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 Ayurvedic MassageModerators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Massage -> General Massage | Message format |
Orbilia |
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| An Ayurvedic centre has opened in my home town recently. I've been wanting to try some of the services for ages but had to think long and hard about it due to their eye-watering price tariff. I've been having trouble sticking to my diet and to getting some yoga practise done, fighting myself all the way so I thought maybe some cleansing would help? Imagine my delight in finding that the centre has 20% off all their treatments this January. I have my first ever Visesh massage booked for later today  Fee | |||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098   Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | |||
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| Orbilia |
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hi Fee, Your question, "How would you charaterise identifying a reputable Ayurveda practioner by the way? I guess there are many here who wouldn't know what to look for when booking a treatment?" Very good question. I'll tell you my experience. I had to go through the "WORST" before I found, not the BEST, but what was Right for me. I learned so much when I first started this holistic journey. There are so many fakes and quacks out there....in every arena of the medical field. It's bizarre, but I learned that in order to survive, better to listen to your inner gut, not what others say or recommend. So, how do you do it and not DIE or get an Injury?? Do it slowly and cautiously. If something doesn't feel right, you are under no obligation. If they overload you with 5 bottles of supplements and herbs at $30 a pop, and charge you $200 for the visit...I would question it. If I were new to it, which I have been there, I pay the money, take the pills and suffer later. Usually, you won't die from taking supplements right away, you have plenty of time to listen to your body and know if it is working or not working, if your're intuitive and smart. I went through 3 years of dealing with these kinds of people and treatments. I spent a ton of money and went through some frustrations, but held a determination that I was on the right path, just needed to find the right place. That is when I discovered my first TCMD. When she told me that in China, Doctors didn't get paid, until the patient was healed. I had open ears to everything she had to say. When she worked on me and gave me a couple of herbs to take and why I was taking them in great detail, (telling me things only I knew about myself and my body - the relation to my family background, environment, etc. using Taoist theory - no fu, fu stuff here, this is Chinese medicine at its finest) and only charged me a tiny fee, I was like WOW!! Needless to say, I kept coming back. My body was healing, I didn't have to suffer and be traumatized, I felt good and I saw a dramatic change in my health. The interesting part was that it was not sudden, dramatic and it was gentle. So, my answer to how do you know?? You don't. You just dive in if that is where your heart is leading you to. You try to trust the process, but you do it with caution, then you study everything you can about what your doing, because if you don't have a basic understanding about the medicine you are receiving and what it entails for you to maintain it, then you are either wasting your money and/or you will not receive the complete benefits of the medicine and will not reach the goals you are trying to obtain. Then you have to decide if this is right for you?? Is this working the way you want it to? Do you trust your doctor with your life? Can you listen and honor the things he says? Do you honestly believe and have complete faith that same doctor can help you heal your body? You just have to observe and watch. It's no different than going to any other doctor. I've walked out of plenty of MD's offices when I felt that it was all about taking pills and drugs, and no one would listen to me and what I was going through. I would do the same with any other holistic doctor. Unfortunately, in the beginning, I had to experience exactly what holistic meant, was and how it was performed. I'm glad I have that experience. I didn't die, I wasn't harmed...but, I now know what is good, what is real and what is not good for me, through those experiences. Everyone has a different need and experience. Panchakarma.....or 'five actions'. The ancient Egyptians tried to purge the body of toxins with vomiting and laxatives. These methods are also used in Ayurveda, along with enema and nasal medication, grouped together as the Panchakarma. There are two different lists of the five actions according to my Ayurvedic manual: Charaka includes two varieties of enema, evacuative and oily, in his list, while other writers take these two varieties together and append blood-letting the fifth. The latter is accepted by the majority of the Ayurvedists today. Panchakarma, which is indicated only when the patient is strong relative to the disease, is divided into two sorts, according to whether it depletes the system (emesis, purgation, evacuative enema, evacuative nasal medication, blood-letting) or nourishes it (oily enema, nourishing nasal drops adn the like). Just so you'll know, and since I referenced this above, Charaka Samhita, is the first and still most important of all Ayurvedic texts. Some of which came from the Vedas, the youngest of the Vedas, the AtharvaVeda, which developed Ayurveda, probably with the help of residual Harappan knowledge. At the turn of the millennium, BC, the treatise now known as Charaka Samhita. My feeling is also that these practices are extremely ancient and should be performed by trained and skilled professionals. Not too many people, including Indians and Hindu's have carried on the Ayurveda tradition, completely. Which is why I always question when people get a couple of years of training from God knows who and then decide they can practice this medicine. It's actually pretty scary and somewhat dangerous for long term. I don't see the benefit. My experience with Ayurvedic medicine vs. Traditional Chinese...is that Ayurvedic medicine is not as powerful and not as detailed as far as the human body is concerned. I'd choose TCM any day over Ayurvedic medicine. They are very similar in nature, but I don't feel it is as effective. I do however, study Ayurveda and practice some of the principals and use both methods in my daily living and when I need a point of reference on medicinal benefits of foods and the dosha concepts. I hope I didn't discourage you from your massage today. I'm sure it will be quite lovely indeed,  The Chinese version of a medical massage, well it can either be medical or not....is Tui Na. I prefer the medical Tui Na, which is more intense and very powerful if done by the right person. | ||
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| Orbilia |
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| Thanks for your full response Cyndi. I was not offered anything in the way of supplements, nor even encouraged to buy anything other than pay for the massage so I guess that's one 'pro' box ticked :-) I didn't go for a consultation which, I guess, would be where supplements might come into the equation so that might be something to watch for in the future. I completed a short questionnaire on health, another to determine what type I was (primarily pitta - for the choice of oil formula) and the usual disclaimer form which they made sure I'd actually read as I scanned it so fast, they thought I was signing blindly (pro box two ticked?). The treatment room was impressive. I can see why it took so long for them to do the fitting out now. Equipment such as the shower and hand basin were ultra modern chrome and glass, but the treatment bench and chair were really traditional in a heavy carved wood and included a mounting block for the bed. The lighting was fully adjustable and set to quite dim once I had changed into the most ridiculously useless pair of paper panties you ever did see. There was a carved wood screen to change behind and to place your clothing over. Music was playing very low.... a modern indian instrumental I think and not the least intrusive. The masseuse sat me in a chair and sang a prayer asking for assistance in enabling her to heal. She then asked if I was ok about oil being used in my hair. I was so that's how we began. I could tell that she'd identified my sinus condition as some of the ear points she focessed on are the same I've had used acupuncture. Once my head and shoulders were done, she helped me onto the treatment bed (I'd warned her I'm as blind as a bat without my contacts in). I was on my back at first, then my front, and then back onto my back so she could do my sides. In fact the long strokes up my side and along my arm pits seemed to have the most effect on me, sort of releasing along my sinuses and shoulders. After the massage, she assisted me into a steam cabinet and asked me to let her know when I'd had enough. I think she prayed silently on her knees in the far corner whilst I sat there. The assistance was very necessary as I was so covered in oil, I moved like a wet seal Once I'd completed steaming, she took me over to the shower, set the right temperature and checked the water. It was fitted with body soap, shampoo and conditioner dispenser so I didn't have to go home with oily anything. I could also have dried my hair had I wanted to. She told me that she'd been practising six months and that she only worked three days a week as she found the work both physically strenuous and spiritually demanding due to the effort involved in channelling the healing energies. This centre offers 1 or 1.5 hour treatments with one or two handed service. As I was fitted in the same day I asked about availability, I went with 1 hour, one masseuse as otherwards would have meant waiting 'til this week ..... I don't *do* patience *wry smile*. I made a point of drinking a lot of water for the following couple of days as I've been told my my sports' physio before that you should do this after any thereputic massage in order to flush out any toxins released. This is probably why the first 24 hours saw me going to the loo so often, but I also beleive the treatment encouraged it as my sinuses also seemed to let go of a lot of gunk. As I have a low lying sinus infection at the moment (when don't I?!), this was all to the good. I found myself asleep on and off all day Saturday and felt a bit depressed but then I've been having days like that all December, along with a crisis in my yoga practise and falling off my diet (I've put 10lbs on so I'm really trying to have a good day today and get back to first principals). The only slight criticism I would have is that I might have expected a bit more information than what is in the brochure on what the aim of this treatment was and what to expect, if anything, afterward. They also asked me to complete a feedback form so I guess things will evolve the longer they are open. All in all, I felt that they were really trying to operate in an ethical and improving manner. Fee Edited by Orbilia 2007-01-15 5:54 AM | |||
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| Gireesh |
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| Orbilia |
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Gireesh, In my humble opinion, TCM is much more effective than Ayurvedic methods and don't take as long. For instance, once you get established with a doctor, you can get results almost the same day. Although, it really depends upon the doctor, and the patients ability to recover. My TCMD can literally transform your body in one hour. I've done it and I send people to him all the time. It's quite amazing for my ex because of the physical work he does in the construction business. He lifts these heavy ladders and tool boxes all the time, which puts his lower back in terrible condition. Not to mention he's a long time smoker and is not exactly health conscious - sp?. Anyway, when I send him to my doc, he comes out a brand new person, he comes back to life after looking like he's been run over by a freight train...or wishing he had been. Like I told Fee in a Private Message, you can't learn this stuff overnite and it takes many, many, many years of training. Not everyone has the ability to heal others either. It's very complex and has a unique 'science' that must be understood and learned first and foremost. Wow, that word again, "science"....I blinded myself with science - again, | ||
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