Yep, deep abdominal massage is a thing and why wouldn't it be.. we acknowledge the benefits of massage for every other part of our body, right?
Years ago I visited the north of Thailand to become trained in an ancient Taoist practice called Chi Nei Tsang (CNT).
Literal translation being 'energy transformation of the internal organs'. This massage changed my life. Dramatic yes.. but honestly it was the missing piece of the puzzle for the digestive issues I had been suffering from since my teens, so I knew I had to learn it for myself.
On the surface, this practice appears to be a simple digestive massage; good for moving the bowels and releasing tension held in the gut, but I came to learn that it's so much more than that.
Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) is an ancient Taoist healing massage based on the belief that unresolved emotions are stored in our digestive system where they can become stuck and create ill-health.
If you're someone who feels stressed out, gets nauseous & a knot in their tummy - you can relate.
This is the line of thinking...
our lymph, nervous system and blood vessels. These systems concentrate and cross paths in the abdomen, which acts as their control centre. When we have unprocessed emotions or trauma, there's a gradual obstruction here and the congestion can show up as physical tangling & knotting, as well as an accumulation of toxins in the gut.
(Hello tummy and reproductive issues.. amongst other health challenges!)
In naturopathic medicine, we talk about this in terms of the GUT-BRAIN AXIS and nowadays fully acknowledge the gut as the SECOND BRAIN.
Thankfully Taoists discovered that most ailments could be healed once the underlying toxins and emotions were released, hence the art of Chi Nei Tsang was developed!
Chi Nei Tsang Can Help
Digestive issues
Tight psoas muscle
Menstrual issues
Muscle tension
Stress, anxiety, depression, low mood and energy
Liver, gall bladder and pancreatic dysfunction
Bladder concerns
Toxin overload (poor ability to detoxify)
The Taoists identified a specific cycle of relationships between emotions and each of our organs. For example, the experience of a 'knot' in our gut indicates the presence of worry; the negative emotion that accumulates in the stomach and spleen creating havoc like poor digestion, nutrient deficiencies, low energy, mood imbalance etc.
For me, the physical manipulation of CNT was one thing but it was the unexpected processing of stored emotions that coincided that really got me. My psoas muscle was TIGHT (look it up if you don’t already know about its link to trauma) and had been causing some big health issues.
CNT can be incredibly painful and I had a bunch of sessions across a period of time to get results but it was so worth it. Each massage brought up images and memories that I had buried deep and almost forgotten about 🔮
Have you heard of Chi Nei Tsang before? What’s your experience with it?
If you have bloating, food intolerances or other uncomfortable tummy issues, we have the answers. Book a free 10 minute call and check out our Gut Revival Program - A 28 Day Diet & Lifestyle program!