Ayurveda And Marma Therapy (Energy Points in Yogic Healing)

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Marmas are special Ayurvedic energy points on the body similar to acupuncture points. Through manipulating them we can direct our Prana or vital energy for health, well-being and personal transformation. Marmas are connected to the chakras and nadis of yoga and can be used for balancing both body and mind.

Marma therapy is one of the great tools of yogic and Ayurvedic healing. Knowledge of marmas and how to treat them is important for all those who want to fully employ either system.

This is the first book on marma therapy published in the West. It clearly describes the 107 main marma points in location, properties and usage. It explains in detail how to treat them with many methods including massage, aromas, herbs and yoga practices.

Ayurveda and Marma Therapy is an essential reference guide for all students of Yoga, Ayurveda, massage or natural healing.

Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) is one of the leading Ayurveda experts in the western world. He is the author of half a dozen books on all aspects of Ayurvedic medicine and over twenty books on related teachings of Yoga and Vedic science.

Dr. Subhash Ranade is one of India's leading Ayurvedic doctors and has taught worldwide for many years. He is the author of more than fifty books on Ayurveda, many of which are textbooks for Ayurvedic schools in India.

Dr. Avinash Lele is a specialist in marma therapy, Pancha Karma and Ayurvedic surgery. He operates his own private hospital in India and also travels and teaches worldwide.

The subject of pranic energy as a biological force is well documented in Ayurveda, but until now, poorly understood in the West. Prana as the positive energy of the vata dosha is the primary source of physical and energetic health. Ayurvedic medicine has a wonderful therapeutic system to work directly on this bio-energetic principle that is called Marma therapy.

Prana as the source of the tridosha is the single most important factor in health and therapeutic treatment. All Ayurvedic therapies work on the prana of the patient in some manner, striving to stabilize and harmonize its functions, primarily through the three doshas, vata, pitta and kapha. Marma therapy is the most direct method of harmonizing prana in the physical body (Sthula sharira) of another person. It can also aid in the study of yoga practices such as pranayama and asana, which are chiefly concerned with increasing and regulating pranic function through the nadis or channels of the subtle body. Marma therapy supplements and supports all Ayurvedic therapies, increasing their effectiveness and ability to awaken the healing power of the body.

Prana as the source of mental function and perception allows us to think and perceive. It allows us to interact with the five senses, body and physical universe. The higher forms of Yoga are concerned with the development of prana on this level, the subtle body (Sukshma sharira), which governs the mind and senses. The advanced aspects of Ayurveda can assist to harmonize prana here and aid in all forms of personal development and spiritual unfoldment. Marma therapy plays a key role in bridging the physical and subtle bodies of yogic science. Therefore, a working knowledge of Marma therapy is an important assistance on all yogic paths. Thus, Marma therapy is a multidimensional approach to health that includes the physical, energetic and mental sheaths (Annamaya, Pranamaya and Manomaya Koshas) that in turn have an effect on the souls apparent journey home.

Marma therapy is used as a part of most Ayurvedic treatments and is of primary importance in self-care and self-healing. Indian doctors prescribe it as a matter of course for patients who are also taking herbal or other Ayurvedic medicines. Yet, Marma therapy is used alone to treat a variety of disorders ranging from paralyses to psychosomatic disorders. The uses of Marma therapy are almost unlimited for health care and form a corner stone of classical Ayurvedic medicine.

For the first time we are presented with a clear book on the subject from three world famous authors, lecturers and doctors. Ayurveda and Marma Therapy is an updated and revised edition first published in India. The present edition goes far beyond the old and adds much practical information for the Western therapist of massage and acupressure. A number of misconceptions and confusions are cleared up in this edition to form a clear, practical therapeutic guide for the Westerner. In short, the present edition of this landmark work has little to do with the original and is much improved.

The main confusion regarding Marma therapy in the West is die concept of 107 fixed points on the physical anatomy. In reality the Ayurvedic vision of marma points is flexible and adapted to the individual, as are all Ayurvedic therapies. The marma points can differ from one individual to another and require a certain sensitivity on the part of the therapist to find the area of pranic congestion: In practice we find a variety of differences manifesting according to the prakriti (constitution) and vikriti (temporary state) of the person. Applying the information in this book too rigidly would be a disservice and would ignore the main vision of Ayurveda as an individualized medicine.

There are also a number of minor marma points that are not classified under the primary 107 points. Additionally, the ancient restriction on the use of Marma therapy by unqualified persons shows the need of respect and sensitivity when working on these dynamic points of energy. Further-more, there are regional differences on marma location in India. What we may learn in Western India can be different from Northern or Southern India. There are also different approaches from different doctors or practitioners. While this may seem confusing to the beginner it actually adds to the richness of the tradition and forces the practitioner to use his or her intelligence when applying the marma system to a patient. After all, the main purpose of Ayurveda is for us to become more intelligent. Ayurveda and Marma Therapy assists everyone in this endeavor with clear, profound knowledge.

The science of Yoga, which has become very popular all over the world in recent decades, is intimately connected to Ayurveda as its corresponding system of natural medicine. As Yoga and Ayurveda become better known, more interest is developing in their specific healing modalities as well. A new Yoga and Ayurveda therapy is arising, integrating their renewed mutual application using yogic tools like asana according to Ayurvedic guide-lines as well as applying Ayurvedic therapies to aid in yogic healing.

The use of pressure points, called marmas in Sanskrit, is an important part of this Yoga/Ayurveda interface. Marmas are a common topic in classical Ayurvedic texts and are referred to in modem books as well. They are also frequently mentioned in yogic teachings. But up to this present volume- Ayurveda and Marma Therapy -there is no single book that at- tempts to make this subject easily accessible and readable in the West. This book is meant to help fill in that gap.

Ayurveda and Marma Therapy has three authors: Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) of the USA along with Dr. Subhash Ranade and Dr. Avinash Lele both of Pune, India. Dr. Frawley is one of the leading western Ayurvedic experts, having authored half a dozen books on the subject as well as developed extensive course material for Ayurvedic programs. He has taken the main lead in shaping the book. Dr. Ranade is one of the most important Indian Ayurvedic doctors teaching in the western world as well as in India. He has written many books, including textbooks used in Ayurvedic colleges. Dr. Ranade and Dr. Frawley co-authored the book Ayurveda: Nature's Medicine. Dr. Lele, a colleague of Dr. Ranade, is another important Ayurvedic doctor who has specialized in marma therapy. He is trained in traditional Ayurvedic methods of surgery, which carefully considers the use of marmas. Dr. Ranade and Dr. Lele have collaborated on several Ayurvedic books published in India.

Dr. Frawley wrote the greater portion of the material in the book, including the explanations of Ayurvedic principles and treatments in the first section, as well as most of the information on the treatment of marmas in the Table of Marmas in the second section. He specifically developed the material explaining the use of marmas relative to the practice of Yoga and meditation, including their treatment with gem and color therapy, drawing on various yogic teachings and other related Vedic sciences. Dr. Ranade and Dr. Lele provided the illustrations and most of the information on the description of manna points, as well as the initial outline of the book.

The book aims both at identifying marmas and indicating the appropriate methods to treat them effectively. Such methods include massage with special oils, herbs and aromas as well as acupressure, acupuncture and various herbal remedies. While classical Ayurvedic herbs and massage oils are presented for those who have access to these, we have also offered commonly available herbs and oils so that any interested reader can begin to use manna therapy for self-care purposes. The treatment of marmas with aroma therapy, which is quick and easy to do, has been a major topic.

We would like to offer a special thanks to Dr. Frank Ros, author of The Lost Secrets of Ayurvedic Acupuncture for his chapter on 'Marmapuncture', explaining Ayurvedic acupuncture in detail. Dr. Ros is perhaps the western' world's foremost expert on this important topic.

We would like to emphasize that this book is not meant to present the last word on the number of marmas, their location or their manner of treatment. The book emphasizes the main classical Ayurvedic marmas, which are 107 in number, but many other such sensitive points can also be used. While it introduces various methods of treating marmas, particularly oil massage and aroma therapy, such methods can be delineated in greater detail and adapted relative to various treatment strategies and a comprehensive Ayurvedic therapy. The book is a good place to start working with marmas, but still only an introduction to this profound topic. It should be supplemented by a further study of Ayurveda for its full application and integration with the entire range of Ayurvedic modalities.

We have not dealt a great deal with how Ayurvedic marma therapy interfaces with the many forms of bodywork and massage that are practiced today. That is another vast field for research which, hopefully, other therapists will take up in time. We have included several references in the bibliography for those who wish to take up related forms of Ayurvedic healing, energy healing or bodywork. We welcome any feedback from our readers, in order to improve any future editions of this book in light of their suggestions.

Ayurveda remains a vast ocean and we are still but getting acquainted with its waves and currents. May we gain the power to sail into its endless horizons and enter new universes of healing and self-transformation!

Contents

	Foreword	v
	Preface	vii
	Part I Introduction to Marmas: Energy Points of Yoga and Ayurveda	1
Chapter 1	Marmas: Energy Points of Yoga and Ayurveda	3
Chapter 2	The Ayurvedic System of Healing and Marma Therapy	11
Chapter 3	Marmas: Their Nature and Classification	27
Chapter 4	Marmas and the Practice of Yoga	41
Chapter 5	The Many Methods of Marma Therapy 1: Massage, Aroma Therapy and Pranic Healing	63
Chapter 6	The Many Methods of Marma Therapy 2: Herbal Methods	75
	Part II Table of Marmas and Their Treatment	83
Chapter 7	Overview of Table of Marmas and Marmas Therapy	85
Chapter 8	Marmas on the Arms and Hands	95
Chapter 9	Marmas on the Legs and Feet	119
Chapter 10	Marmas on the Abdomen and Chest	143
Chapter 11	Marmas on the Back and Hips	161
Chapter 12	Marmas on the Head and Neck	177
	Part III Supplemental Material and Appendices	209
Appendix 1	Use of Instruments to Teat Marmas: Blood-letting , Acupuncture, Agni-karma and Kshara-karma	211
Appendix 2	Marmapuncture, Ayurvedic Acupunture by Dr. Frank Ros	215
Appendix 3	Names and Classifiction of Marmas	223
Appendix 4	Sanskrit Ayurvedic Terms	229
Appendix 5	Ayurvedic Herbs and Oils	233
Appendix 6	Bibliography	241
	Index	243
	Resources	251

Sample Pages