MM Chapter 17: Eastern Approaches

Indian head massage is an art form that is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating. In a typical session, the head, neck, and shoulders are massaged; marma points are stimulated; and the scalp and hair are oiled and invigorated. The thin, sheet-like muscles of the scalp move the scalp, ears, and eyebrows. The thin, small muscles of […]

As mentioned previously, one, two, or more therapists can perform abhyanga. In the ayurveda-inspired routine described in Technique 54, two therapists work together in synchrony with a specific series of strokes. One therapist could just as easily deliver this routine simply by applying each of the strokes to each body area. You and the other

In India, massage is part of daily life. It is common to see mothers, with a blanket spread across the ground, massaging their children in the open marketplace or women chatting and massaging each other’s shoulders. Self-oiling and self-massage are also common practices. Abhyanga is the Sanskrit word for oil massage, which might be delivered

Like TCM, ayurvedic medicine is a complex system based on a holistic and traditional worldview. The concepts that underlay ayurvedic medicine influence how ayurvedic bodywork is applied to clients and includes an understanding of the five elements, the three doshas, prana, and a basic knowledge of marma points. There is not room here to describe

The American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA) is a professional membership organization that promotes ABT and serves Asian bodywork practitioners and schools. Forms of ABT recognized by AOBTA include acupressure, Amma, AMMA Therapy, Chi Nei Tsang, Jin Shin Do, Nuad Bo’ Ran (traditional Thai massage), tuina, and five distinct approaches to shiatsu (Zen,

The overall goal of TCM is to support the body so that it can remain balanced and adaptable regardless of changing environmental conditions. If an imbalance occurs, TCM seeks to correct it before disease can take root. Alternately, if the body is already fighting a disease, the goal is to correct the imbalance so the

TCM practices assessment methods from the standpoint that the interior condition of the body can be detected from examination of the exterior of the body.8 TCM doctors and many Asian bodywork practitioners use a systematic approach to assessment consisting of four key methods called the Chinese four pillars of examination, which involve observation, listening, asking,

The meridian system is an energy network composed of channels, collaterals, and their associated zang-fu organs, sense organs, and tissues. The channels are pathways or routes where qi flows, and the collaterals are interconnecting branches that link the channels to the internal zang-fu organs and the external tissues of the skin, tendons, and muscles in