The philosophical aspects of Altai Massage™ are diverse yet penetrating in their scope. Reflecting the shamanic wisdom that comes with the study of the natural world, the profound sense of unity within all elements that make up the practice. Altai Massage™ affords not only physical well being but also, through its integration of mind-body balancing, the potential for releasing patterning and blocks that have previously hindered spiritual and psychological growth.
How many of us are truly aware of the things our bodies are trying to tell us? Do we always notice the signs of excessive fatigue, irritability, mild depression, little aches and pains, increased tension, or lowered levels of physical, psychological and psychic energy? Any change in our physical or emotional health always leaves such signals. These may be warnings that precede a malfunction or breakdown of a physical or mental process, but often we are too distracted or unaware to notice them.
We usually travel through life so dazzled by the outer world that we are only aware of the inner when it goes seriously wrong. Receiving massage, or any kind of bodywork, will help us become more aware of these signals. It gives us possibility in monitoring the changes that take place within ourselves, not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and energetically.
As we become more aware of ourselves, we learn to correlate various physical and emotional states and recognise more clearly the feelings that affect our physical and mental states. Too many people, when asked how they feel, say what they are thinking and cannot give a clear answer about their actual feelings.
In Altai tradition, it was through storytelling and creating the visualised journey that the shaman created an environment within the individual to access their own inner story and recognise and understand their own personal journey. This enabled the individual's subconscious to be re-educated and a reframing of the negative story into a positive life changing process. In Altai Massage™, this takes the form of "body mapping".
Body mapping involves understanding and using the discreet imprint that each of us holds within our bodies. This template is the accumulated knowledge that is received genetically or learnt from previous experiences and behavioural life patterns. Through intuitive physical touch the therapist learns to read these important strands of information and work directly on them through massage.
Being able to read these essential guides is directly related to the success of being able to clear and re-align the body's energy and emotional structures. Just as the shaman practice initiates profound change, so the massage therapist does likewise in aiding the recipient to access insight, understanding and a new perspective on their current story.
