Marma Massage is a traditional Ayurvedic treatment for stimulating vital energy points of the body, now available in the heart of East Sussex at Massage Lewes. This is a traditional Indian healing therapy using herbal ayurvedic oils, applied with appropriate pressure to specific vital points/parts of the body. Marma Massage not only relieves back pain, stiffness and sports injuries but also stimulates the body’s systems to promote its own natural healing.
Marma points are certain vital areas of the body, similar to Acupuncture or meridian points recognised by Chinese medicine. The word marma comes from Sanskrit origin mru or marr 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. Marma therapy is an important part of Ayurveda, as it involves the conditioning of these vital areas. Effective conditioning of these areas can improve and maintain a good health balance.
Prana is a form of vital energy. Prana pervades each and every corner of the body, and it nourishes, guides and controls the functioning of the cell and systems. When these marma (junctions) are affected or ruptured, the organs linked with prana channels become starved with lack of prana and some organ becomes diseased, crippled or paralysed or depending upon the quantum is of prana being lost, it may lead to slow or sudden death.
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.
There are a total of 107 Marma in the body. In Tamil traditions there are 108 Marma points, and in Kalari tradition there are 365 Marma points. The points were mapped out in detail centuries ago in the Sushruta Samhita, a classic Ayurvedic text. Major marma points correspond to the seven chakras, or energy centers of the body, while minor points radiate out along the torso and limbs. The points cover both the front and back of the body, including 22 on the lower extremities, 22 on the arms, 12 on the chest and stomach, 14 on the back, and 37 on the head and neck. (The mind is considered the 108th marma.) Each has its own Sanskrit name given by Sushruta, one of the founding fathers of Ayurvedic medicine.
They are classified for better understanding according to the physical components:
• Mansa marma – muscle
• Sira marma – vessels conveying body fluids and impulses
• Sanyu – tendons
• Asthi – bones
• Sandhi – articulate points specially bone joints
Marma Massage benefits (summary) include:
• increased protection from vata disorders
• nourishment of the body
• restorative sleep
• improvement of physical stability.
History of Marma massage
Marma-point massage dates back to southern India circa 1500 BC. Masters of kalari, an ancient martial art, first discovered the power of marma points. In battle, kalari fighters targeted an opponent’s marma points as a way to inflict pain and injury. According to kalari lore, people have 12 marma points that, when hit with a knockout blow, can cause instant death. These areas were so important that soldiers even used armor to protect their horses’ marma points while riding into battle.
Along with their ability to kill, however, comes an ability to heal. Wounded kalari fighters were nursed back to health with marma therapy. Practitioners used marma-point massage to stimulate healing in areas that corresponded to the soldier’s injuries. If a warrior suffered a blow to the small intestines, for example, the marma point on the back of the calf, which corresponds directly with the upper intestine, would be massaged to trigger a healing flow of energy to the injury. Eventually, Ayurvedic physicians around India learned of the technique’s powers and brought kalari masters into hospitals to teach the art. Soon, marma-point training became mandatory for surgeons, who would take great pains to work around specific points lest they risk a patient’s life. Today marma-point massage is still a respected component of Ayurvedic healing.
Try one at Massage Lewes today. Conveniently located just off the High Street, this is a taste of traditional Keralan healing right in the heart of Sussex.
Massage Lewes,
66 High Street,
Lewes, East Sussex,
BN7 1XG
01273 474527
07725 267418
