Mat session
60 minSlow stretches and pressure from the feet up through the legs, hips and shoulders. The usual first booking.
Good first visit
Book: Mat sessionThai massage in West Asheville
Thai massage on a mat, fully clothed
Two therapists and one quiet mat room on Haywood Road. You stay in soft, loose clothes, and every stretch is shown to you before we do it.
- Clothed, on a padded mat
- Each stretch asked first
- Stop at any time
What to wear
Shoes off, soft clothes, a blanket if you like
Thai massage is done clothed, so there is nothing to undress for. This is the whole list.
Shoes off at the door
A bench and a shelf of cubbies sit just inside. From there it is socks or bare feet to the mat.
Loose, soft clothes
Trousers you can bend in and a top that stays put. Bring them in your bag and change when you arrive, or come as you are.
A blanket for the rest
Wool blankets are folded on the bench. Take one for the quiet minutes at the end, or ask for another.
Stretch with consent
Every stretch is asked for before it is given
- 01
Step 1: We ask first
Before you lie down: how firm you like it, and what to leave alone today.
- 02
Step 2: We show it
Each stretch is shown, in words and with our hands, before your body goes into it.
- 03
Step 3: You answer
Yes, a little less, or not today. Any of those is a whole answer.
- 04
Step 4: We go on from there
Pressure and range follow what you said, and we check again partway through.
The two of us
Malee and Chai, and Thai spoken at the mat
We are both licensed massage therapists, and both speak Thai with anyone who prefers it. Book with the one you like, or ask who has the next opening.
Malee Sombath
Owner and licensed massage therapist
- Massage and bodywork therapist license · NC Lic. 000000
Malee grew up in a Thai American household in Charlotte and learned the mat sequences from her mother before she trained as a massage therapist in North Carolina. She opened Banyan after yoga students kept asking where to get clothed bodywork. She speaks Thai and English, and takes most first visits.
Sirichai Sayasith
Licensed massage therapist
- Massage and bodywork therapist license · NC Lic. 000000
Sirichai, who goes by Chai, trained in Thai massage in northern Thailand and works in long, slow holds with steady pressure. He takes the evenings and Saturdays. He speaks Thai and English, and is glad to explain each stretch in either.
After class and after work
What people say
“I come right after my morning class. I lie down in my own clothes and never feel hurried, and Malee asks before every new stretch.”
Cora B.
“I was nervous about being moved around. Chai showed me each one first and took the smaller version when I asked.”
Anil D.
“It is a quiet room with a mat and a window, and I leave feeling like I have been looked after.”
Lena W.
Sample reviews.
Good to ask
Questions before your first mat session
Do I need to be flexible?
No. Every stretch goes only as far as you choose, and we skip any you would rather not do.
Is there oil?
No. Thai massage on the mat is dry, and you stay clothed the whole time.
What if I want to stop?
Say so, and we stop right away. You can pause, change position or end the session whenever you like, for any reason.
Do you speak Thai?
Yes. Malee and Chai both do, and will talk you through the session in Thai or English.
How long should I book?
Sixty minutes is the usual first session. Forty-five is a gentler start, and ninety or a hundred and twenty give time for the whole body.
Book
Choose a time
Pick a length and who you would like to see. Prefer to talk it through? Call us, or read the policies first.
Phone(828) 555-0107
Hours
- Tuesday – FridayToday
- 11am – 8pm
- SaturdayToday
- 9am – 4pm
- Sunday – MondayToday
- Closed