The 4 Noble Truths
On Buddha's first sermon after his enlightenment, he shared the 4 noble truths that became the basis of buddhism. It was through the full understanding of these truths that he reached nirvana, enlightenment, freedom, samadhi etc (there are different words depending on the source of the teachings).
They are told to be "noble truths" because they are real, infallible, and do not change (they were valid back then and continue to be so nowadays).
Which are the 4 Noble Truths?
Dukkha, the truth of suffering. Here the message is for us to acknowledge the fact that our existence in this world includes suffering. It's an inherent part of life, like birth and death, sorrow, grief, pain, anxiety... these are all part of the human experience;
Samudaya, the truth of the cause of suffering. As human beings, we have an Ego that allows us accessing what is right or wrong, good or bad, safe or dangerous etc. The Ego's nature lies in "duality" and through that it creates desires and wishes. When the desires are not satisfied, there will be space for suffering;
Nirodha, the truth of the end of suffering. That happens when we are able to cease the attachment to the desires. When this "letting go" motion takes place, we no longer suffer when the desires are not satisfied. When applying that to all scenarios in life, we see that suffering can come to an end;
Magga, the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. Through the teachings of the Buddha and with the help of the sangha (the family of keepers of these teachings), we come to the realisation that we are already free, just like Buddha.
How to correlate the 4 Noble Truths with ThaiYoga Massage?
For me, these nobles truths are practiced before, during and after a session with you. It's something that brings us together as we all have suffered and searched for ways of ending it somehow.
We all know what dukka is and we might even feel it quite frequently. When I receive you for a session, I am directly dealing with dukka, as there is some sort of suffering either on your body, mind or soul which prompting you to book a session.
As part of the healing process, I feel it's important to understand the origins of this suffering; being that physical issues or emotional ones. Through the understanding of samudaya I can better support you and also myself.
When I'm offering you a session, I want to support you finding end onto whatever suffering is present - and that brings us nirodha. Through the work of my hands on your body and also through the energetic work that takes place during a session I see that my clients get closer with themselves, more connected and more aware of their inner world. This is the first step towards the end of suffering.
As a curious mind, I'm always learning and exploring different topics, and buddhism is on the list of interests :) But more than learning about it, I try to bring these teachings into practice so I can experience them myself.
I believe that it's through my own experience that I'll be able to support you on your struggles.
Keeping these teachings in my heart ends up leading me to be more graceful towards myself and also to understand others with more empathy. We are in this journey together, being human together, and supporting each other on the way. At least, that's my intention towards you :)
Thank you,
Tarsi.