Traditional Burmese Massage (or Myanmar Massage) is a clothed therapeutic massage for health, and borrows heavily from Thai, Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese concepts and massage techniques.

It’s a full body massage typically done on the floor on a mat. The massage techniques most often used are acupressure, stretches, cross-fiber friction, and kneading.

Traditionally, herbal oils, creams or lotions are not used during a Burmese massage session, but it must be said that it depends a bit on the region in Myanmar and the style of massage given. Nevertheless, a typical aspect of Burmese Massage is the combination with a Thanakha treatment (Thanaka), which is given on the whole unclothed body or on unclothed body parts.

Thanaka is a paste, cream or lotion made by grinding bark, wood, and roots from a variety of trees (including the Thanaka tree) and mixing the blend with a bit of water. It’s much used in Myanmar, usually applied to the face and arms, but it can be used for the whole body also. The Thanaka paste gives a cooling sensation, provides protection from sunburn, promotes a smooth skin, has general anti-fungal properties, and is effective against acne.

Duration: The massage lasts 30 to 60 minutes.