When you go to the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok (also known as the temple of the recylining Buddha) you can see these stone statues. What they do is actually depict different positions of Thai-Yoga – which is a modified version of the Indian Yoga that most people know about.
This kind of yoga was practiced by hermits who used to spend their time in deep meditation, and who often practices herbal medicine. They lived in jungles and mountains and dedicated their life to spiritual practice.
There are different Thai Yoga positions for different kinds of ailments.
Nowadays, people often refer to certain types of Thai massage as Thai yoga – and in a way, they are related, but they actually are different things.
The hermits used to be called “Ruessi Datton”, and they are still highly respected by traditional Thai massage practitioners. It’s a good idea to get a Thai massage after a long Bangkok sightseeing tour when your feet are tired. Just make sure to go to a skilled practitioner. And if you feel it’s too painful, just communicate it – Thai massage can be pretty intense, and some people don’t like that kind of intensity at all. However, many times for some reason people don’t let the massage therapist know that they want less pressure and instead just hope that the massage will end as quickly as possible – and that really shouldn’t be the purpose of a massage. It should make you feel good. Sometimes a massage can be painful during the treatment, but afterwards you feel a lot better – and then that’s fine. But if you don’t want the pain during the treatment, just say it so you get something that you can enjoy.