Tibetan Ball Massage
Kerala is one of the most southerly states of India with it’s warm, sunny palm fringed shores, long sandy beaches and lush forests, providing a vast supply of fruits, herbs and medicinal plants there is little surprise Kerala has been referred to as the home of Ayurveda.
I trained in the UK but was keen to know more so in 2005 I travelled to India with my partner Alan. After a ten hour flight we landed at Trivandrum airport and after a 50 minute transfer we arrived at our hotel in the wonderful state of Kerala. We didn’t take much persuading to have a massage and I also had an Ayurvedic facial that uses a mask made from only fresh natural ingredients high in Bromaline a natural enzyme that gently but very effectively dissolves away dead skin cells, it is then followed by a warm oil facial massage working the marma points. The massage was great, but the facial was really amazing, I couldn’t remember the last time my skin looked and felt so good, it really glowed, I couldn’t pass a mirror or reflective surface without stopping and marvelling at my new radiant and fresh complexion.
As a holistic therapist I knew the benefits of the treatment and how popular it would be back in the UK. I set about finding a training school and attended classes with a wonderful Indian lady who trained me in the same way that people have been trained in India for thousands of years, the training was in-depth, intensive, extremely thorough and very hands on. By the time the course was over I really knew the treatment inside out.
Whilst we were strolling along a beach a few days later we discovered a Tibetan shop with a large basket of different sized wooden balls, I asked what they were for, I was told it was for Tibetan ball massage, I hadn’t heard of the treatment so I thought the best way to find out was to try it. The treatment was fantastic a really gentle but incredibly relaxing treatment, using wooden balls made from apricot wood to gently massage away stresses and strains. It can be carried out directly on the skin, dry or using oils or on top of light clothing. I knew I had to learn it, and asked if the lady could teach me, a few days later I arrived for my first lesson, I was taught in a little beach house overlooking the tranquil Arabian Sea by a gentle and wise Tibetan lady who still regularly visits the Dali Lama. On returning to the UK I introduced it to my clients and was delighted at their response, it has been described by one client ‘like being massaged by a hundred butterfly wings’.
In 2007 I returned to India to study at an Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala where I studied under an Ayurvedic Doctor and also worked with his wife who is an Ayurvedic Specialist at their private Hospital. I studied several different treatments including: Shirodhara which uses luke warm medicated Ayurvedic oils that flow from a Dhara pot onto the forehead using a special rhythmic swaying movement. Pada Abhyanga a treatment that works on key marma points, on the lower leg and foot. As an Ayurvedic practitioner and Reflexologist I have no doubt that Pada Abhyanga has greatly influenced the treatment we know today as reflexology. Pinda Sweda which uses specially selected ingredients that are prepared in a small linen or muslin bag called a bolus they are then warmed in Ayurvedic oils and rhythmically applied to the body, this induces perspiration known as sudation, helping to aid relief from neurological disorders, rheumatic conditions and many other ailments.
Ayurveda is the name given to the science of life, Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ‘Ayur’ meaning 'life' or 'daily living' and ‘veda’ meaning 'science' Sanskrit is an ancient language used by physicians and religious people, it is the equivalent of Latin.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healthcare system, with its extensive wealth of valuable knowledge that has been tried and tested over centuries. Ayurveda is not just about treatments it has eight specialist areas called the eight branches which are General Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychology, Ear Nose and Throat, Surgery, Toxicology, Geriatrics and Aphrodisiac.
It is said to be the oldest form of structured healthcare on the planet pre dating western medicine by thousands of years, in fact western medicine has advanced with the help of the knowledge gained from Ayurvedic texts for example plastic surgery.
I hope to return to India soon and learn more treatments to bring back and use to give benefit to my clients in the UK. I am now passing on the knowledge gained in India and I run training courses every month, there are only two people on each course to ensure that when it comes to the practical section of the course students get a one on one tuition, which I found very beneficial when I studied in India. I will be running other training courses in 2008 if you would like details or more information please feel free to contact me at therapyshack@yahoo.co.uk or 07958 140736.