The Ancient Origins of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy dates back to 3000 BCE (or earlier) in India, where it was considered a sacred system of natural healing. Practiced as part of Ayurveda—a holistic system of medicine meaning “life health”—massage therapy was passed down through generations to heal injuries, relieve pain, and prevent and cure illnesses. In Ayurveda, illness and disease are believed to arise when people are out of sync with the environment, and massage is seen as a way to restore the body’s natural and physical balance so it can heal naturally.
As culture and history evolved, these healing methods traveled to China and Southeast Asia around 2700 BCE. In China, massage developed through a rich blend of traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts, and the spiritual yoga practices of Buddhists and Taoists. These methods shared similarities with Indian traditions, centered on the belief that disease results from imbalances or deficiencies of energy along the body’s pathways. This is documented in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, one of the earliest medical texts in China.
By 2500 BCE, the Egyptians added their own unique bodywork techniques and are credited with developing reflexology—a practice involving pressure applied to specific areas of the feet to promote healing throughout the body. This technique is even depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings, illustrating massage therapy’s deep roots in human culture.
