Ayurvedic Yoga Massage School London
Professional Diploma - Courses - Massage
Ayurvedic Yoga Massage
The wisdom of India in your healing hands
(and feet!)
Ayurvedic Yoga Massage is a rich and varied treatment that impresses those who receive it with its thoroughness, diversity and depth of impact.
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As a therapist it is exciting to have techniques in your toolkit that go so far beyond the standard western holistic massage routines and leave clients so satisfied with their treatment.
Ayurvedic Yoga Massage was created by Kusum Modak in Pune, India.
Kusum studied yoga with BKS Iyengar for 20 years and learnt therapeutic massage through an apprenticeship with an experienced Ayurvedic Massage therapist.
She incorporated elements of her yoga practice into massage to create Ayurvedic Yoga Massage and worked tirelessly to offer treatments and training. She became know to disciples of Osho, an Indian guru who had a large Western following, which meant that her practice and teaching touched the lives of many people from all around the world.
Massage is an essential element of the Ayurvedic natural healing system, used to promote wellbeing and relieve ailments on a physical, emotional and energetic level. The innovative addition of yoga stretches provides a further dimension making the massage more powerful and profound. In Ayurvedic Yoga Massage we use vaikhand powder as well as vegetable oil. Vaikhand is an Ayurvedic herbal medicine, called calamus in English, a powdered reed root that stimulates the circulation of lymph and blood and enhances the body’s natural detoxification system.
As a student, you will learn a detailed flowing sequence that covers the whole body. The therapist first uses their hands to warm up muscles and fascia, boosting circulation and relieving muscular tension. Once an area of the body has been opened up it is possible to take the treatment deeper by incorporating stretches based on yoga asanas. Here it is possible to see a similarity with traditional Thai massage and the idea of lazy man’s yoga as the receiver relaxes during the stretches rather than making the effort required in a yoga practice. Joints are mobilised with stagnation eliminated and flexibility enhanced.
A special feature of AYM is that the therapist also massages with their feet on the back of the body. The use of the feet in massage is traditional in India with Chivutti Thirummal - a robust deep tissue massage designed for the martial artists of Kerala. It is an excellent way for the therapist to apply powerful strokes without overworking themselves. In Ayurvedic Yoga Massage it offers a special grounding energy and a sense of surrender to the weight of the massage therapist. It offers a deep tissue massage experience that many clients crave, without placing strain on the therapist.
Working on a floor-based mat, the therapist has gravity on their side assisting their efforts. Many different positions are taken up by the therapist making it a sacred dance around the client. The course teaches you to take up the most suitable body position for each element of the massage to ensure no strain occurs and that the act of massaging enhances your own well-being as well as that of your clients.