Spa Therapies Of New Asia
Chi Nei Tsang Massage:
Chi nei tsang – chi (or qi) meaning energy and information and nei tsang meaning viscera or internal organs – roughly translates into ‘working the energy and programming of the internal organs’. It is a term loosely used to describe a massage that is concentrated on the abdominal area, called tan tien in Chinese, and is also sometimes called an ‘internal organ massage’. Chi nei tsang was developed by Chinese Daoist monks in mountain monasteries a long time ago as a method by which they sought to detoxify, strengthen and refine their bodies to attain the highest levels of spiritual practices.Chi nei tsang is based on the belief that the abdominal area, specially the lower abdomen around the navel, is the structural centre of gravity of the body and also the centre for metabolic processes such as digestion, detoxification and energy processing. The tan tien is also where stress, tension and negative emotions accumulate and congest, leading to a blockage of the body’s energy, and consequently a weakening of the internal organs. Most importantly, it is the body’s centre of energy, where vital energy sustaining life originates. Whereas other massages work from the periphery of the body towards the centre, chi nei tsang does the opposite, working from the centre to affect other areas of the body. A practitioner of chi nei tsang makes his diagnosis by examining the area around your navel – a round and centred navel is considered ideal. Among the things he notes are the quality of the skin around the navel, whether it is thick, thin, hard or soft, and how its shape changes as he lightly pushes or pulls the area clockwise and counterclockwise. Focusing on the abdominal area alone, chi nei tsang is said to bring about healing from within. It detoxifies, improves circulation, stimulates the lymphatic system and eliminates toxins. The massage also addresses visceral structures and the positioning of internal organs. In particular, it is believed to help correct misalignment of the feet, legs and pelvis, and relieve chronic pain in the back, neck and shoulders. Emotions are ‘balanced’ as negative emotions believed to be stored in the digestive system are channelled away.
