Abdominal Massage Protocol Journey
I’ve been inspired by several wonderful teachers teaching various abdominal massage protocols. I keep the technical knowledge I’ve learned in a mental kaleidoscope tucked away in the back of my brain. That combined knowledge is always there to draw on in a way that weaves naturally into the treatment but doesn’t dictate the session. Sticking to any one approach, or protocol binds me, interrupts the flow, and boxes me in. And more importantly, it doesn’t honor what the belly is saying. Life is movement, and the tissues have something to say. Only the tissues truly know. Sometimes what emerges when in the flow of working in partnership with the belly, is something I’ve never been taught before, yet is perfect at that precise moment with that unique individual. The belly has been my greatest inspiration and teacher as an abdominal massage therapist. Can you imagine how the approach may vary depending on the body, personal traumas, and history? Even a belly that looks just like another could require a vastly different approach!
Dr. Ron Mariotti, an instructor of Visceral Manipulation™, which is an abdominal therapy, would warn the students against getting “viscerally inebriated”. Viscerally inebriation is when a practitioner gets blissfully lost in the inner calming movement of the internal organs. I know that sounds weird, but it really is a fascinating world dancing beneath the skin.
Visceral Manipulation
For those of you who don’t know, Visceral Manipulation™ is a low-force osteopathic manipulation requiring the practitioner to tune in with the motility of internal organs. The modality isn’t a prescribed abdominal massage protocol. We “listen” to the tissues with soft hands. I often close my eyes during a session because I can “see” better while my eyes are closed. It’s as if my hands create a connection between my mind’s eye and the internal landscape of the belly. Feeling the motility of the organs is what I imagine deep-sea diving would feel like. Weightless, quiet, and serene with kelp fields, seagrasses, and jellyfish undulating about.
Visceral Manipulation™ can also feel like a meditative dance. I listen with my hands, follow the tissues, nudge, follow, and allow the body to speak and unwind. Manual therapy is a dialogue between my hands and the tissues. The body is intelligent and is always working to maintain balance within. Sometimes it just needs a little nudge or help to clear a path so that it can unfold gently and naturally.
I’ve never been comfortable with labels. Calling what I do “bodywork” has never felt right to me. I don’t just work with the physical layers; I can’t separate the physical body from the emotional, mental, and spiritual layers because it’s all one. Yes, labeling body parts is extremely useful when verbally communicating. But massaging a muscle is not just massaging a muscle when we have decades of postural patterns brought on by unprocessed emotions, traumas, lack of self-esteem, despair, you name it. Our issues are in our tissues.
“The mind will use the muscles and organs of the body as an outlet for pent-up emotions.” Wilhelm Reich
Abdominal Massage Labels
Speaking of labels and abdominal massage protocols, it no longer feels right to label the manual therapy, or abdominal massage I offer with specific modality names. When following a specific abdominal massage protocol, it becomes more about the protocol and less about the person receiving treatment or the person learning how to do abdominal massage. Coloring within the lines of a set protocol lacks flow, intuition, and does not honor what the body is trying to express. As my teachers in Chi Nei Tsang, Kyle Cline and Mantak Chia, both told me, learn the techniques and principles really well, and then put that information on the back burner of your brain. The information is always there, but doesn’t dictate the session.
“Obey the principles without being bound by them.” Bruce Lee
Dr. Kerry D’Ambrogio, an instructor in osteopathic manipulations for visceral lymphatic balancing also encouraged discovery and creativity when he opened the class by quoting Bruce Lee, “Obey the principles without being bound by them.”
As manual therapists or abdominal therapists, we need a solid and deep foundation in anatomy, physiology, and the principles of flow. We all learn from those who came before…all of us, even our teachers.
Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®
I quit teaching the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy workshops years ago. I had been a practitioner of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® for over 12 years and have been honored to teach the Arvigo® level one workshop for 7 years.
But, I’ve always felt a little boxed in with the teaching abdominal massage protocol curriculum. This is no offense to the Arvigo® course; it’s a wonderful course, and I enjoyed teaching it. I also have much respect for Dr. Rosita Arvigo, and I’m honored to have been able to study directly with her over the years. The boxed-in feeling is more about me, my self-expression, and my excitement to branch out and teach others how to do abdominal massage from what I have learned over the past 26 years as an Abdominal Massage Therapist and bodyworker. That’s one of the main reasons why I will no longer be teaching Arvigo® classes. It was a tough decision because I loved teaching the classes and invested so much into becoming a teacher. However, my freedom of self-expression, discovery, and growth prevail.
Kaleidoscope of Self-Care
So, I’ve created a way to share a kaleidoscope of self-care abdominal massage and pelvic health practices that were inspired by my 26 years as a manual therapist working with thousands of unique bellies. I now teach people ways to care for and connect with their bellies (abdomen, pelvic floor, and internal organs) online in my abdominal massage courses. These classes include how to do self-abdominal massage, restorative exercise, herbal remedies, and mind-body techniques.
I now offer a Womb Care online course, an Abdominal Scars and Restrictions online course, and Make Shift Happen, a comprehensive course on resolving constipation and slow bowel motility.
I consider these courses “living courses” since I will add to them as I’m inspired to do so in the flow. I will never stop learning and am always happy to share what I discover along the way.
One of the primary objectives of these abdominal massage courses is to help women connect with the beauty and wisdom of their bellies. How we perceive our bodies influences how we navigate life. Our relationship with our bodies can significantly influence the decisions we make and, consequently, our life’s path.
Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.