By Nancy Crawford, RN, CMAMP, RM

 

After decades of working in the healing arts, I accompanied a friend to a seminar in Belize on Maya Abdominal Massage (MAM). Once in Belize, my healing took a whole new direction. It didn’t take me long to realize the tremendous power this ancient healing form has and the myriad ways it could benefit my clients—whether they’re seeking relief from pain, looking to conceive, going through pregnancy, dealing with digestive disorders, or wanting to address or prevent prostate problems.

Touch therapy has been used for millennia to heal and vitalize the body. Throughout the world, hundreds of massage modalities have evolved and Maya Abdominal Massage is one of them. This ancient healing form is passed down to us from the healers, midwives, and shamans of Belize and Guatemala. Modern practitioners have learned this form of massage technique mainly through Dr. Rosita Arvigo who has worked for decades studying and learning the methods.

 

I was fortunate and honoured to train under Dr. Arvigo, and to meet the Mayan healers who work with her. She herself apprenticed for 12 years under renowned healer and shaman Don Elijio Panti, one of the last Maya shamans in Central America. The story goes that he agreed to train her in MAM and the healing herbs of the rainforest only if she promised to keep his knowledge alive by passing it on to others.

 

It was a truly powerful experience for me to enter into this amazingly effective ancient Mayan healing tradition. We worked with Dr. Arvigo in her home and we slept in casitas in the jungle where we were introduced to the spiritual nature of Mayan healing, which is governed by Ix Chel, Maya Goddess of healing. We absorbed information about the many healing herbs of the rainforest and we learned to burn the sacred incense copal.

 

Healing is my passion; I first discovered it working as a community health nurse. Since then, I’ve trained in several forms of energy healing, but I have to say that I was hooked on the energy of MAM like no other. I was amazed by how pure it is as a method of healing and after the seminar in Belize I was inspired to continue my training with The Arvigo Institute (Massechettes and New Hampshire, USA.)

 

Mayan Abdominal Massage is a non-invasive form of massage that focuses on the position and health of the pelvic and abdominal organs. MAM repositions and aligns organs in order to maximize the flow of blood, lymph, nerves, and energy in the body. Displaced organs can restrict the flow of these elements and the resulting congestion is the cause of many ailments for both men and women.

 

Misalignment of organs occurs for many reasons. Often the demands of our everyday lives require us to do things that cause our organs to shift, for example, standing for long periods of time, sitting for long periods of time, pregnancy and childbirth, falls, injuries, or car collisions.

 

MAM is a holistic method based on the premise that the body can heal itself but may require help to do so. A MAM practitioner will gently work to realign the organs and once the organs are gently repositioned, the body can get to work on its own!

My first experience receiving a Maya Abdominal Massage (from a 78 year old Mayan mid-wife) was so invigorating, I felt as if I wanted to jump off the table. After their sessions, my clients have told me how wonderful they feel-balanced and pain-free.

 

MAM also goes hand in hand with recommended dietary and lifestyle changes, so practitioners are educated in many areas including massage, anatomy and physiology, herbology, nutrition, and emotional and spiritual healing. This aspect is very important to me. As a healer, I like to provide my clients with tools that they can use for their own empowerment. Clients are encouraged to take an active part in their own healing by learning simple, safe, and easy-to-learn self-care techniques that can be used at home.

MAM has a positive effect on numerous conditions for both men and women; however, it is best known for the benefits it has for women’s reproductive health.

 

Dr. Rosita Arvigo refers to the uterus as a “powerhouse of energy transformation”; Don Elijio Panti considered the uterus to be a woman's center and maintained that “if a woman’s uterus is out of balance, so is she." The uterus has a huge job to do, and it is held in place just by ten different ligaments. It shifts easily, which can have a negative impact on a woman’s health. MAM works to correct its position and the result can be an elimination of many disorders including PMS, painful periods, and fertility. MAM also has a positive impact on conception, pregnancy, and childbirth.

 

While the majority of my clients are women age 34-58, people of any age, gender, or walk of life can benefit from MAM. For instance, MAM has provided relief for clients suffering from hip and back pain. It can also help relieve many common digestive disorders.

 

MAM is especially beneficial for the prevention and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

 

Several of my clients have sought out MAM as a last resort; they have been told that their condition is chronic but they’re not willing to live with it. MAM is a simple, effective, non-surgical way to find relief. See my website for testimonials.

 

Typically, the first session will be a couple of hours. MAM practitioners require extensive detail about their clients’ health before they begin. Follow-up sessions are usually an hour and their frequency will depend on the individual client’s goals and treatment results.

 

During a session with a Maya Abdominal Massage practitioner, (see www.arvigomassage.com. for a list of practitioners) work will be done on the mid and lower back muscles, sacrum, lower and upper abdomen as well as pelvic bone structure and alignment. The pubic area is the focal point for MAM so it is important that individuals feel comfortable with their practitioner.

 

The treatment sessions I conduct are very interactive—my client and I talk through the session, especially because I’m working in very sensitive areas of the body and I need to let them know what I’m doing. I explain the entire massage so my clients feel comfortable and open to the work. I also want to know what my client is feeling as I touch her or him because that will determine some of the treatment choices that I make.

 

There can be an emotional component to this massage as well. Like any deep tissue massage, we release issues. Especially, say, around issues of reproductive health, massage can prompt an emotional breakthrough.

 

I am excited to offer people in my community a way to gain optimum health and well being that treats the body holistically. At the same time, I am able to tap into an ancient healing tradition and participate in keeping it alive.