Just like the Earth has sacred sites, where different energy currents converge and provide a physical site of connection with the greater cosmos, so does our body have sacred sites. According to Samkhya, the ancient Indian philosophy that provides the framework for Ayurveda, the body is the vehicle for realizing the Spirit. In this way, Marma are the sites on the body where Purusha (Spirit) and Prakriti (Matter) interface.
The human body has a hidden network of 72,000 energy channels, called nadis. These channels carry Prana, life force energy, and other necessary nutrients throughout the body. A total of 107 Marma points are located on the physical body and serve as entryways to these channels, thereby providing a map of the subtle energy currents within the body. Like any channels, Marma can experience blockages or stagnation; because Prana works on the deepest, most subtle level, Marma can also hold our deepest “secrets”. Thus, one of the meanings of the word Marma is “secret” or “hidden”; the Marma points tap into hidden energy reserves and make connections with the greater powers the cosmos.
Marma Therapy is an ancient technique used to access this sacred map of energy currents. Although there are many methods, including Abhyanga (oil massage), the most popular is by means of acupressure. Applying very gentle and soft pressure to the Marma site is enough to shift Prana and open the current to the rest of the body, ultimately accessing the Mind (which is considered the 108th point). Other popular Marma techniques include Asana, Pranayam, Meditation, sound/mantra…. The most important aspect of this healing approach is intention. So just by focusing your attention on a certain point is enough to stimulate the energy current!
But the therapy goes beyond being an energetic attunement. Each point on this sacred map also corresponds to inner anatomy and physiology, including organs, nerve junctions, joints, tissues, etc. Marma therapy can therefore serve as a way to access healing in these areas. Touch begins on the physical level, but it conveys a message of love through Prana into the mind and spirit. At this deepest level, touch can engender radical change in the neurochemistry.
Certain marma therapies can not only enhance thinking, feeling, and perception, they also have the potential to evoke a state of choiceless, passive awareness and transform it into a transcendental state of samādhi. Thus, the total healing of body, mind and spirit can happen through marma chikitsā
Treating the Marma sites can release negative emotions and remove mental blockages from a subconscious level; as Prana is shifted, your mindset and mood are also shifted. The possibilities for transformation using Marma Therapy are endless!
Furthermore, the points are vehicles to reach the ultimate goal of Āyurveda: perfect health, firmly rooted in a vibrantly alive body and fully awakened mind. Ultimately, Marma therapy serves as an interface between our physical and subtle body; a spark that makes the connection between body and the deepest essence of our soul.
Schedule a Marma Therapy session with Ileana Gonzalez. Available at Beloved Yoga – Sanctuary for All
