Toksen: the ancient Thai massage played with a wooden hammer

Toksen is an ancient massage from Northern Thailand, said to date back thousands of years. It uses a small hammer and wedge carved from tamarind wood to relax the muscles with a steady, rhythmic tapping.

What does “Toksen” mean?

The name joins two words. Tok is the sound the wooden hammer makes as it strikes the wedge. Sen refers to the energy lines that run through the body in traditional Thai massage.

How it works

Light, rhythmic taps along the main sen lines send a deep vibration through the muscles and the fascia around them. Combined with traditional Thai massage, Toksen is used to ease aches, free up stiffness, support circulation, release tension, calm the mind and tone the muscles.

Bringing Toksen to Vietnam

Khoẻ Spa partnered with the Doi Num Sub Thai Massage and Herbal Compress School – whose chairman, Mr. Nopporn Visuttisakchai, also chairs the Thai Spa Association – to introduce Toksen to Vietnam and add another wellness service for the community.

The first course, for ten therapists, was a great success. With techniques passed down directly from Thai masters, we hope to share a new and rewarding experience from one of Thailand’s best-known schools of massage.

From the first Toksen course