Chi nei tsang
Where does Chi Nei Tsang come from and what is its use? The belly massage known as Chi Nei Tsang is an ancestral technique that comes from ancient Taoist China. It is considered a form of Qi Jong.
Etymologically, "Chi" means energy and "Nei tsang" means internal organs. This discipline was for a long time reserved for monks in preparation for meditation. It was the Taoist spiritual master Mantak Chia, a teacher in Thailand, who opened Chi Nei Tsang to the rest of the world about 30 years ago.
It is an abdominal massage for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. The abdomen is considered our second brain. It contains no less than 100 million neurons!
The theory is that if they are not expressed, recognized or "digested", the emotions we feel such as fear, stress or anger are stored in our digestive system in the form of tensions that, in the long term, will trigger physical symptoms such as pain or illness.
Certain depressive states could be associated with poor intestinal assimilation. It is important to know that poorly digested emotions go to the same places as undigested food and will therefore also cause digestive disorders.
This is where Chi Nei TSang comes in to help relieve these tensions. The belly massage is, in short, a self-healing process.
COURSE OF A BELLY MASSAGE SESSION
It is a massage that will act on the vascular, lymphatic, muscular, nervous and energetic systems. The Chi Nei Tsang does not only concern the organs located under the abdomen, it also targets the diaphragm as well as the organs located under the rib cage.
Belly massage is recommended for people with abdominal tension, recurrent fatigue, heartburn, back pain, restless sleep, menstrual pain, sexual disorders or respiratory problems.
At the beginning of the session, the practitioner will inquire about the reason for your visit by means of a check-up. You will then lie down, dressed, on a massage table or on the floor, on a mattress. After lifting up your shirt, the practitioner will manipulate your abdomen by applying gentle pressure first and then deeper pressure later.
The therapist will invite you to breathe consciously during the session and sometimes practice healing sounds (there are 6 in total). Their vibratory action intensifies the cleansing of the organs. A Chi Nei Tsang session involves conscious breathing as well as meditation.
The session will generally last between 1 hour and 1h30. Chi Nei Tsang can also be done in self-massage, in a sitting or lying position. By adopting a few simple gestures, it is possible to maintain one's physical, emotional and mental well-being.
We all carry within us a potential for self-healing, it is up to us to learn how to use it.
THE BENEFITS OF CHI NEI TSANG
The Chi Nei Tsang allows to detoxify the organs, to improve their metabolic functions and to reinforce the immune system. It will also stimulate the lymphatic system which will release tensions as well as negative energies and increase the body's energy by facilitating its circulation.
Belly massage helps to harmonize emotions and restore joy and well-being. Chronic physical pain such as back, leg or neck pain can also be relieved through the practice of Chi Nei Tsang.
It will relax the stomach, lighten the liver if it is overloaded, stimulate digestion and reduce bloating. Once these abdominal tensions are evacuated, the brain will gain in energy: improved thinking, increased creativity...
Chi Nei Tsang also acts on the respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine, urinary and reproductive systems.
MY CHI NEI TSANG SESSION
It was in Thailand, in Chiang Mai to be precise, that I decided to try the belly massage. I was able to meet some people who had experienced it, I was convinced by their testimonies, although a little reluctant, it was a massage that seemed to be painful.
I make sure not to eat in the hours before the session. When I arrive on the spot, a sweet smell of aromatic herbs reaches my nostrils. I am asked to lie down on a massage table.
The therapist begins with a short silent prayer and then massages my feet and lower legs in the manner of traditional Thai massage. After lifting up my shirt, she applies hot herbal compresses on my abdomen, it is both pleasant and relaxing.
She then observes my belly. At the mere sight of my belly button, she exclaims: "it's perfect, there is no apparent tension". This is great news! Depending on its position, its shape, the navel can apparently reveal tensions in the lower back, the lower abdomen or even in the organs located in the upper abdomen.
The masseuse then starts to apply light pressure on my entire abdomen. These pressures get stronger and stronger. In one direction then in another, from top to bottom then from bottom to top, the position of her hands changes according to the organ she is targeting (colon, liver, stomach, kidneys, etc.).
From time to time, I feel a slight pain in certain places. As her hands pass through, the pain fades away. She again uses the hot balls of aromatic herbs all over my belly. It is much softer and clearly more relaxed than when I arrived.
At the end of the session, I get a Thai massage again, this time on my upper back, neck and shoulders. I am having a pleasant night.
The next day, I realize that my mind is clear, much clearer than the previous days. It is not blurred by its usual flow of useless and overwhelming thoughts. I am particularly focused in the actions I take throughout the day. A feeling of lightness and well-being accompanies me, I haven't felt so well in a long time.
I was therefore seduced by this ancestral technique of Chinese medicine, so much so that I later decided to follow a training course to be able to share this practice with those around me and maybe, one day, make it my profession.