Ayurveda and massage in Xalapa,
Veracruz
'Listen to your body, connect with it...'
Photo: A. Prieto
Training in Kalaripayatt Photo: A. Prieto
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Welcome! On this page you will find information about Ayurveda and Ayurvedic massage, as well as the therapeutic services offered by Dr. Luis L. Esparza in Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
Should you plan to visit or stay in the capital of Veracruz, don't miss the opportunity to experience the well-being associated to Ayurvedic treatments. On-call service is also available at the Port of Veracruz, at an extra charge.
Ayurveda Commonly described as the
“science of life” Ayurveda is a comprehensive knowledge system that teaches us how to live longer, healthier and more
satisfying lives. Developed in India through the ages, Ayurveda is essentially about the ways in which our mind,
our body and our environment interact. According to Ayurvedic theory, every living organism is governed by three doshas or vital substances which result from the combination of the five elements present in nature. Vata (air and ether), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (earth and water) are responsible for all our physical as well as mental state and functions. The existing balance between the three doshas at the time of birth determines very important aspects of our personality, such as our body type and constitution. Every person has then a unique doshic combination, and maintaining a good health depends on keeping it within balance throughout their lives. However, doshas are extremely
susceptible to environmental as well as emotional factors, and do change or 'aggravate' rather frequently. The aim of Ayurvedic medicine is to restore and maintain this balance, therefore ensuring good health and longevity. To achieve this, Ayurveda avails of a wealth of accumulated information on a variety of fields such as human physiology, psychology and nutrition, as well as herbology, mineralogy, and many others. This information translates on a wide range of treatments, most of which include the use of natural remedies, as well as dietary and lifestyle guidelines and, of course, massage. Aside from treating specific illnesses with natural methods and products, Ayurveda offers full-fledged rejuvenation and longevity programmes that include purification techniques, as well as localised healing treatments. The five main purification techniques or actions (known as Panchakarma) are: Nasya (nasal cleansing), Vamana (emesis), Virechana (purgation), Basti (enema) and Rakhta Mokshana (blood letting). To prepare for these, a series of oleation and sudation techniques are carried out. Among the localised healing treatments are a series of Vasti (well-like application of medicated oil or ghee) on specific parts of the body, such as the head, the neck, the back, the knees and even the eyes and ears. Ayurveda and massage Massage is a very important tool in Ayurveda, especially when carrying out purification and rejuvenation treatments. It plays a very important role in the elimination by the body of toxins and any excess substances, via stimulation of the circulatory system, and in the absorption of the medicated oil, balms and other healing substances used. But, most of all, massage provides a space where the patient can become aware of the wholeness of his/her own being and its inter-connectedness with everything else in the Universe. There are many types of massage, each designed for a specific purpose. The classical and most common of them is Abhyanga (literally, "rubbing of the limbs"), which is usually performed on the patient by two practitioners on a daily basis during a treatment that can span from 7 to 21 days. It is an oleation technique whose main objective is the absorption by the body of medicated oil, as well as the elimination of toxins an of excess doshas in the body. Abhyanga is typically carried out on the whole body, but there are specialised forms of it, such as Shiro-abyhanga (head massage) and Mukh-Abhyanga (face massage). Other forms of hand massage include Vishesh (a deep muscular workout), Garshana (a rubbing of the skin with the help of a dry cloth), and the sudation techniques widely practised in the southern state of Kerala: Udvartana (a lymphatic massage using herbal paste) Pizhichil (a "squeeze" or oil bath, using a piece of cloth), and the various forms of 'kizhi' or bolus bag massages using leaves, powder and medicated rice. On the other hand, special massage techniques have been developed to directly work on the ''marmas' or energy points. A classical example of these is Kaiyyuzhichil (or Kalari marma massage) designed to enhance the strength and resilience of practitioners of Kalarippayatt, a traditional martial-arts discipline from Kerala. This massage can be performed with the hands or the feet. Finally, some 'massage' techniques are carried out without directly touching the body, but letting the medicated substance (oil, milk, buttermilk) fall and flow on a specific part of the body instead, with a specific objective in mind. This is the case of Shirodhara (flow on the head from a dhara or vessel), a technique that is getting increasingly popular worldwide for its calming effects on the mind. What is then 'Ayurvedic Massage'? As we have seen, massage in Ayurveda is conceived of as part of a larger and deeper therapeutic programme that combines several therapeutic actions. However, nothing prevents its being practised on its own, with very effective preventative and "maintenance" results. Most massage parlours and spas in India and the West offer different versions of what could be called a 'synthesised' form of Ayurvedic massage that strives to combine most of the benefits of these massage techniques. References 1) Dash, Vaidya Bhagawan (1999). Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Medicine. Revised and enlarged edition. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, Indian Books Centre. 2) Douillard, John (2004). The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books. 3) Govindan, S.V. (2000). Ayurvedic Massage for Health and healing. 2nd. Edition. New Delhi: Shakti Malik/Abhinav Publications. 4) Ramesh, Gita. (2000) Ayurvedic Herbal Massage. New Delhi/Singapore: Lustre Press/Roli Books.
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