by Julie Wilcox with Kara Sekular

Nov. 8th, 2008

You might not believe me, if I told you that you could: breathe easier, relieve pain, feel more energetic and relaxed simultaneously, and even look slimmer - merely by lying on a massage table and receiving an ancient Indian form of body therapy called Marma Adi. Marma Adi? You are probably thinking this sounds pretty elusive, maybe cool, but what on earth is it and where can I get it?
In its simplest definition, Marma refers to an Ayurvedic treatment that evolved thousands of years ago in India. It is a critical element of an integrated yoga practice. As many yoga practitioners have experienced, sometimes we just cannot relieve muscle tension in certain areas of the body, no matter how often we do our asanas. And being a teacher, I have worked with students who have practiced Hatha yoga for years and still cannot straighten their legs in down dog because their hamstrings are so tight. Though effective in stretching muscles to a certain degree, the asanas are often limited in the amount of flexibility they can provide us with. Marma therapy therefore supplements the asana practice, working deeper and more specifically into vital points of the body's soft tissues. The result is: a unique release of stress and tension in our systems; a greater stretching of the muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia; and the healing of uncomfortable aches and pains we experience from illness and disease.

I discovered Marma treatments two years ago when I had my first visit with Yogiraj, Alan Finger. During my Teacher Training with Alan, I saw people disappear into his treatment room - stress, tension and upset often palpably evident on their faces and in how they carried their bodies. When they emerged from their sessions, they looked calm and walked with grace - seeming much more at peace with themselves and their surroundings. I felt compelled to understand how this Guru worked, so I signed myself up.  
I have since seen Alan and his protégé Kristin Leal, continuously for Marma treatments; the sessions range from physical healing to spiritual and emotional work.  I am always surprised by how powerful and transforming the treatment is; I come out feeling totally refreshed and completely at ease, with skewed perspectives on life re-aligned. Everything within me resumes a state of harmony and that state changes the way I interact with that which is outside of me. Marma keeps me on track on my journey as yogini.

The History of Marma

The science of marma has its roots in ancient India. It begins with the Indus-Sarasvati culture (3500-1700 BCE), one of the oldest and most sophisticated urban civilizations in the world. The spiritual and physical foundations of the civilization are found in their earliest writings, the Vedas.  The word veda means 'knowledge'. The knowledge of the Vedas came to the ancient rishis (seers) through states of profound meditation. The Vedas were regarded as shruti, which means 'heard' as opposed to learned, and were considered to be the result of direct encounters with the divine. At first passed down orally and later written, the Vedas described the science of yoga, including asana, pranayama and meditation.  

During the classical period (1700 BCE-700 CE) the main Ayurvedic texts were compiled. One of these texts, Sushruta Samhita, was written by a surgeon and contained many references to marma. During this time, the Buddhist religion brought Ayurveda, marma therapy and related martial arts to China and Japan. In the Marma Shastra, the marmas points were the same for both lethal purposes and healing purposes. The difference between life and death was a matter of pressure.

Knowledge of marmas was important to warriors both in attacking their opponents and in healing their own wounds. The Rg-Veda speaks of using varma, protective coverings for the vulnerable marma points. These protections were often in the form of mantras, showing a spiritual view of marmas from the beginning. The great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, mentions protective coverings for horses and elephants as well for the kshatriyas (soldiers). Great warriors like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita could only be defeated if their marma points were exposed.

How does Marma Work?

Marma therapy is a method of clearing stress from vital points or marmas in the body that reside in muscles, fascia, ligaments, tendons, galands, and organs. Master of Marma Adi, Alan Finger, explains that marma points are like little brains in the body. When they are obstructed, they behave as a brain would with a clot floating around in it - inefficiently, and potentially dangerously. When Marma points are under pressure, the body, the mind and the nervous system begin to malfunction; a host of illnesses and disorders consequently manifest such as backaches, chronic muscular disorders (digestive malfunctioning, Sciatica, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis, Migraines...etc.), tendon and ligament strains, as well as mental, emotional, nervous, and auto-immune disorders (Depression, Mania, Anxiety, Parkinson's MS, Migraines). The body becomes plagued by symptoms of pain.

What are the effects of Marma Therapy?

Marma therapy treatments unblock choked marma points. The treatment allows the intelligence of the different bodily systems to regain homeostasis within themselves and in the way they relate to each other.  Respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous, and endocrine systems resume a state of balance and peaceful efficiency.  The result of this restoration is that one feels healed and relaxed but completely energized.  The breathing mechanisms begin to operate more freely; pain is alleviated; muscles streamline, and the body takes on a lighter appearance; illness and disease can subside. A treatment with the right practitioner also restores one's perspective on life to clarity.

What is ISHTA Marma?

At ISHTA Yoga, Yogiraj Alan Finger and his protégé Kristin Leal, practice the deeper form of healing Marma, known as Marma Adi. Alan also incorporates Pranic Healing into his sessions. The pranic healing technique involves the transferring and moving of heat along various channels of the subtle body, and sometimes a healing mantra. Pranic healing puts the brain into Samadhi rhythm (delta waves like those we experience in deep sleep) so that a person's life force can begin to flow properly, and so that their imbalances can heal.

Alan tells an anecdote about his initiation into Pranic Healing that is one of my favorites of his many fascinating stories about how he came to be a yogi. It goes as follows. One day Alan was sitting amongst a group of men in South Africa listening to his teacher, Swami Venkatesananda, speak about yoga. A man named Mr. Hubly had Parkinson's disease and could not get a moment of respite from his shakes. At one point during his lecture, 'Venkates' turned to Alan abruptly and told him to help Mr. Hubly.

Alan, fifteen years old at the time, stood up with trepidation and ambled over to Mr. Hubly. He looked back at Venkates and asked him what he should do. Venkates showed him in the air how to map the Nadis of Hubly's back and transfer energy to him.  Alan made an attempt at doing this with Mr. Hubly but it did not work. Venkates told Alan to add the Markandeya mantra (a healing mantra) to the method. One minute later, after Alan strategically followed the yogic directions, the ailing man stopped shaking. Alan was told to run along and teach Mr. Hubly asana before he started shaking again. And so he did.  Such periods of 'miraculous' relief for Mr. Hubly persisted over time, as long as he worked with Alan.  And such are the wonders of Marma Therapy. Alan continues to treat clients who suffer from minor ailments such as muscle spasms to more severe conditions such as MS and cancer.

*Please note that there will be an ISHTA Marma Point Training with Alan in the Spring! Please call the studio and ask for Julie to inquire about signing up (212) 598-4800.