Yoga as Marma Therapy
by Eileen Schuhmann
2024
We practice yoga because it makes
us feel good both physically and mentally. When we practice, we observe
positive physical changes like improved flexibility, strength and balance. We
enjoy improved energy, moods, sleep, and adaptability to stress. These effects
are often some of the touted benefits of yoga. However, there is something
happening at a more subtle level that may be the real reason that yoga makes us
feel so good.
In Advaita Vedanta (non-dual
philosophy), it is explained that the human being is made up of five koshas,
auric fields or sheaths, that form our most subtle body (Haas,p.154). The five
koshas, ranging from gross to subtle, are annamaya kosha (food sheath or
physical body), pranamaya kosha (pranic sheath or breath body), manomaya
kosha (mind sheath or mental body), vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom sheath
or knowledge body), and anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath or bliss body) (Haas,
p.154 and Lad, p.29). These koshas veil our true nature of bliss and oneness
with the universe and the Atman, our true Self (Haas, p.154). Rolf
Solvik says, “The journey through the koshas is the journey of yoga” (2020). As
we do our yoga practices, we integrate and harmonize all of the subtle layers
of our being and grow in self-awareness.
It is probably easiest for us to be
aware of the effects of yoga on the physical body or annamaya kosha, since it is
the grossest layer of our being or the “outermost mask,” the most visible
layer. However, yogic sadhana (spiritual practice) also directly affects
the pranamaya kosha, which in turn influences the annamaya and manomaya koshas,
initiating a healing process that can extend to the vijnanamaya and anandamaya
koshas, positively impacting the physical, mental, and pranic bodies (Saraswati
and Saraswati, Book 1, p.86). Pranamaya kosha is the energy dimension of our
consciousness, which contains prana shakti (prana or vital energy), nadis
(vital energy channels), chakras (energy centers) and marmas (vital energy
points) (Saraswati and Saraswati, Book 1, p.4). Using various yoga techniques,
we can apply pressure directly to the marmas along the nadis, which harmonizes
the pancha tattwas (five elements), thereby altering the pranic and
functional states of the body, mind, and energy systems (Saraswati and
Saraswati, Book 1, p.6).
What are Marmani[1]
“A marma is a vital energy point”
on the body’s surface, found at anatomical locations where veins, arteries,
tendons, bones, or joints converge (Lad and Durve, p.19). Marmani are not
anatomical structures; they are points where consciousness interacts with the
body and regulates its functions, serving as the connection between
intelligence and physical form (Schrott, p.18). According to Drs. Vasant Lad
and Anisha Durve, “The marmani serve as a bridge or doorway between the body,
mind and soul” (p.19). Marmani facilitate communication within the body, acting
as diagnostic tools and offering therapeutic benefits such as pain relief,
detoxification, and stress injury healing (Keller, p.51). They help rejuvenate
the body, calm the mind, and improve awareness while supporting overall health
by regulating energy flow to organs and tissues, with sensitivity at a marma
point indicating potential imbalances or deeper issues (Keller, p.51). Marmani
control the flow of Prana, affecting perception, sensation, thoughts, and
emotions, and through marma chikitsa (marma therapy), they enhance
clarity of perception, focus thoughts, and promote emotional balance, allowing
the mind to recognize its limitations - facilitating the rejuvenation of
consciousness and expansion of awareness (Lad and Durve, p.33).
Marma Therapy
Both Ayurveda, the
traditional science of healing of India, and Yoga, the Vedic science of
self-realization, are rooted in the Samkhya system of cosmology, which
defines the universe through the dual principles of Purusha
(consciousness) and Prakriti (nature), with the goal being to realize
the higher Self (Purusha) by harmonizing the body and mind (Prakriti) (Frawley
et al, p.29-30). Marmani serve as energy points where these two principles of
Purusha and Prakriti interact, helping balance the body and mind and supporting
the path to self-realization (Frawley et al, p.29-30). Marma Chikitsa or marma
therapy “is living medicine, a sacred tradition, where knowledge is preserved
and grows, and continues to evolve” (Durve, Intro slides). In Ayurveda, marmani
are sensitive pressure points used for diagnosing and treating disease,
promoting health, and supporting longevity, and they play a key role in both
Ayurvedic therapies and Yoga, enhancing the effectiveness of practices
involving the body, breath, or mind by harnessing the power of Prana (Frawley
et al, p.15). “Marmani regulate the flow of prana and consequently influence
all perception, sensation, feeling, thought and emotion. With marma chikitsa,
perception becomes clearer, thoughts more focused and emotions flow more
smoothly. Marmani are sites where the mind can recognize its limitations and
misperceptions, and then allow consciousness to rejuvenate and awareness to
flower“(Lad and Durve, p.33).
The science of marmani can be
traced back to Vedic times, more than 5,000 years ago in ancient India, where
energy points were used in the martial arts to injure as well as to heal injuries
(Lad and Durve, p.19). References to marmani are found in important Hindu texts
such as the Rig-Veda and the Mahabharata, within which the Bhagavad
Gita of Sri Krisha is narrated, and we learn that warriors like
Arjuna had to protect their marmani from exposure to avoid defeat (Frawley et
al, p.27). Sushruta, an Ayurvedic
physician and “the father of surgery,” expanded on what was known of marmani
from martial arts and detailed his findings in the Sushruta Samhita, a three-volume
collection of medical books written 2000 years ago that continues to be used by
Ayurvedic Colleges and Universities today; in the Sharirasthanam section he
documented 107 marmani and their locations and energetics (Durve, intro
slides). Yogic texts written during this same period, detailing asana, pranayama
(yogic breath control), and nadis, also refer to the use of marmani (Frawley et
al., p.25). While there are 107 classical Ayurvedic marmani, Drs. Vasant Lad
and Anisha Durve name 117 principal marmani in their book Marma Points of
Ayurveda, indicating that two-thirds of the principal marmani match the
principal acupoints of Traditional Chinese medicine (p.20), while Swamis
Vishwashakti Saraswati and Omkarmurti Saraswati state in Marma Yoga: Yoga of
Pranamaya Kosha, Book 1 that there are 400 marmani in use today (p.87). Today,
marma therapy is an integral part of Ayurvedic healing techniques and practices.
Yoga as Marma Therapy
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
states in Chapter 2, verse 5, “When all the nadis and chakras which are full of
impurities are purified, then the yogi is able to retain prana” (Muktibodhananda, p.160). Muktibodhananda clarifies
this verse by stating that in the process of awakening kundalini (latent
cosmic energy at the base of the spinal cord), the seeker must not only clear
the energy channels (nadis) but also enhance and store prana, which accumulates
in six main centers along the spine, known as chakras in the subtle body,
corresponding to nerve plexuses in the physical body (p.160-161). These
chakras, where prana and mental energy converge, and are linked by various
nadis, and play a key role in human evolution (Muktibodhananda, p.161). Chakras
are the primary pranic centers where various qualities of prana shakti are
generated and transformed, with prana flowing through the nadis to marmas,
which act as distribution points, delivering prana to the body’s organs,
systems, and processes as needed (Saraswati and Saraswati, Book 1, p.88). “We could say that the chakras are the main
marmas or pranic (energy) centers of the subtle body, which energize all the
marmas or pranic centers of the physical body” (Frawley et al, p.88). By
treating specific marmas, we can treat their respective nadis, elements,
sensory and motor organs, and other aspects connected to the chakras (Frawley
et al, p.89).
A key goal of yoga asana practice
is to enhance the flow of Prana through marma points, particularly in the
joints, clearing and energizing the marmani by improving circulation in stiff
or tense areas (Frawley, p.100). David Frawley, an American Vedic scholar,
states that “Marmas are an important factor to consider in regard to all Yoga
practices from physical postures to Pranayama and meditation. They are an
integral part of yogic thinking and the yogic understanding of both body and
mind” (p.99). Drs. Vasant Lad and Anisha Durve state, “Because each asana
stimulates several marmani, yoga can be considered a form of self-managed marma
chikitsa” (p.266). They explain that asana stimulates the marmani through the stretching
of the connective tissue which contains the marmani; through direct pressure
placed on marmani by the earth or contact with other limbs; and through the flow
of prana to marmani through the nadis (p.266). Below is a chart that describes
the impact of different types of yoga asanas on marmani.
|
Yoga Asanas |
Marma Effect |
|
Sitting poses (particularly padmasana, lotus pose) |
Close and protects marmani for meditation |
|
Twists |
Unlock prana in the marmani, especially in back, hips and shoulders |
|
Standing and extending poses |
Open and expand marmani to connect to prana |
|
Backbends |
Stimulate marma energy in the chest |
|
Forward bends |
Calm marma energy, good for back body |
|
Inversions |
Stimulate marma energy in the head, neck and upper region |
|
Table
content from Frawley et al, p.100-101 |
|
Yoga teachers often teach beginners
the standing poses to build strength before moving on the other poses. And many
beginners probably need to open and expand their marma energy to connect to
prana more than to close off marmani for meditation, for example.
There are thousands of different
yoga asanas that exist and could influence marmani, but describing all of those
is beyond the scope of this paper. However, there are some yogic practices
which stimulate the entire system of the nadis, chakras and marmas which will
be mentioned here. The first is Pawanmuktanasana, “the yogic version of
Tai Chi,” which is the most important yoga asana series in Satyananda Yoga,
based on the teachings of Paramahamsa Satyananda. Pawanmuktanasana is detailed
in the book Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha and helps practitioners of all
levels to develop awareness of the subtle effects of movement on the whole
being (Saraswati, 1996, p.21). “It is a very good preparatory practice as it
opens up all the major joints and relaxes the body” (Saraswati, 1996, p.21). While
the series of asanas, such as the anti-rheumatic, digestive, and energy
blockage groups, are typically focused on specific disorders, marma yoga
suggests that these asanas have broader effects, impacting not only physical
issues but also mental, emotional, and pranic aspects of the entire system
through the stimulation of marmas along the nadis (Saraswati and Saraswati, Book
2, p.9.). The asanas constitute a comprehensive practice of prana sadhana, harmonizing
pranic flow in the nadis (Saraswati and Saraswati, Book 2, p.11).
Another yoga sadhana that
stimulates all the nadis, chakras and marmas is Surya Namaskara (sun
salutation). There are many variations of Surya Namaskara, however, you can
reference a classical version in Asana Pranayama Mudra and Bandha
(p.161-172). Surya Namaskara is a vinyasa practice where you
traditionally flow from one pose to the next while chanting mantras to Surya
(sun). By stimulating the marmas in the upper and lower extremities, as well as
those along the central front and back nadis, we activate the entire pancha
tattwa (5 elements) and chakra system, resulting in health benefits for both
the physical and mental bodies, including all their systems, processes, and
organs (Saraswati, Book 3, p.1). Additionally, pranayama “increase[s] the flow
of prana through the chakras, nadis, and marmas” (Frawley et al, p.102). And
meditation has the power to stimulate marmas and increase prana flow by
bringing attention to different marma regions. “Those who meditate regularly
become sensitive to the condition of marmas and aware of the flow of energy
through them, which they can learn to modify through thought and will power
alone. Through developing mental concentration, meditators can learn to
energize or clear marma points, without requiring any external aids” (Frawley,
et al, p.20).
In summary, yoga is working on us in ways that we are often not aware of. We often notice the positive physical effects and maybe even the mental effects, but we may not allow ourselves the time to slow down and get quiet so that we can become more aware of the subtle effects of our practice. The more people can learn about the subtle effects of yoga sadhana practice, the more they will prioritize the time for it and amazingly, the more they will become aware of its subtle effects. While this paper is not meant to be medical advice, it is meant to provide insight into how yoga, as “self-managed marma chikitsa” can be an accessible way for people to self-heal and harmonize on all levels.
References
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Keller, Doug. 2010. Yoga as Therapy: Volume One
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