Rooted in the ancient traditions of Mayan women, the Maya abdominal massage touches us where we are hardly ever touched: on our wombs…
During daily life, menstrual cycles, pregnancies, miscarriages, abortions, or births, our uterus shifts. It may move from its optimal position in the center of our abdominal cavity, and start pressing, or protruding, on other organs that share our abdomen’s space. Alternatively, such shifts may cause one of these organs to be pressing or protruding.
We all know about muscle contraction and release, about the benefits of physical activity, the need to deepen our breath, the necessity of relaxation. But when have we last thought of our womb in this way?
Our womb is the heart of our womanhood. Do you know how to care for her?
Laying comfortably on the massage table, I learned how to feel my womb’s position, how to gently nudge her back into place, how to connect with her in a whole new way… It was amazing to me, after years of honoring my menstrual cycle, and teaching women and girls around the world to honor theirs, how much more there is to know, how much deeper we can go, and how much more do we stand to learn from indigenous women.
The simple yet profound Self Care ways of Maya women are a reminder of how divorced we got from our bodies… Yet, the absolute good news lays in our ability to quickly learn this empowering practice of abdominal self-care. There is no mystique to it, only the tried and true method of one woman teaching another, through hands-on experience, how to re-connect with her womb, and how to care for it for the rest of her life…
This practice is, indeed, vital for women in any and all stages of their cycling life (except pregnancy), well into menopause, and far beyond. It will also benefit women whose uterus was removed, since it soothes all internal abdominal organs, and brings them all back into balance and right relationships with each other (sounds like life, doesn’t it?)
I encourage you each to befriend your womb! She is the pulsing, living heart of your womanhood, and she is missing your touch, your attention, your care…
Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to share this ancient and vital practice with your daughter, exactly as women and girls did in Moon Huts, Red Tents, or Moon Lodges around the world. Some still do. Wouldn’t it be magnificent to join them?
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© 2011 DeAnna L’am, All Rights Reserved
