THE INDIAN MASSAGE TO THE HEAD
The massage to the head is very
useful and relaxing. This method includes: relaxing massage of
neck, traction of cervical, relaxing treatment of face, “pancha
bindu” (finger-pressure on focal points of brain areas),
stimulation of scalp, traction and torsion of hair. Normally we
use sweet almonds oil, or sesame oil.
During the first manoeuvre, while the subject is prone, cervical
vertebrae must be meticulously examined and we massage the
trapezius to create a state of relaxation.
After we verified that the head is in the right position, we
pull it with the two hands and with determination, even for
15-20 seconds. At the end of this traction, while with the left
hand we keep the tension active, with the index and middle
fingers of right hand we press for 8-10 seconds between the
eyebrow arch. This, in according with the tradition, causes a
sweeter approach of the stretched parts.
After the cervical traction, we meticulously examine the
condition of the glands that are under the jaws. During the
inspection, fingers move slowly, they linger and make circular
movements over the nodules. This manoeuvre and the masseters
massage solicit the relaxation of this whole area that is often
stiff in people, who even keep their jaws pursed when they
sleep.
In the next manoeuvre, we massage the area under the ear and the
auricle, and we even enter to spread oil into the inner folds.
Two or three oil drops fall into the orifice, giving benefit to
the inner tissues and making the melting and removal of wax
easier. Also in our popular traditions earache has always been
cured by warm olive oil.
The three following manoeuvres help to obtain the relaxation of
face muscles: the first one is for chin and the lower lip, the
second one for the upper lip, the third one is for the nose.
These manoeuvres also have an esthetic valence, they have the
same nature: thumbs move in the same direction, from the middle
to external parts.
Then we get to the eyes, with specific manoeuvres: we gently
moisten the lower and upper eyelids by moving fingers from the
foot of the nose to the external; we stimulate the eyebrow arch
by leaning fingers one after the other and letting them slide
round the orbital cavity, at last, while we fondly envelop the
face with the palms, we gently lean our thumbs over the eyes to
make them relaxed.
Then there is the stimulation of the eyebrows’ middle (the third
eye), that we obtain when we rub the thumbs from the lower part
to the upper one, to awake the consciousness and discriminating
ability.
Now we go to the forehead. Forehead physically expresses, in
many subjects, mental tensions that become contractions and, in
the long run, develop wrinkles. The classic movement that
induces relaxation is moving hands always from the middle to the
external parts.
After the face, we make a manoeuvre to relax a part of the
brain: right thumb press at the centre of eyebrows helped by the
left thumb that is over it, index fingers close the temporal to
cause a reduction of blood flow to the top. This manoeuvre
sometimes can remove headache caused by fatiguing. Pressure is
strongly kept for 30 seconds and then gradually loosened.
We go to the scalp. While we copiously moisten it with oil, we
activate blood circulation by rubbing with finger-tips. The
movement is like when we wash the hair. We take a little lock of
hair and twist it until it is a compact “whole” and then we pull
it and stimulate bulbs. The different treated locks are gather
together and pulled. At last we do the same manoeuvre with all
the hair. After let the hair down and unfold them we start with
a series of pressures in specific points that are considered the
“fulcrum” of specific cerebral areas.
Indian culture offer an interesting interpretation of the
brain’s functioning: the conscience results as a quality of the
manifestation, so it permeates the whole universe and the brain
is the instrument that can pick up this conscience, making it
suitable for human needs. The phenomenon is like the sun light
filtered by a prism that factorizes the light into seven
qualities or wave-length. Well, the brain, according with this
interpretation, has seven chances or conscience’s qualities that
correspond to seven areas of the head.
The fulcrum of each area is in a specific point. Five points of
these can be directly stimulated by the masseur with pressures
and rubbing. They are: the eyebrow’s middle, the forehead’s top
at the hair joint, the nape of the neck, the occipital and the
top of the head.
Each area has a specific role: the eyebrow’s middle is the focal
point of discriminating ability, the one at the forehead’s top
corresponds to the area of vigilance on present and future, the
nape of the neck to the personal memory, the occipital one
(where priests had the tonsure) the collective memory and at
last, at the head’s top, the ability of experimenting sublime
states of conscience and the entry to transcendental
experiences.
By Amadio Bianchi