Marma Therapy
Dhanur Veda's the Science of Marmas

Marma therapy is a type of Ayurvedic massage that is used to manipulate marmas for healing. There are 107 marma points on the body. They are similar to acupuncture points. In Indian tradition these points are manipulated using finger pressure and massage. Needles are very rarely used.

According to Ayurvedic tradition, marmas are pathways through the body that regulate the flow of information, nutrients, and toxins. Blockage in any of these pathways cause disease. Massage and herbal oils are used to unblock these marma points.

Marma therapy, also known as dhanur veda, dates back to 1500 BC. Fighters in the Indian martial art, kalari, used marma points to against their opponents. In kalari they say that there are 12 marma points that when hit can cause instant death. Along with learning how to fight kalari masters also learned how to use these points to heal. This healing therapy is known as kalari massage. These practices eventually spread throughout India.

Marma points are used in disease prevention and healing. They are also used to balance doshas. A dosha is a specific type of energy in the body. There are three doshas. All of use contain elements of each of the doshas within us, but they are often out of balance. When unbalanced they can cause disease. The doshas are:

• Pitta (fire)
• Vata (wind)
• Kapha (earth)

Each marma point represents a dosha and can be manipulated to help balance them.

Marma massage uses a lot of oil and usually takes from 60 to 90 minutes. The massage in vigorous and energizing.