Learning more about Marma and Marma Points
To understand the restorative art of Marma, you must first accept that not everything can be seen and that descriptions can be limiting. For example, emotions can be both. We can feel emotions and maybe we can’t see it actually. However, we can notice another’s facial expressions/body posture and guess an emotion. Some emotions might be unmistakable, like joy or grief, but I think you would agree that we feel a good deal more, even in joy and grief, than what can be simplified into a single word. There are layers to our emotions, layers to our experiences, and layers within ourself.
To continue, we have our physical body, our astral body (mental, intellectual, emotional self), and our causal body (spirit, soul, our truest essence, the part of us that is life). Marma is an art of bringing balance within all aspects of ourself. It’s restorative benefits are similar to meditation. When our body feels at peace, not threatened, then it naturally restores itself.
Though Marma may seem a new idea, it’s roots are ancient. It is likely that it originated in Southern Indian martial arts practiced for the purposes of bringing strength to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body. It is used in Ayurveda to diagnose and treat illnesses related to imbalances in doshas. Doshas are a different way of describing systems and processes in our body. To oversimplify for the purpose of understanding Marma, Kapha Dosha could be compared to our physical body, Pitta Dosha could be compared to our astral body (all the processes within our body), and Vata Dosha to our soul or living aspect. Just as a fighter knows of sensitive places on the body that could cause harm, ancient healers knew of places in the body that could bring balance. In fact the word Marma means secret, sacred, or vulnerable. For example, an Ayurvedic Physician might know which Marma points could reduce a fever or clear a body from the negative effects of anger (both Pitta).
So now that you understand the art of Marma, we can talk more practically about what Marma points.
Knowing marma points and using them as part of your self-care practices clears and restores our energetic body. I visualize our energetic body as unseen movements within. For example, even though we know we are a solid structure (Kapha), we know also that on a cellular level there is movement we cannot see. We are more liquid than we appear. For another example we may sit perfectly still, but our thoughts are racing. Marma points are places along the body that balance our energetic body. These places are about ½ finger width to 4 finger widths. They are located on bones, muscles, tendons, or blood vessels. These points can be gently touched, or touched with gentle pressure or with a circular motion. And very beautifully, these points can be energetically touched, without lifting a finger.
This is not magic, it is marma.
Just like you can close your eyes and visualize a beautiful satisfying place and feel yourself there, your energetic body enlivens and maybe you even have a smile on your face, knowing a few Marma points can lift your spirits and using them as part of your self-care routines will remind you that you are in control of your health and well being.
Enough description, come and experience marma for yourself. I look forward to sharing the art with you.
To continue, we have our physical body, our astral body (mental, intellectual, emotional self), and our causal body (spirit, soul, our truest essence, the part of us that is life). Marma is an art of bringing balance within all aspects of ourself. It’s restorative benefits are similar to meditation. When our body feels at peace, not threatened, then it naturally restores itself.
Though Marma may seem a new idea, it’s roots are ancient. It is likely that it originated in Southern Indian martial arts practiced for the purposes of bringing strength to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body. It is used in Ayurveda to diagnose and treat illnesses related to imbalances in doshas. Doshas are a different way of describing systems and processes in our body. To oversimplify for the purpose of understanding Marma, Kapha Dosha could be compared to our physical body, Pitta Dosha could be compared to our astral body (all the processes within our body), and Vata Dosha to our soul or living aspect. Just as a fighter knows of sensitive places on the body that could cause harm, ancient healers knew of places in the body that could bring balance. In fact the word Marma means secret, sacred, or vulnerable. For example, an Ayurvedic Physician might know which Marma points could reduce a fever or clear a body from the negative effects of anger (both Pitta).
So now that you understand the art of Marma, we can talk more practically about what Marma points.
Knowing marma points and using them as part of your self-care practices clears and restores our energetic body. I visualize our energetic body as unseen movements within. For example, even though we know we are a solid structure (Kapha), we know also that on a cellular level there is movement we cannot see. We are more liquid than we appear. For another example we may sit perfectly still, but our thoughts are racing. Marma points are places along the body that balance our energetic body. These places are about ½ finger width to 4 finger widths. They are located on bones, muscles, tendons, or blood vessels. These points can be gently touched, or touched with gentle pressure or with a circular motion. And very beautifully, these points can be energetically touched, without lifting a finger.
This is not magic, it is marma.
Just like you can close your eyes and visualize a beautiful satisfying place and feel yourself there, your energetic body enlivens and maybe you even have a smile on your face, knowing a few Marma points can lift your spirits and using them as part of your self-care routines will remind you that you are in control of your health and well being.
Enough description, come and experience marma for yourself. I look forward to sharing the art with you.
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For more information or to set up an initial consultation with Julie for Ayurvedic Counseling or to reserve a space in one of her classes please call us at 336-841-4307
Learning through the Body: From Worry to Light
Class is one hour a week Cost -$35 total for all 3 weeks. Time/Days -Saturday Afternoons 4:00-5:00PM February 15th, 22nd, and 31st This first class series will focus on Marma. Marma points are places on the physical body and used as part of Ayurvedic Healing. They are junctions of systems within our body (physical, mental, emotional) where we become aware of our multifaceted designed body! You can know where they are and use them as part of a daily, weekly, or situational medicine go-to. |
Julie Barrier
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