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Chinese Massage
*Chinese massage is based on five related and overlapping areas.
Amno, press and rub - massage for rejuvenation and health maintenance. Widely used in the home and in martial arts, qi
gong and sports training.
Tuina, push and grasp - sophisticated medical massage used to treat injuries, joint and muscle problems and internal
disorders.
Infant Tuina - one of the primary ways the Chinese treat babies and young children. The points and channels used are quite
different to the standards ones.
Dian Xue, point press - familiar as acupressure. Uses simple pressure techniques. Very much a home remedy but also used by
acupuncturists when needles are not suitable.
Wai Qi Liao Fa, curing with external qi - healing with direct transmission by qigong masters after many years of rigorous
training and discipline.
In practice it is the context and objectives which distinguishes these branches. In terms of theory and techniques they have
much in common. Central to all of them is the idea that massage affects not only the physical body but also the Qi body (the
network of channels and points) and the mental body (emotions, thoughts and spiritual faculties). Since both physical and
mental health are dependant on a smooth and abundant flow of Qi, massage can effectively treat all three levels.
Jing Luo theory - the basis of Chinese Massage
Like acupuncture Chinese Massage is based on the theory of jing luo or channels and collaterals. According to this theory the
body is networked by a system of pathways which function to transport qi and blood, to regulate yin and yang, to protect
against external pathogens and to link the internal organs with the exterior. Blockage of the jing luo causes pain and is
intimately connected with all health problems.
Chinese Massage is primarily focused on the jing luo and on xue (acupoints) where qi gathers and can be easily manipulated.
Massage techniques are understood to affect the jing luo by:
activating qi and blood ( in the sense of increasing its activity)
regulating qi and blood ( in the sense of dispersing stagnation and guiding counterflow)
dredging the channels ( in the sense of removing external pathogens like cold and damp)
Massage also relaxes the jin ( sometimes mistranslated as tendons, jin actually refers to the function of all soft and connective
tissue in relation to movement and flexibility) to ease spasm and increase flexibility and straightens the joints. Both jin and
joints closely affect the flow of qi in the jing luo.
What is particularly interesting is that these effects create movement in one form or another. Since in TCM terms pain is simply
a lack of free flow of qi and blood, this is why Chinese Massage is such a powerful treatment for pain.
Chinese Massage Techniques
Techniques are at the heart of any system of bodywork. They are what defines its feel and therapeutic qualities. Most
textbooks on Chinese Massage list between 30 and 70 shou fa or hand techniques. These cover not only a range of soft
tissue techniques, but also many percussion and joint manipulation methods including spinal adjustments similar to
Osteopathy, although there are important differences. Some of these shou fa resemble western massage, others are quite
unique. For example in gun fa, the back of the hand is rotated rapidly back and forth over the skin with an effect which one of
my patient's once described as like a heavy rolling pin.
Broadly speaking shou fa are classified into yin (sedating) and yang (stimulating). However each technique is further classified
according the therapeutic principles it achieves. For example mo fa (rubbing) stimulates yang qi, tui fa (pushing) regulates
counterflow. The skilled therapist combines these techniques in just the same way a herbalist combines herbs in a formula
ensuring that therapeutic principles are achieved with a proper balance of yin and yang. So in a situtation where yin sedating
techniques are primarily called for, the therapist will use some yang stimulation to activate qi and blood just as a herbalist
adds ginger to a cooling formula.
The massage therapist has other tools to draw on. Shou fa can be applied to particular areas, channels, acupoints or ashi
points achieving similar results to acupuncture needles. They can also be applied in different directions. Working with or
against the flow of the channels, towards or out from the dan tien, clockwise or counter clockwise, all have different effects.
Equally important is the way the techniques are carried out. Chinese sources say that the shou fa must be gentle and soft yet
deep and penetrating. The strokes must br applied rhythmically and persistently. The controlled use of very deep, moving
pressure is one of the secrets of Tuina massage. A Tuina therapist might spend the same time on one frozen shoulder as a
western masseur would spend on an entire body treatment. The repeated application of a single technique many hundreds of
times with deep penetration and qi communication is often termed "finger meditation".
*Source - planetherbs.com/articles
*Chinese massage is based on five related and overlapping areas.
Amno, press and rub - massage for rejuvenation and health maintenance. Widely used in the home and in martial arts, qi
gong and sports training.
Tuina, push and grasp - sophisticated medical massage used to treat injuries, joint and muscle problems and internal
disorders.
Infant Tuina - one of the primary ways the Chinese treat babies and young children. The points and channels used are quite
different to the standards ones.
Dian Xue, point press - familiar as acupressure. Uses simple pressure techniques. Very much a home remedy but also used by
acupuncturists when needles are not suitable.
Wai Qi Liao Fa, curing with external qi - healing with direct transmission by qigong masters after many years of rigorous
training and discipline.
In practice it is the context and objectives which distinguishes these branches. In terms of theory and techniques they have
much in common. Central to all of them is the idea that massage affects not only the physical body but also the Qi body (the
network of channels and points) and the mental body (emotions, thoughts and spiritual faculties). Since both physical and
mental health are dependant on a smooth and abundant flow of Qi, massage can effectively treat all three levels.
Jing Luo theory - the basis of Chinese Massage
Like acupuncture Chinese Massage is based on the theory of jing luo or channels and collaterals. According to this theory the
body is networked by a system of pathways which function to transport qi and blood, to regulate yin and yang, to protect
against external pathogens and to link the internal organs with the exterior. Blockage of the jing luo causes pain and is
intimately connected with all health problems.
Chinese Massage is primarily focused on the jing luo and on xue (acupoints) where qi gathers and can be easily manipulated.
Massage techniques are understood to affect the jing luo by:
activating qi and blood ( in the sense of increasing its activity)
regulating qi and blood ( in the sense of dispersing stagnation and guiding counterflow)
dredging the channels ( in the sense of removing external pathogens like cold and damp)
Massage also relaxes the jin ( sometimes mistranslated as tendons, jin actually refers to the function of all soft and connective
tissue in relation to movement and flexibility) to ease spasm and increase flexibility and straightens the joints. Both jin and
joints closely affect the flow of qi in the jing luo.
What is particularly interesting is that these effects create movement in one form or another. Since in TCM terms pain is simply
a lack of free flow of qi and blood, this is why Chinese Massage is such a powerful treatment for pain.
Chinese Massage Techniques
Techniques are at the heart of any system of bodywork. They are what defines its feel and therapeutic qualities. Most
textbooks on Chinese Massage list between 30 and 70 shou fa or hand techniques. These cover not only a range of soft
tissue techniques, but also many percussion and joint manipulation methods including spinal adjustments similar to
Osteopathy, although there are important differences. Some of these shou fa resemble western massage, others are quite
unique. For example in gun fa, the back of the hand is rotated rapidly back and forth over the skin with an effect which one of
my patient's once described as like a heavy rolling pin.
Broadly speaking shou fa are classified into yin (sedating) and yang (stimulating). However each technique is further classified
according the therapeutic principles it achieves. For example mo fa (rubbing) stimulates yang qi, tui fa (pushing) regulates
counterflow. The skilled therapist combines these techniques in just the same way a herbalist combines herbs in a formula
ensuring that therapeutic principles are achieved with a proper balance of yin and yang. So in a situtation where yin sedating
techniques are primarily called for, the therapist will use some yang stimulation to activate qi and blood just as a herbalist
adds ginger to a cooling formula.
The massage therapist has other tools to draw on. Shou fa can be applied to particular areas, channels, acupoints or ashi
points achieving similar results to acupuncture needles. They can also be applied in different directions. Working with or
against the flow of the channels, towards or out from the dan tien, clockwise or counter clockwise, all have different effects.
Equally important is the way the techniques are carried out. Chinese sources say that the shou fa must be gentle and soft yet
deep and penetrating. The strokes must br applied rhythmically and persistently. The controlled use of very deep, moving
pressure is one of the secrets of Tuina massage. A Tuina therapist might spend the same time on one frozen shoulder as a
western masseur would spend on an entire body treatment. The repeated application of a single technique many hundreds of
times with deep penetration and qi communication is often termed "finger meditation".
*Source - planetherbs.com/articles
Did you know?
One of the most
benefits of
Chinese massage
is maintaining
wellness and
functioning as a
form of
preventive care
and easing
emotional
distress.
One of the most
benefits of
Chinese massage
is maintaining
wellness and
functioning as a
form of
preventive care
and easing
emotional
distress.
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