دار بيبليون
Self-massage for the prevention and treatment of diseases/ Notes from Lwiis Saliba’s lecture on Zoom Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Massage and its preventive and therapeutic benefits are today indisputable. Already in the Rig Veda, the oldest book in the world, we can read the following verse:
“My hand is blessed, even more than blessed
For it has all the qualities of healing.
As soon as it touches, it cures all diseases.”
Our presentation today focuses on a specific type of massage that is rarely discussed, self-massage, and the importance given to it in yoga, while most practitioners omit it from their program and neglect it. If the hand can bring healing to anyone, how much more can it bring healing to the person who possesses it? I remember that the first thing my hatha yoga teacher taught me was self-massage, especially of the head and face, and he recommended that I start each hatha yoga session and even each meditation with this self-massage. He told me over and over again that self-massage before yoga and even before meditation improved our ability to observe the sensations of the body and therefore to develop mindfulness. I admit that I neglected this important advice for a long time, before coming back to it.
In Ayurveda, we talk about Marmas, the 108 energy points of the body, and how they should be activated by self-massage and massage in general. This is what we will cover in this conference in general and we will draw inspiration in particular from a famous French book on the subject “Et si ça vient du ventre” by Pierre Pallardy, osteopath of the European School of Osteopathy. Head massage relieves anxiety
Pallardy recommends self-massage of the head, specifying (p130): “Head massage relaxes the abdomen, because the two brains are connected. Head massage can be practiced at any time of the day to combat anxiety, stress, irritability and fatigue. It also facilitates sleep by stimulating the cranial nerves and the vagus nerve.”
My yoga teacher taught me to associate the head massage with the activation of the self-programming marma point of the right hand, four fingers from the wrist. The yogi presses on this point while repeating a brief intention of his choice that can be used to program the day. He then presses on the marma point located just under the nose and at the junction of the nostrils, a point that activates energy. The practitioner then presses five marma points around the eyes for two consecutive cycles. This massage is followed by a head and face massage. Oil is not usually used in this massage, but there is nothing to prevent it from being used if the practitioner has sufficient time.
A head massage without oil usually lasts no more than two minutes and can be performed once or several times a day, whenever one feels tired during the day, or immediately before meditation, as well as before going to bed, to prepare the ground for a deep and restful sleep.
Self-massage and the healing power of the hand
Pallardy defines (p. 152): “Self-massage is a deep kneading and rubbing applied to the entire abdominal plexus. Self-massage of the abdomen can be combined with self-massage of the head. These processes should be synchronized with assisted abdominal breathing.”
Self-massage has important therapeutic effects on both the psychological and health levels. Regarding the first aspect (p. 152): “By treating your abdomen with self-massage, you will immediately calm both brains (head and abdomen) and relieve anxiety or panic. The power of the hand is one of the best natural remedies to regain calm and tranquility.” From a health perspective (p. 121): “Self-massage of the abdomen plays an important role in treating nervous system problems, gastritis pain, colitis, bloating, painful periods, gas and constipation. Self-massage has the ability to provide immediate relief at the higher brain level thanks to endorphins, the hormone of physical and psychological comfort, more effective than other painkillers. »
The author adds: “Self-massage of the abdomen also helps to alleviate, or even cure, functional disorders: Diabetes 2, overweight, cardiovascular problems, insomnia, fatigue, skin problems, sexual problems, rheumatism and back pain”
On the importance of abdominal massage and its relationship with meditation, the author says (p.133): “Yogis have long and intuitively known the close relationship between the two brains and the role of neurotransmitters. The abdomen is the center of life for them and for many Orientals, and I share this intuition: We know that happy or unhappy childhood memories, emotions, happy surprises as well as disappointments and traumas of the early years, often powerful, are recorded in the subconscious of the abdomen as well as in the subconscious of our first brain. Recent studies conducted in Canada have shed light on this concept: It turns out that the abdomen, like the head, documents and records our emotional history. This is a field of research that we have not yet explored, but which is full of possibilities, including that of healing psychological problems. “The Hara and the erasure of childhood trauma
Here, modern medicine meets the tradition of Zen meditation, which speaks of the hara center located four fingers below the navel, as a key center for meditation and the liberation of the yogi from dormant emotions and impressions in the nervous system. In the Eastern and Arabic tradition, the belly (batin) = that which is hidden. A person who does not show his feelings and opinions and keeps them in his belly is called “batini”.
This is one of the psychological problems that self-massage can solve (p149): “Any anxiety, panic or emotional disturbance passes through the abdomen. Any emotional trauma registered by the first brain is reflected in the abdomen, and conversely, any abdominal dysfunction or disease is converted by the higher brain into emotion. (…) I assure you that treating the abdomen can overcome old shyness, chronic fears and inferiority complexes that date back to childhood. Childhood traumas are deeply engraved in the abdomen. Personally, it was only when I treated my belly that I was able to fully address the problems of shame and fatigue from my childhood.” On the importance of self-massage of the intestines, Palardy states (p. 121): “The small intestine that you feel under your fingers has about 800 or 900 zigzags and 10 million tiny villi that would cover the surface of a racquetball court if placed side by side. The role of the small intestine is very important, because it is connected to the first brain by the vagus nerve and plays a key role in the synchronization of the two brains. By massaging this area, you increase your resistance to emotions and you fight against fatigue and severe depression.”
Self-massage of the back
This is based on my own experience, as my constant work in the book world and bookstores caused me back problems that I struggled with for a long time. Today, after a long experience, I can affirm that the best treatment for back problems is a combination of self-massage and some yoga postures and exercises.
Self-massage of the back is preferably done with warm oil; olive oil or sesame oil are perfect. A back massage teaches you to feel where your body hurts, especially your back, and to treat it with a combination of intensity and softness, depending on what you deem appropriate.
Self-massage of the neck
Finally, self-massage of the neck is simple and uses the fingers of both hands in a horizontal and then circular movement, while the hands stabilize the neck to relax and protect it. During the self-massage of the neck, the practitioner must look at the ceiling, and therefore tilt the neck slightly backwards and hold it with both hands to avoid any unpleasant or harmful movements. This massage will release many spasms in the neck and restore its suppleness and flexibility. Yogis are advised to follow the neck massage with some neck exercises in order to stabilize and maximize the benefits.
Relaxation remains the most important advice in any self-massage session or massage by others, because the massage must always be accompanied by relaxation: mentally relax each area of the body that is massaged as well as the other areas and organs of the body. A massage is above all a relaxation and an activation of the parasympathetic system, without which it has no meaning and is useless.