Chi neitsang - abdominal massage

Chi Neitsang - What is it?

The name translates to English from Chinese to mean: internal organ energy massage. The practice and philosophy of Chi Nei Tsang (chee - nit - sang) was developed many years ago in China by an order of Taoist Monks who noticed that uncomfortable physical sensations in their bodies were blocking their ability to reach higher states of meditative awareness. Thus, they put their energies into understanding their physical bodies and by doing this they devised a method of releasing the stress and tension that enabled the free flow of energy. Energy and Chi? In a physical sense this literally means the blood and lymphatic fluid that feed all of our organs and tissues that keep us alive and healthy by carrying nutrients to the cells and disposing of their waste products.

What to expect from a treatment

Chi Nei Tsang is different experience to a therapeutic massage. The treatment is a process and it may not be that you feel your best in the coming days following a session. Saying that, for some people they report increased energy, a feeling of lightness and a deep sense of connection to their core. As a practitioner it is my job to facilitate the body’s natural want to heal and find balance. As a client it is your role to give attention to the sensations and feelings, to learn and listen to what your body is communicating.

The session will always begin with a soothing general abdominal massage, softening the belly and relaxing you. Then, depending on what is needed we will focus on the area of the body that requires attention. The digestive system will always benefit from this work. Keeping the digestive system clean and healthy is considered a key pillar for overall body health. Scientists now better understands the role of the digestive system in governing both our immune system and our emotional experiences; the Small Intestine has been coined the ‘the second brain’ with 95% of the body’s serotonin produced in the mucus lining along with a number of other powerful neurotransmitters.

Expect to have the navel centre worked on - in CNT the understanding is that from the start of our lives as an embryo the navel centre is where our bodies absorbed and discarded nutritious sustenance and so, there is a cellular memory of this location as an entry and exit point. As such, it is common for lymph and chi to become blocked here. Massage at the navel centre supports the body in moving this energy & fluid creating space for fresh nutritious blood.

Chi Neitsnag works a lot with the cardiovascular system and during a treatment you may well feel very aware that you are under your skin a network of arteries, capillaries, veins, lymph and organs. The sensations may be strange to begin with but this will be a basis for a new relationship and understanding to grown between your mind and your body.

As always with any kind of bodywork each of us will be different and it may be that the first session works just on supporting the large intestine, encouraging healthy digestive flow and supporting the body’s natural waste disposal system. What will always be a constant in a treatment is finishing on the head and neck. This ensures that the whole body is balanced and you are unlikely to feel any negative effects from the session, such as a headache!

Who is it for?

This massage is beneficial to everyone. It can be particularly helpful is you have any digestive issues, IBS, bloating, constipation and abdominal pain or tightness. Beyond these digestive issues CNT can be a truly uplifting and comforting experience and so, a treatment can help ease anxiety and stress bringing renewed energy to the body and a sense of opening. Women who experience painful menstrual cramping may want to focus a session on reproductive system as CNT is effective at 'detangling’ the reproductive system from the surrounding tissues which can be the cause of this discomfort. There is never a magic fix all treatment however, what is fantastic about CNT is that you can continue the practise yourself at home to maintain the benefits from the massage. The belly is an easy to access area of the body and you can take the techniques home with you.

Please note that I am based in Stroud, Gloucestershire and to attend a treatment you will come to my studio.

If you have any questions or queries about Chi Nei Tsang, if you would like to know if a treatment would benefit you then, please feel free to send me a message or give me a call and I’d be happy to discuss your enquiries. See contact page for details.