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What is Kalari Marma Massage?
Kalari Marma Massage is a practical manual therapy using specialised massage techniques with Kalari herbal oil.
Herbal poultices (marma kizhi) and marma applications are also used to enhance the treatment.
Kalari Marma Massage is a form of massage in the Kalari Chikitsa system. Originating in Kerala in South India,
Kalari Chikitsa is an ancient system of musculoskeletal treatments developed to benefit the warriors of Kalaripayattu.
Kalari Marma Massage was traditionally used by the Kalaripayattu warriors to treat and prevent their training and combat-related injuries.
It was also used to treat the conditions that affected their ability to perform the martial art.
The techniques that were used to treat the ancient warriors, help a wider range of people today.
Kalari Marma Massage is a highly effective form of treatment for injuries, chronic pain and movement dysfunctions.
Kalari Chikitsa/ Kalari Uzhichil
Uzhichil or body massage is a staple in Ayurveda treatment but it gained popularity largely through the medium of Kalari chikitsa [treatment that is part of training in Kalaripayattu, the martial art of Kerala]. Three forms of massage are prevalent in the Kalari chikitsa system – enna thechu pidipikkal or oil massage, kai uzhichil or massage using hands, and chavitti uzhichil or massage using feet. In very rare instances, during training, students sustain injuries to their marmas [vital parts of the body]. They are instantly and completely cured, thanks to the intervention of the Kalari asans [masters] who are adept at giving the right treatment. That is because imparting and imbibing knowledge about the marmas is an important component of Kalaripayattu training.
Recommended for
Sports injuries including martial arts, dance and yoga
Musculoskeletal injuries and imbalances
Acute and chronic pain
Muscle and joint pain and stiffness
Back, neck, shoulder and knee pain
Frozen shoulder
Sciatica
Arthritis
Plantar fasciitis
Repetitive strain injuries
Benefits of Kalari Marma Treatments
Relieves pain, stiffness, muscle spasms and deep-seated tension.
Strengthens and rejuvenates joints, muscles and soft tissue.
Increases flexibility and range of motion.
Counteracts rigidity of the joints and muscles.
Promotes circulation.
Reduces the chance of injury.
Helps prevent a minor injury from becoming a chronic problem.
What to expect in a Kalari Marma Massage
What to expect in a Kalari Marma Massage
Kalari Marma Massage is a practical manual therapy using specialised massage techniques with Kalari herbal oil.
Herbal poultices (marma kizhi) and marma applications are also used to enhance the treatment.
Massage with
Kalari herbal oils
Massage with
Kalari herbal oils
The external application of warm herbalised oil plays a major role in Kalari Marma Massage. Kalari herbal oil is a transport mechanism for delivering herbs into the deeper tissues. When the warmed herbal oils are applied in a treatment, the pores of the skin are opened due to the warmth. This allows the healing properties of the herbs to more deeply penetrate the affected tissues. When herbs are used in this manner, they also help to pull impurities out of your body.
Kalari herbal oils are freshly made in our clinic by cooking selected herbs in a base oil, like black sesame or coconut oil. The combination of ingredients is specialised for musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. In Kalari Chikitsa, the herbal medicines are made from secret recipes passed down through the generations from Gurukkal to student.
Marma applications
Marma applications
Marma applications are an important part of the Kalari tradition, both in the healing art and the martial art. For Kerala’s ancient warriors, their knowledge of marmas was used for both battle and healing purposes.
Marma (pressure points) are the vital energy points located throughout your body. They are often located at junction points, where two or more types of tissue meet such as muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, ligaments or bones.
Any obstruction to these points creates an imbalance that results in disease, pain and discomfort. The aim is to identify and address blockages in the marma system to restore the flow of energy in your body. This has the effect of boosting your body’s healing capacity.
Marma applications are done in a very particular way, and a specific technique is used for each point. In the Kalaripayattu tradition, one must know how to harm a marma to understand how to heal it with a counter-application.
Marma Kizhi
Marma Kizhi
Kizhi is a technique combined with massage to increase the pain-relieving benefits.
A Kizhi is a poultice that is densely packed with herbal ingredients and heated in warm herbal oil throughout the treatment. The Kizhi is massaged over the affected area or the whole body as required. The warmth of the poultices, combined with the active ingredients of the herbs and oils, improves circulation and reduces body stiffness and pain.
There are many varieties of Kizhi and the name is given based on the ingredients tied within the poultice. In this treatment we use Marma Kizhi. As Kalari Marma Massage was developed to prevent and treat the warrior’s injuries, this Kizhi is useful in modern day sports injuries and chronic pain conditions.
As with the Kalari herbal oils, the herbal ingredients in the Marma Kizhi are also made from secret recipes passed down through the generations from Gurukkal to student.
The specialty of receiving a treatment with a Kalaripayattu Master is their practical and in-depth knowledge of marma.
A Master knows exactly where the points are located, how to affect them in fighting, how to identify them if injured and how to manipulate them for healing.
THE AYURVEDIC MASSAGE HEALING TECHNIQUES OF KALARIPAYATTU TRAINING
As a holistic art, there are many aspects of Kalaripayattu, including healing techniques and preventative measures. Before training begins, the student applies special herbal oil, made by the master, to the entire body. It is used to enhance flexibilty, to alleviate aches and pains in the muscles and joints which often accompany vigorous physical exercise, and to help keep the body temperature cool. As an added benefit, the oil promotes soft, smooth skin. This multi-purpose Ayurveda oil is also used for Kalari marma massage, which is practiced by the Gurukkal for students and the public alike.
Ayurveda Navara Kizhi
This bundle is stuffed full with a specific variety of rice called navara. The first step in the process of making a navara bundle is to concoct a medicinal essence. This is created by first making medicinal water using various medicinal plants, and then distilling the water using heat, resulting in a highly concentrated healing potion. The freshly harvested navara rice is cooked in a pot of Ayurvedic medicinal essence until the Master deems it ready. A bundle is then formed in the same way as with the leaf bundle, again collecting excess oil in a pan for future use.
Similarly to the leaf bundle, the navara bundle is heated and applied after a regular Kalari massage. The concoction used to heat the navara bundle is a mixture of medicinal oil and milk. The rice absorbs this mixture and releases it onto the body when applied with pressure. As it oozes from the bundle it forms a foamy paste on the skin. Over the course of the bundle massage the entire body – excluding the face and head – will be covered in this paste. Upon completion, the paste is scraped off the body using a coconut leaf and pure medicinal oil is reapplied to the skin.
As well as offering the same benefits as the leaf bundle, the navara bundle is particularly useful for regenerating nerves and encouraging muscle growth. It is therefore especially useful to growing children and Kalari practitioners who are building muscle content.
The navara bundle is good for one use only before the rice begins to deteriorate and the bundle loses its healing ability and structural integrity. As a result it is not a very cost effective method of healing and is rarely used unless absolutely necessary.
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