Marmas for Back and Leg Pain: Kshipra Marma, Indrabasti Marma and Gulpha Marma

What are Marmas?

Marma therapy originated in Ayurveda around 5000 years ago. There are 107 marma points described in Ayurveda texts. Marma points are considered as the vital energy points that maintain the effective flow of Prana (life force) in our body.

Marma Therapy can be highly effective in treating chronic lifestyle disorders.

Lets discuss three marma points that are are easy to stimulate at home. These marma points can help significatnly reduce the back and leg pain issues. Marmas work by unblocking and nourturing the pathways in which our life force called Prana travels in our body. These marma points usually have some significant blood vessel or nerve or joint involved, so they focus on wellbeing of body's vital elements.

Indrabasti Marma:  Leg Calf muscle marma point

Indrabasti Marma is located on both the legs. It is located in the middle of the back of the leg, at the base of the calf muscle. If you place 12 fingers  width from the base of the foot towards the back of the leg, you will reach the Indrabasti marma point. We do no activate the actual marma point, but we activate 2cm below. As the marma point is the junction of important arteries and connective tissue, to get best results it is stimulated from below.

Self stimuation: Sit on a chair and put one leg on the top of the other thigh. Foot should be hanging outwards (angle of 90 degree) and not resting on the thigh. Hold the leg above the ankle joint with hand and press the marma with thumb. Opposite hand is used for opposite leg. For instance if you are trying to stimulate the right leg Indrabasti marma, you right leg will be resting on your left leg and you will be using the left hand to stimulate the Indrabasti marma point.  

Duration: Press and release, 20-25 times. Try to synchronise with your breathing pattern. Pressing the marma point during inhalation and releasing the marma point during exhalation.

Repeat this marma stimulation therapy 2-3 times a day. To get best results, you can apply Ayurvedic Herbal oils during the therapy. The use of Ayurvedic oils will depend on the root cause, but if you are looking for more generic oil for leg and back pain relief, you may use Dhanwanthrum tailam oil, Pinda thailam oil or Maha Narayana Thailam oil etc. 

Pressure: 10- 20 pounds pressure can be applied.

Gulpha Marma : Ankle joint Marma Point

Gulpha marma is situated on both sides of the ankle joint. It is located 2 fingers below the bony prominence of the ankle, in a semi-circular, arch shape. If we draw an imaginary circle around the bony bumps on either side of ankle, the bottom half or the semi-circle will be the point of the Gulpha marma stimulaiton.

Location on the inner side: The line joining the arch points towards the tip of the heel, around 45 degree angle. 

Location on the outset side: The arc joining the heal points directly at the base of the sole, like 90 degree angle. 

Gulpha Marma Inner aspect self stimulation: The person should be sitting on a chair in a relaxed state. 

1. To stimulate the inner aspect of Right leg, you will need to use your left hand.
2. To stimulate the outer aspect of Right leg, you will need to use your right hand.
3. To stimulate the inner aspect of left leg, you will need to use your right hand.
4. To stimulate the outer aspect of left leg, you will need to use your left hand.

Make a hook shape with your hand, by bending the index finger and thumb and folding down the remaining three fingers into a fist.

To stimulate the Gulpha marma, we mainly need to use the side of the index  while the thumb is resting on the body bump of the ankle joint. Thumb supports the movement of the index finger, that needs to be pulled like a guitar string across the marma point from downwards to upward direction. When you are at the correct locaiton of marma point, you will feel that the finger is lifting on a rope like structure underneath the skin. Try not to rub on the same surface, as it may cause pain. You should be pulling the index finger in upwards direction and lifting your finger once reached closed to thumb and start again from bottom and pull upwards.

Gulpha Marma Outer aspect self stimulation: Sit comfotably on the chair with leg flexed and knee close to chest, stightly bend forward and use the same side hand for same side leg to stimulate the Gulpha marma.

Duration: Pull and release, 20-25 times, 2-3 times a day.

Pressure: 10 pounds pressure.

Pada (Foot) Kshipra Marma

There are total four Kshipra marma in our body. Onee is each of the four limbs. Kshipra marma lies between the webbing of big toe and index toe on each foot. 

One finger away from the gap between the big toe and index toe. Marma lies on the sole as wells the top of the foot, so stimulating both (sole and top of foot) sides is improtant.

Self stimulation: Sit in a comfortable position on a chair, bed or on the floor on a yoga mat.  Press and release the Kshipra marma point using opposite hand to  foot. Hook part of the hand presses the sole, whereas the thumb presses the top of the foot.

Duration: Press and release, 20-25 times. Try to synchronise with your breathing pattern. Pressing the marma point during inhalation and releasing the marma point during exhalation.

Repeat this marma stimulation therapy 2-3 times a day. To get best results, you can apply Ayurvedic Herbal oils during the therapy. The use of Ayurvedic oils will depend on the root cause, but if you are looking for more generic oil for leg and back pain relief, you may use Dhanwanthrum tailam oil, Pinda thailam oil or Maha Narayana Thailam oil etc. 

Pressure: 10- 20 pounds pressure can be applied.

If you wish to enquire further informaiton on Marma Therpay on various health issues or want to book an Ayurvedic Consult with an Marma Therapy specialst Ayurvedic Doctor, please contact us. 

If you wish to consult Ayurveda, you may choose to contact one of our Ayurveda Practitioners Gurnam Saini or Pooja Saini in Melbourne. Both of our Practitioners are Qualified Ayurveda Doctors from India. You may contact us at "Pure Herbal Ayurved Clinic".  People who can't reach us personally, may choose for online Ayurveda consultation.