Recently, actor Vidyut Jamwal shared a video of himself practising marma warmup on his YouTube channel. “As a practitioner of Kalaripayattu, the oldest form of martial art, I believe that when our seven systems are aligned and harmonious, one can be the perfect human being. The marma warm-up helps to prepare the body for something spectacular. Marma is the most ancient method of self-healing. I give marma to my body on a daily basis, and it provides me with energy from within,” the actor posted.
Marmas are body points that, like pressure points used in acupressure and reflexology, can give life or death. Marma points, like acupuncture points, are used in Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts. They are also used in the Southern Indian martial arts known as Kalaripayattu.
The concept of Marma
Energy reacts to other forms of energy. A powerful thought can produce corresponding energy in the body. Marma Chikitsa or Marma Massage is an ancient technique of aligning and balancing the energy flow in the human system.
Marma point therapy is the practise of stimulating these points with light massage. There are 72,000 life force channels known as nadis that circulate energy through the physical body, to these points, according to Vedic wisdom. “Marma points massage is a kind of traditional ayurvedic message which helps to support the body’s natural energy flow. It is believed that stimulating these spots impacts various factors, including hormone production and organ health,” says Gyan Prakash, Senior Yoga Instructor and Therapist at Divine Soul Yoga.
There are three doshas present at marma points:
* Vata (air and space)
* Kapha (earth and water)
* Pitta (fire and water)
“These doshas are linked to your mental and physical health. Ayurveda, like traditional Chinese acupuncture, claims that stimulating the marma points can improve both your physical and mental well-being. On the flip side, it is believed that harm to the marma points can be harmful to health. It can even result in death,” says the yoga guru.
DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
In Ayurveda, the condition of Marmas is an important diagnostic tool. Toxins, stress, and negative emotions become embedded and stored at marma sites, sometimes for years. Disease manifests itself in these areas as pain, blockage, or swelling long before it manifests itself in the full range of disease symptoms.
“Marma points number 108 in total, with 107 in the physical body and one in the mind. Each marma point corresponds to a specific dhatu (body tissue), vayu (Prana function), dosha (constitutional type), and srota (energy) (physical channel)”, explains Dr Chaitali Deshmukh, ayurved and holistic lifestyle consultant.
“Assume that your lifestyle is generally healthy. However, simply living in the modern world can have an effect on the flow of life force or prana into your body. According to Ayurveda, impaired pranic flow causes debilitation. Blockage can cause fatigue, stiffness, memory loss, brittle bones, and sensitive digestion. When prana flows freely into the marma points from the nadis, good health results. However, if the energy becomes stale or its flow is obstructed, health suffers,” adds Dr Chaitali.
Benefits
Marma points have enormous potential for harmonising all aspects of the physical and mental systems. “Marma Massage has many health benefits including the removal of toxins from the body. It contributes to an overall improvement in health. It facilitates chakra clearing which allows energy to flow freely and eradicates sickness from the body. It also aids in managing conditions including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune illnesses, and even arthritis,” says Gyan Prakash.
How it helps:
* Improves immunity
* Removes emotional stumbling blocks
* Improves digestion, assimilation, and elimination by increasing energy levels and providing pain relief
* Encourages deep, rejuvenating sleep
* Increases skin circulation
* Enhances creativity
* Trauma is released
* Increases intuition
* Allows for the experience of deep peace
* Internal organs are strengthened
* Doshas are balanced
* Slows down ageing
“Marmas support our immune system and can be used to boost its effectiveness. Treatment can help to release negative emotions and remove mental blocks,” says Dr Chaitali.
