What is Maya Abdominal Massage?
Have you heard of The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy® ? Sometimes abbreviated as ATMAT, this massage technique has profound benefits for hormonal, digestive, and emotional health.
ATMAT was developed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo and is based on ancient Maya healing practices of abdominal massage that were taught to her by Don Elijio Panti and other traditional practitioners in Belize.
The Arvigo Techniques® can improve digestive, hormonal, urinary, and reproductive health using a combination of gentle massage, stretches, and structural corrections to the spine and pelvis. Maya abdominal massage is very relaxing to experience and has many powerful health benefits.
Benefits of Abdominal Massage for Women’s Health
Do you have painful, heavy, or irregular periods? Are you trying to become pregnant? Abdominal massage optimizes function of the reproductive organs by encouraging blood and lymph flow to the abdomen and pelvis while helping returning the organs to their normal positions.
Optimizing Organ Function
Normally the uterus (a.k.a. womb) is positioned in the center of the pelvis, leaning just over the bladder. It is held in this position by the many muscles and ligaments that make up the pelvic bowl. Uterine ligaments are made to stretch to accommodate a growing baby during pregnancy. However, in some cases the ligaments and muscles that support the uterus can weaken and loosen, causing the uterus to fall downward, forward, backward or to either side.
When organs shift position they can constrict normal flow of blood and lymph, important fluids that bring nourishment to our organs and carry away cellular waste products. Shifted organs may also disrupt the normal conduction of nerves in the area, leading to pain or loss of sensation.
A uterus that is not in the optimal position can also press on the bladder or rectum and cause urinary symptoms or constipation. In more severe cases there can be prolapse of the uterus, rectum, or bladder. Bringing the uterus back into a more optimal location promotes balance in the pelvic area and in surrounding organs.
Using massage to stimulate blood and lymph flow to the abdomen and pelvis helps to flush toxins from the area and improves transport of nutrients to the tissues. Abdominal massage can also help to relieve pain in the abdomen and pelvis.
Abdominal massage can treat many women’s health concerns:
- Menstrual disorders (painful, heavy, or irregular periods and PMS symptoms)
- Infertility
- C-section/hysterectomy surgery recovery
- Menopause (Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, etc.)
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian Cysts
- Uterine Fibroids
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Chronic bladder or vaginal infections
- Pelvic organ prolapse
Benefits of Abdominal Massage for Digestive Health
Many people with digestive health concerns will benefit greatly from Maya abdominal massage therapy.
By improving circulation, lymph flow, and nerve conduction to the belly, abdominal massage can improve symptoms like bloating and constipation. Maya abdominal massage may also help to release emotional and energetic tension held in the abdomen, a place where many people hold their stress.
Dysfunction and inflammation in the digestive system can negatively affect many other areas of the body so it’s important to keep our GI tract healthy and functioning optimally. Our digestive organs are an important part of our immune system and are also part of our nervous system (the enteric nervous system is sometimes referred to as our “second brain“).
Digestive issues that may benefit from ATMAT:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Chronic Constipation
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (i.e. Heartburn / Acid Reflux)
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)