Self care tool box: Mayan Abdominal Massage for woman's wellness.

By Hillary Arrieta, Dallas Texas Massage Therapist. 
Have you ever heard of a self-massage technique called Maya abdominal massage? If you have, you may have been like me and dismissed it in the past. It recently popped up again when I was studying about uterine health in one of my herbalism classes. This time, I made a point to learn it and started to use it in my everyday wellness routine.

After having this first-hand experience, I can only say that I wished I had started sooner. Like most women, I've had my fair share of womb woes, including painful ovarian cysts that have cause some scary symptoms. Finding this self-care technique empowered me to feel like I could take charge of my well-being in this department.
Where does this technique come from initially? Dr. Rosita Arvigo, N.D, developed the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy. Based on her time studying under the Maya healer, Don Elijio Panti, as well as her education as a naturopathic physician.
The Maya believe a woman's center is her uterus. Don Elijio Panti, the great shaman of Belize, is often quoted saying, " If a woman's uterus is out of balance, so is she."
​The uterus is situated in the lower abdomen and is held in place by muscles, ligaments, and the vaginal wall. Over time, these muscles and ligaments can weaken and cause the uterus to tilt.
Rosita explains that by gently repositioning internal organs that have shifted due to this weakness and toning the muscles with these massage techniques, the aim is to improve lymph and blood flow, nerve function, and the body's flow of qi. Women with a tilted uterus can experience issues that range from painful periods to blood flow issues.
Here are my teachers' instructions on taking a natural approach to healing your womb with Maya abdominal massage.

• Prepare yourself by emptying your bladder.
• Get Comphy and wear loose clothing with no buttons or zippers over the abdomen. This massage can be done over clothing or on bare skin. I like to use massage oil massage.
• Lie down on your back and place a pillow under your knees. You can also set a pillow under your hips if you have uterine prolapse to elevate your pelvis.
• Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to relax.
• You'll need to investigate the area of your pelvis and become familiar with a few landmarks such as your pubic bone, each hip bone, and your navel.
• Bring all eight fingertips together at the public bone. Keep them slightly bent and relaxed. My teacher says to create a little rake with your fingers (perfect analogy!)
• Slowly rake your fingers up from the pubic bone to the navel. Press as deeply as is comfortable for you. Repeat this stroke three times.
• With the same hand position and raking action, move to your left side of the lower pelvis. Pinky of the Right Hand on the pubic bone, pinky of the left hand on the hip bone.
• Slowly rake your fingers across the lower left pelvis to the navel, pressing as deeply as is comfortable. Repeat three times.
• Move to the right lower pelvis and repeat the steps mentioned above on the right side. Rake your fingertips across the lower right pelvis to the navel. Repeat three times.
• Repeat the cycle up to ten times (three strokes each time.)

Did you give this technique a try?
What did you think?
Leave a comment.
Resources: 
https://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ancientmaya.asp

Hi! I’m Hillary Arrieta and I help people improve their lives by offering holistic solutions to ease stress, eliminate pain, and inspire self care practices.
​I own The Heeling Hut in Plano, TX. Where I teach workshops, write, and specialize in unique and effective massage and meditation techniques such as Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage and iRest® Yoga Nidra. At The Heeling Hut you'll find the best massage in the Dallas area for pain and stress management. Texas MT 040051