbal compresses, herbal steam baths, and the use of healing plants in food all serve the same purpose:
to nourish the body, support digestion, calm the nervous system and restore balance.

In Thai healing traditions, herbs are seen as allies — gently guiding the body back to its natural rhythm rather than forcing change.

For massage therapists, working with herbs deepens the treatment on multiple levels:

• physically, through warmth, circulation and tissue nourishment
• therapeutically, through the healing properties of the herbs — supporting digestion, easing stagnation, reducing inflammation and gently guiding the body back toward balance
• energetically, by supporting flow, softness and a sense of grounding

From Daily Life to the Massage Mat

One of the beautiful aspects of Thai herbal wisdom is its simplicity.
Healing does not start on the massage mat — it starts in daily habits.

A warm cup of herbal tea, for example, can already calm the digestive system, soften the abdomen and support the element of Earth.
This makes Step 1 not only relevant for massage therapists, but also for self-care and client education.

Herbal Tea for Digestive Balance

This gentle herbal tea, described in Step 1 of the book, is traditionally used to support digestion, warmth and inner balance.

Ingredients

• Fresh ginger (thinly sliced)
• Lemongrass (lightly crushed)
• Kaffir lime leaf (torn)
• A pinch of turmeric
• Optional: a little palm sugar or honey

Preparation
Bring all ingredients to a gentle boil, then let simmer for 10–15 minutes.
Strain, serve warm, and drink slowly.

This tea helps stimulate digestion, reduce stagnation, warm the body and calm the belly — a beautiful preparation before massage or a grounding ritual at the end of the day.

Step 1 as an Invitation

Step 1 forms the foundation of the book. It invites you to slow down, to reconnect with nature’s intelligence, and to remember that deep touch begins with nourishment — of the body, the senses and the system as a whole.

From this grounding first step, the book gradually moves into anatomy, fascia, breath, awareness and energy — each layer building upon the one before.

Curious to explore this journey more deeply?
Deepening Your Thai Massage – An East–West Approach to Thai Bodywork, offers a complete nine-step pathway for massage therapists, bodyworkers and teachers who wish to deepen their practice — from herbs and anatomy to breath, awareness and energy.

The book is available worldwide through various online retailers. Here you’ find a direct link to Bol.com, while international readers can also find the book via platforms such as Amazon.