ABDOMINAL
MASSAGE
Article
appeared in the monthly magazine BIOCONTACT nr. 134 from march 2004.
Serious
investigation shows the intimate relationship between our brain and our
abdomen, even to the point where they now call the latter our “second
brain” (or intestinal brain). Chi Nei Tsang, a Chinese massage technique,
aims at nothing less then re-establishing our well-being and our joy of life
through relaxation of the abdominal area, where the memory of all our
emotions is located.
Chi
Nei Tsang (CNT)
or massage for intestinal regeneration, has his roots in the ancient chinese
tradition and is recently being promoted in the East by Mantak Chia (1) and
his disciples. First of all it is an extreme effective tool to dissolve negative energy, which collects throughout the years in
the main organs of the body. On the long run this will manifest itself as
numerous somatic illnesses or as a proportional number of physical and
emotional ailments.
Negative
emotions, such as fear, anger, anxiety, grief or discouragement (if they are
present too often or become chronic) cause energetic blockages, which can
severily harm our health. Our health can also be affected by material
causes, such as operations, physical accidents, taking drugs or specific
medication, stress due to a continuing work-overload, a sudden or brutal
emotional shock, a mediocre food pattern, or even a continuing bad posture.
If
integrated in an overall daily life-style CNT will relieve, relax, release
and liberate all sorts of tension and toxins and “renew”, in a broader
sense, by partially or completely neutralizing these harmful influences and
establishes hereby a beautiful contact-therapy, preventive as well as
curative, which one can use for self-massage or for massaging others.
As
distinct from Shiatsu, which came to us from Japan, and which acts on the
main organs through acupressure using the fingers along the main meridians
in the body (2), CNT acts directly on
each organ, or even more correct on each of the five important double
organ-energetic units from the chinese medicine: lungs / large intestine
(element “metal”), kidneys / bladder (element “water”), liver /
gallbladder (element “wood”), heart / small intestine (element
“fire”) and the couple milt pancreas / stomach (element “earth”)
(3).
In
practice one works on body-areas: abdomen, diaphragm, chest, groin, sides of
the abdominal area, dorsal-lumbar area or the kidney area on the back. The
first zone seems to be the most important one, in his country of origin CNT
owes his popularity mainly to this zone, and it has classified itself –
over there and elsewhere – amongst the master technical therapies for
regaining health.
What
an unparalleled source of well-being, of relaxation, of soothing, of great
relief (if it isn’t about a sudden emotional liberation, sometimes
touching, whether attended by tears or not), a good Chi Nei Tsang session
can bring about on the abdomen, which will open up by the touch, swell,
tighten, stiffen, and release pain! Here (maybe even more so then in other)
the massage has to be performed with tenderness and love to live up to its
promises.
The
damaging influences we
talked about earlier (whether they already manifested or are identified as
pathogens or not) always
materialize on (and even in!) the abdomen, and they can easily be
recognized as irregularities underneath the skin, as tangles and even as
“knots” of nerves, arteries or lymphenodes, more or less hardened, not
to mention the irregular accumulation of cellulite and fatty creases at the
level of the abdomen, or lower, which betray a sedentary life-style and lack
of exercise, a too rich or excessive food intake and very often a complete
absence of muscle-tone. All contradictions, tensions and conflicts, that we
build up during our lifetime, will someday find their way to and crystallize
in the abdomen (our big vulnerable area, intimate and therefore protected,
mostly hidden away)… and really nowhere else as clear and obvious then
here.
Numerous
benefits
The
techniques used in CNT can dissolve these blockages, unravel the knots and
tangles, eliminate tensions, sometimes very old ones, diminish
fat-accumulation and re-establish a free flow of energy and an integral
relaxation. The whole abdomen, and as a result the whole organism, will be
revitalised. On top of that they can soften
longstanding negative emotions, such as anxiety, fear and feelings of
depression, or even make them disappear entirely. As a result a new joy of
life will be born, which often goes hand in hand with spectacular
physical results: the disappearance of functional and neurovegetative
problems, which manifest as constipation, diarrhea, intestinal spasm,
intestinal ulcers, stomach ache, abdominal spasm and painful spots on all
ganglions in the face.
On
top of the abdominal benefits this massage also helps (and this is
remarkable) to improve the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, the sexual
functioning, the effective regulation of the pressure in the veins and the
bodyweight, to diminish problems with the joints, insomnia, chronic fatigue,
certain allergies and severe migraine, rheumatism, muscular pain and several
affections of the nerves, even on the other extremity of the body, diabetes
and even “bad” cholesterol, not to mention the excellent results with
back-ache, such as sciatica and pain in the lumbar area, chronic pain
included, and painshoots from the neck.
A
scientific discovery
Why
are these results possible? How can a set of massage techniques, accurate,
select and effective, but nevertheless accessible for everyone of us, open
the path to an integral regeneration and take care of the body and the mind,
and even help to cure them?
Even
if it has to be supplemented, of course, by different judicious
complementary measurements, Chi Nei Tsang (and other analogous
contacttherapies) shows an amazing efficiency on both planes. We find a key
to the answer in an extraordinary recent scientific discovery:
our
intestines lodge our second brain, which shows many resemblances with the
brain in our head.
Ancient
tribes, Taoists and Indians (from
India
,
America
or elsewhere) already knew this. To them the abdomen was “the root of all
live”, the seat of the soul, and they compaired the structure of the brain
in particular with the structure of the small intestine. Both are provided
with amazingly comparable twists. But the morphological comparison goes far
beyond this with an incredible bundle of similarities: this true second
brain, located in our lap, also called the intestinal nervous system, shows
itself as a case covered with tissue, the oesophagus, the stomach and
especially the large and small intestine. A
perfect integrated functional unit, composed of neurons, proteins and
neurotransmitters which sends information from every point of the brain
up and shows an interaction in a fully autonomic way; capable of learning,
remembering and giving birth to emotions and feelings.
Michael
Gershon, from the University of Columbia New York, studies the second brain
“down there” for more then 30 years now and he confirms that it plays an
important role in the misery and happiness of human kind… This
investigator scientifically confirms, like others before him did on other
planes, the undeniable connection between the body and the mind, the soma
and the psyche. The neuro-gastroenterology is born…
The
intestinal nervous system shows itself as a mirror image in the central
nervous system, and the other way round, and these two communicate
continuously by means of the oblique side of the nerve, also called waves,
but without losing their independency. Almost
all components, which determine the function of the intestinal nervous
system, can be found in the abdomen: important neurotransmitters like
dopamine, norepinephrine, melatonine, acetylcholine, oxygen-nitrogen
bindings and – especially – serotonine are all present (twenty in
total). Two dozen small brain-proteins, neuropeptides, are housed here. They
are the main cells of the immune system and they are produced there in great
numbers (70 to 80% of the grand total in the organism!). Even more amazing:
a very important category of intestinal elements which contain opium,
enkephalines, reside and are produced in the abdomen, just as
benzodiazepines, powerful psycho-active sedatives, which diminish fear and
anxiety and are the essential active principle of the well-known Valium.
Untill recently people believed that the intestines where nothing more then
a tube that “connected” with the brain (neutral and docile) and worked
on command. Wrong! Nobody, untill the research of Gershon and Dr David
Wingate, from the London University, bothered to count the
number of neurons in the abdomen: they are with one hundred million more
then in the spinal marrow! But the nerve-wave connects this intestinal brain
to the brain in the head only with a bundle of 2000 neurons… The others,
all the others, consecrate to specific and autonomic tasks and are not
directly dependent upon the upper brain!
Bit
by bit this new anatomophysiological discovery allows us to better
understand why people act, react and feel the way they do; why
anti-depressives, such as the dangerous Prozac – yet very spread -, have
the tendency to affect or weaken the function of the intestines in one way
or another, because they “seize” the serotonine, “the secret referee
of our state of soul”, based upon the composition of Pierre Pallardy (4)
– and to make them artificially available to the central nervous system, consequently
the intestinal system will be weakened. This is playing with fire…
In
the abdomen, for
the small part that we let it function properly, we have at our disposal a complete necessary biochemical pharmacy to be
able to maintain our joy of life and to cheer us up… wouldn’t it
be better then to massage the abdomen with love to make him healthier, to
strenghten and stimulate him, then to poison him little by little by using
drugs?
Every
change of a nervous system will irrevocably have consequences for the other
one; this similarity seems even more striking when we look at auto-immune
diseases, such as ulcerous colitis, John’s disease or the dreaded
Alzheimer disease. The victims of the latter, but also those who suffer from
Parkinsons disease, suffer from constipation. Their intestinal nerves are as
sick as those of their first brain, and the amyloid plaques – the
signature for Alzheimer disease – and other encephalopathies (will they
call these in the future entero-encephalopathies?) appear simultaneously in
the head and in the intestines!
One
of the crucial conditions for health is, truely, a coordinated and
harmonious functioning, the continuing cooperation between the two brains in
a human being. The
second brain, in the abdomen, is (and don’t ever forget it) the main
guardian of our immunity, our primary function to survive and to guaranty
longevity. If the pact is broken, Professor Gershon warns us, “there will
be chaos in the abdomen (and elsewhere in the body) and misery in our
head…”.
If
we take the above into consideration then we can clearly see that Chi Nei
Tsang abdominal massage can become an authentic guardian for our well-being,
to maintain our health on all levels. But what is this massage all about
then?
The
Techniques
A
description of every technique, and every objective, how concise it may be,
goes far beyond the scope of this article. Attached you will find a few
possibilities to request more information (5) and, if you wish, to learn CNT
yourself, which – especially in the beginning – should be done under
supervision of a capable instructor. The chinese abdominal massage depends
on the form, the size and the state of the abdomen, but also on the kind of
problem or the goal to achieve and therefore also on the depth one wants to
achieve (more or less finger pressure). The manual techniques used can
differ a lot, in which all differences are linked to the size and the
morphology of the hands from the therapist (you, in selfmassage), to his
experience, his dexterity, his sensitiveness and – an essential element
– to his perception, directly, sensually, intuitively, for the needs of
his client. The
following survey contains only the main points:
-
Massage
with the thumb(s) in a vertical or horizontal position, sliding up and down,
with
the intention, according to the expressive terminology used in China, to
“open the windgates”, this is indispensable at the beginning of a CNT
session.
Important
technique, can also be used in a different context. You can also massage
with both thumbs, one opposite of the other, one in front of the other or
one on top of the other, to increase the finger pressure and penetrate
deeper into the abdomen.
-
Massage
with the elbow, in
case of corpulence of the client, or a very big, fat, stiff, tensed or
muscular abdomen. It is also used when the therapist hasn’t got enough
tensile force in his hands or fingers yet. Always
work progressively, with care and sensitiveness.
-
Massage
with the knife of the hand, stretched or bended, perpendicular on the
abdomen. Is
used with one or two hands simultaneous, in a symmetrical position. This
technique is often used first on the periphery of the abdomen (along the
diaphragm, the hips and the pelvis) and as needed the bending degree of the
hands can be adapted. Very effective for drainage, scooping or wiping and
collecting movements; it is possible to emphasize a forth and back movement
at times that can be compaired to a saw-movement.
-
Massage
by kneading or blending.
If this is done with handiness, sensitivity and flexibility then this
technique can be one of the most beautiful, effective and pleasant
techniques of the Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage. You can perform the
“little wave” movement using this technique on the whole abdomen (back
and forth), and the lateral overall massage that relaxes. It is most
commonly used at the beginning of the massage. Both hands work parallel. As
needed it can be complemented with a rolling movement, very benificial for
slowing down, dissolve cellulite (grab the skin, loosen it and let it roll
between your thumb and fingers).
-
Massage
with the mouse of the hand and alternated with the four fingers. Here
the hands work independently, when needed they work together. This
technique, a variation of the previous one, is used for various goals; it is
used to perform the “big wave” movement by following the periphery of
the abdomen clockwise and counterclockwise. This big wave, that follows the
flow of the large intestine has a drainage and unclogging function. It is
one of the characteristic methods used in CNT. With this massage one can
work on – except from the intestines – the liver, the stomach and the
couple spleen pancreas, all organs that are located and the outer edge of
the abdomen.
-
Massage
with the pads of the fingers, together or separate.
Here one works with sustained or successive pressure, shaking or vibrating
on specific points on the abdomen that one wants to treat, as needed to
consciously send energy. This projection of energy – or on the contrary
the spreading of energy – is a constant practice in CNT, but this
technique is especially destined to do so. A conscious quest for energy,
transported by one or two fingers, to more specifically “burn out or
dissolve a sick wind”.
-
Massage
with spiraling and turning movements. This
also is a specific technique in CNT. This one is performed with one or two
fingers, on a local area, clockwise or counterclockwise, on the surface or
deeply penetrated, and with an enforced finger pressure. This procedure is
effective for detoxification, it dissolves the “grains of sand” or
impurities, which are transported or collected by the lymph. This technique
also is used to treat the gallbladder and other organs at the periphery of
the abdomen.
-
Working
with the complete hand (just one or both).
Be it by massaging or by holding a steady position on the skin of the
abdomen or above – without contact – to beam energy. This is the most
flexible technique, where the part of sensitiveness and intuition of the
therapist is most freely and direct expressed, without limitation. This
procedure puts CNT in the same category as other massages with the same
purpose, relief, cure and healing (6).
But
CNT can’t do everything.
Certainly,
however amazing it is, on its own the CNT abdominal massage can not be the
unique key for health, nor a universal medicine: to our regret such a thing
doesn’t exist. Without a healthy environment and global politics, and
together with this an overall health, this beautiful (self)massage will
still be a valuable asset, beneficial in every way, but nevertheless only a
palliative, partly amputated from its real healing power.
Starting
to regain one’s health implicates that this is associated with biological,
natural food, varied and full of vital power, balanced, mainly vegetarian,
taken in with moderation and a sound state of mind, all of this accompanied
by propper physical activity, on a regular base, supported and adapted
according to our age and our capability, and by adapting – and this is of
vital importance – good postures and daily exercises with attention on the
breathing, mainly focused on abdominal breathing. The balance between all of
this and the daily complementary care for our abdomen can be extremely
helpful.
Bioenergetic
Tao (1) and Yoga, separate or combined with Pranayama (7) are very
promising; they re-install an uncomparable well-being for all organs below
the diaphragm, without exception. If one completes all recommendations, I
also add regular abdominal exercises to strenghten the muscles from the
chest to support the abdomen (and fight against the fat-coat which is trying
to encapsulate them when we age), wearing a protecting flanel, cotton or
linnen belt during the night and when it is cold also during the day (8) and
finally by taking on a regular base, with longer or shorter intervals, an
excellent food supplement, that is classified als “probiotics”. This
offers a great protection for the intestines, we are talking about a
preparation of select lactobacilli which regenerate the flora and fauna in
our long “second brain”, inhibit the outbreak of pathogenic bacteria in
our abdomen, assist in digestion, help to synthesize essential vitamines and
increase the immune-defense which – and we already know this – are
present in numerous amounts in our intestineal area.
The
abdomen, organ of happiness…
This
nomination, at first sight exaggerated, is not at all excessive! Our
abdomen as a whole, in his rich complexity and not yet completely seen
through by science, determines deeply and as much as, and maybe even more
– and definitely in an intimate relationship with it -
our mental structure, our emotional life, the model and functioning
of our emotions, and it is in turn influenced by it; by its battery of
neurotransmitter and other psychoactive intestinal substances, it has the
ability to create dissatisfaction or joy of life, chaos or pleasure,
weariness of life or satisfaction. Provided with a memory it also
archives our emotional memories and this goes back to
early childhood…
The
Chinese already knew this. They made the connection between anger, anxiety,
prejudice, grief and fear with the different intestinal zones. “The
selfmassage of the abdomen has the possibility to create immediate
well-being on the level of the upper brain, through the endorphines (our
hormones of well-being) which, in their battle against pain, are more
effective then all calming medicines.” is said by Pierre Pallardy (4). He
continues: “by massaging the abdomen one works on concentration; by
massaging the large intestine, on the resistance against emotions
(negative); by massaging the spleen area, one fights tiredness and
depression; by massaging the liver and gallbladder, one drives away
fear…”.
Is
it possible that Chi Nei Tsang will become for each of us a health tool, a
tool to achieve longevity and is a global revelation lying in our benevolent
hands.
Matéo
Magarinos,
Doctor
in applied biology, diet and food advisor, associated instructor in
Bioenergetic Tao.
Article
appeared in the monthly magazine BIOCONTACT nr. 134 from march 2004.
(1)
Chinese
master, born in Thailand, founder and collector of ancient tao traditions in
relation to a rich health – to avoid the disappearance – called this the
“Universal (of Healing) Tao”, better known in frech speaking countries
as , very precise, Bioenergetic Tao. Chi Nei Tsang is an integer part hereof.
(2)
Energetic channels which, by
Oriental medicine, are crossing the human body and guarantee the circulation
of energy – or chi – either on the outside as on the inside.
(3)
Arise from the functioning of the
well-known polarity Yin – Yang, these five elements of everything that
exists in this world form a fundamental canvas – read system of five
elements – for all aspects of the chinese medicine.
(4)
In “Et si ca venait du ventre?” (And
what if it comes from the abdomen?), Ed. Robert
Laffont, 2002. Pierre
Pallardy is an osteopath and a dietician with a broad experience in this
area.
(5)
Founder and Director of the Chi Nei
Tsang Institute in Berkeley Californië: http://www.chineitsang.com
Gilles Marin is the autor of “Guérir de l’intérieur avec le Chi Nei
Tsang” (Healing from within with Chi Nei Tsang).
(6)
We repeat that making a enumeration
of the techniques used in Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage doesn’t serve in
any way to replace an instructor or therapist – who definitely is
indispensable in the beginning – but only serves to inform the reader.
(7)
True science about breathing
exercises in
India
, following the wake of Hatha-Yoga, but yet distinguish from it.
(8)
The vital organs at the periphery
of the abdomen (liver and gallbladder, stomach, spleen-pancreas and, at the
back, the kidneys) often suffer from cooling down. All – we can not stress
it enough – love heath and nee dit to function properly!
LITERATURE
_ ”Le Chi Nei Tsang, massage
des organes internes”, Mantak Chia, Ed. Trédaniel. (Chi Nei Tsang, abdominal massage)
-
“Chi Nei Tsang II”, Mantak
Chia, Ed. Trédaniel.
(Chi Nei Tsang II)
-
“Et si ca venait du ventre?”,
Pierre Pallardy, Ed. Robert Laffont. (And what if it comes from the
abdomen?)
-
“Les chemins du bien-être”,
Pierre Pallardy, Ed. Fixot. (The ways towards well-being)
-
“The second brain”, Michael D.
Gershon, Ed. Harper
Perennial.
-
“Les mains du miracle”, Joseph
Kessel (from the Académie francaise), Ed. Plan. (The hands of the miracle)
