Abdominal Therapy - Arvigo Techniques of Maya Massage
,In the bodywork traditions practiced around the world that I have studied or encountered, there has always been an element where belly massage is addressed. Various teachers, from my Zen Shiatsu master, Ryuho Yamada or the traditional Thai Massage instructors at Wat Po in Bangkok, would demonstrate massage techniques on the belly, then say that working in this area is for more advanced practitioners.
I didn’t get the chance to go further with these teachers, but instead, I was introduced to Abdominal Massage originating from a completely different area of the world - Central America and Southern Mexico, where Maya healers and midwives have continued practicing before and since colonization and cultural erasure. The work I have learned is informed by the lineage of Dr Rosita Arvigo, who studied with the Belizian healer, Don Elijio Panti.
Like Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda in India, Traditional Thai Massage or Hilot in the Phillippines, massage is part of a larger tradition of folk medicine. In contrast with western massage techniques, where the abdominal area is often taught quickly, superficially, and treated as optional or secondary, the abdominal area is an integral area where the practitioner pays attention to the position and movement of the abdominal organs.
Modern research is catching up and recognizing that the abdominal area is deeply connected to the brain through the “gut-brain axis”. Studies continually show that the gut and brain communicate non-stop, influencing digestion, mood and hormonal regulation. The vagus nerve for example, runs from the brain through the abdomen and plays a key role in regulating stress response, digestion and relaxation. When we live with stress, our body contracts and a chain reaction begins. Muscles tighten, blood vessels constrict, breathing becomes shallow. It’s an ancient instinct to guard and protect our soft, exposed belly, but the organs need natural space and movement in order to function well. In women, the uterus needs to be in an optimal position for a healthy monthly cycle and in order to hold and carry life. In Maya philosophy, the uterus is the center of a woman’s life -it holds her creativity and power. When the uterus us out of place, her whole life is out of balance.
I didn’t get the chance to go further with these teachers, but instead, I was introduced to Abdominal Massage originating from a completely different area of the world - Central America and Southern Mexico, where Maya healers and midwives have continued practicing before and since colonization and cultural erasure. The work I have learned is informed by the lineage of Dr Rosita Arvigo, who studied with the Belizian healer, Don Elijio Panti.
Like Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda in India, Traditional Thai Massage or Hilot in the Phillippines, massage is part of a larger tradition of folk medicine. In contrast with western massage techniques, where the abdominal area is often taught quickly, superficially, and treated as optional or secondary, the abdominal area is an integral area where the practitioner pays attention to the position and movement of the abdominal organs.
Modern research is catching up and recognizing that the abdominal area is deeply connected to the brain through the “gut-brain axis”. Studies continually show that the gut and brain communicate non-stop, influencing digestion, mood and hormonal regulation. The vagus nerve for example, runs from the brain through the abdomen and plays a key role in regulating stress response, digestion and relaxation. When we live with stress, our body contracts and a chain reaction begins. Muscles tighten, blood vessels constrict, breathing becomes shallow. It’s an ancient instinct to guard and protect our soft, exposed belly, but the organs need natural space and movement in order to function well. In women, the uterus needs to be in an optimal position for a healthy monthly cycle and in order to hold and carry life. In Maya philosophy, the uterus is the center of a woman’s life -it holds her creativity and power. When the uterus us out of place, her whole life is out of balance.
How I was introduced:
In 2009 I heard of a midwife in San Francisco who was offering “Maya Abdominal Massage” for free, since she was working on her clinical hours in order to receive certification. I had given birth to my daughter a year and a half before and had been a practicing massage therapist for over 8 years already. I had never heard of this modality, so I was curious and - free massage.
At the initial visit, I met the midwife Abigail and she had me fill out a comprehensive health history which I found unusual. “Isn’t this just a massage,” I wondered as I answered questions about my diet, reproductive health history and emotional/ spiritual life. As we went over the intake together, the understanding began, of the abdominal area as vital, not secondary. She handed me a folder with handouts: for castor oil packs, for pelvic steaming and self-care massage. And in one of the flaps was an illustration that I immediately recognized, of the Maya Goddess, IxChel.
I asked Abigail, “Why do you have this picture?” “Oh, that’s the patron Goddess of this work, she’s IxChel, the Maya goddess, have you heard of her?”
“Yes, that’s my daughter’s name!”
To Be Continued…
In 2009 I heard of a midwife in San Francisco who was offering “Maya Abdominal Massage” for free, since she was working on her clinical hours in order to receive certification. I had given birth to my daughter a year and a half before and had been a practicing massage therapist for over 8 years already. I had never heard of this modality, so I was curious and - free massage.
At the initial visit, I met the midwife Abigail and she had me fill out a comprehensive health history which I found unusual. “Isn’t this just a massage,” I wondered as I answered questions about my diet, reproductive health history and emotional/ spiritual life. As we went over the intake together, the understanding began, of the abdominal area as vital, not secondary. She handed me a folder with handouts: for castor oil packs, for pelvic steaming and self-care massage. And in one of the flaps was an illustration that I immediately recognized, of the Maya Goddess, IxChel.
I asked Abigail, “Why do you have this picture?” “Oh, that’s the patron Goddess of this work, she’s IxChel, the Maya goddess, have you heard of her?”
“Yes, that’s my daughter’s name!”
To Be Continued…
Maya Goddess - IxChel