Kalari marma massagewith Master Biju Nair

Marma applications are an important part of the Kalari tradition, both in the healing art and the martial art. For Kerala’s ancient warriors, their knowledge of marmas was used for both battle and healing purposes.

Marma are vital energy points, often referred to as pressure points. They are located at the junctions of various tissues in the body.

Any obstruction to these points creates an imbalance that can lead to disease, pain and discomfort. The aim is to identify and address blockages in the marma to restore the flow of energy in the body. This has the effect of boosting the body’s healing capacity.

The specialty of receiving a treatment with a Kalaripayattu Master is their practical and in-depth knowledge of marma. A Master knows exactly where the points are located, how to affect them in fighting, how to identify them if injured and how to manipulate them for healing.

The application of warm herbalised oil plays a major role in Kalari treatments. Herbal oil is a transport mechanism for delivering herbs into the deeper tissues. When the warmed herbal oils are applied in a treatment, the skin's pores open. This allows the healing properties of the herbs to more deeply penetrate the affected tissues. When herbs are used in this manner, they also help to pull impurities out of the body.

Kalari herbal oils are freshly made in our clinic by Master Biju Nair, with assistance from his Kalari students. The combination of ingredients is specialised for musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. In Kalari chikitsa, the herbal medicines are made from secret recipes passed down through the generations from Gurukkal to student.

A kizhi is a poultice that is densely packed with herbal ingredients. It is heated in herbal oil and massaged over the affected area or the whole body as required. The targeted heat of the kizhi promotes the deeper absorption of the herbal properties. It also warms up and relaxes the tissues, allowing for deeper massage work to be done.

There are many varieties of kizhi and the name is given based on the ingredients tied within the poultice. In this treatment we use marma kizhi. As Kalari marma massage was developed to prevent and treat the warrior’s injuries, this kizhi is useful in modern day sports injuries and chronic pain conditions.

As with the Kalari herbal oils, the herbal ingredients in the marma kizhi are also made from secret recipes passed down through the generations from Gurukkal to student.