Experiment in Ayurveda: Marma Massage
Marma is a Sanskrit word meaning hidden , or secret. By definition, a marma point is a juncture on the body where two or more types of tissue meet, such as muscles, veins, ligaments, bones or joints. Yet marma points are much more than a casual connection of tissue and fluids; they are intersections of the vital life force and prana, or breath.
According to Ayurvedic philosphy, doshas make up a person’s constitution. The trinity includes vata (air), pitta (fire) and kapha (earth). Everone is born in a state of balance, or prakriti. During the aging process, factors such as anxiety, lackluster diet, or poor sleep habits cause disharmony among the doshas. Over the years, doshic imbalances begin to block the movement of free-flowing energy in the body. Eventually, the stagnation opens the door to physical and mental discomfort and disease. Enter marma massage.
The idea behind massaging the marma points is to cleanse blocked energy, also called chi, by either arousing or calming the doshas. Like a television with three channels, each marma point has three receptors that align with the three doshas. During a marma-point massage, the points are stroked in a deliberate sequence using specific essential oils.
Beth Sanchez did my Marma massage treatments. I did 3 or 4 with her over a 2 week period. It felt very nurturing, relaxing and helpful overall. I feel it opened up my body to receive healing. Loved it! Beth was very supportive throughout my Ayurvedic experiment. She had so much helpful advice. Her calm, nurturing demeanor and her perspective was greatly appreciated.