"When we truly use our senses, every part of the body becomes vibrantly alive and healthy-mentally and emotionally, we become fully awake. We discover we can experience ecstatic beauty at every moment as if we were always hearing beautiful music or seeing the finest works of art. We are even capable of healing ourselves, for this relaxation quickens a feeling-tone that itself becomes a self-generating massage, a system of self-nurturance that can be further expanded and developed. This is the massage of Kum Nye"-Kum Nye Relaxation, Tarthang TulkuKum Nye is a form of Tibetan yoga that offers massage and exercise that heals integrates and invigorates. It is a way to energize and open the body, mind and spirit; releasing the blocked patterns of life and restoring the physical expression of self to a more healthy, balanced and aware existence.Through the simple exercises, breathe work and mindfulness training, one is restored to an open, energetic and aware state of being. Its roots stretch back to the time of the Buddha, and have been continually practiced by yogic practitioners as a way to facilitate self-healing and meditation. The Tibetan lama, Tarthang Tulku, has organized these exercises and practices into a system that is readily accessible to anyone wishing to create more awareness, relaxation and vitality in their daily life.
Kum Nye massage uses the combined energy and awareness of two people to focus and revitalize certain holding patterns or energetic pathways. By bringing awareness, breath and touch to the blockages of the body, they begin to open and release, allowing the physical, energetic and spiritual body to be restored to health and vibrancy.Have you ever received a massage where you felt the therapist was just doing his or her daily routine on your body, without being present and with little awareness of your unique physical being?Have you ever spent most of your massage talking or sleeping?In Kum Nye Massage, we invite both client and therapist to actively participate in the massage; each bringing their attention to the sensation that connects them both. If you can visualize a massage on a macro-cosmic scale, everything shimmers in an electro-magnetic grid and the boundaries between entities disappear. It is in this field of awareness, where transformation and healing occur.It must be stated clearly, that healing is an end result of a healthy state of balance within a body. No outside person can heal another. The Kum Nye practitioner participates and adds their energy and awareness to this process.Each individual body is a direct result of their genetic make-up, as well as their environmental, emotional and experimental way of life from birth to the present moment. We are in this world to live, grow and explore our unique spiritual path as manifested in our physical bodies. In many ways, our body may be seen as our most direct spiritual guide. Our attitude and our awareness are our greatest tools.
Kum Nye massage is done with a focus on breath, sensations and feelings. The practitioner must let go of doing a massage. Let go of the massage form and technique. Let go of breaking up blockages and let go of the wish to fix or heal or change the person.Instead the practitioner develops an attitude of curiosity, a sense of exploration; where do my hands want to go, what do I feel, what happens when I hold here and here. This curiosity mind allows for direct, non-verbal communication between the participants about how to touch and where. There is a real experience of both people creating the massage; one is not doing it to another. This creates a sense of trust and mutual respect for the process.The goal of the massage is stimulating a harmonious flow of feeling throughout the body and the connection between the two participants is a key element; the experience of one is often mirrored in the other. Thoughts are often shared as is the experience of feelings and sensations. It is important that this is acknowledged and that both participants stay engaged in the experience. To allow one to wander off in mindless chatter dissipates the experience for both.
Being a Kum Nye practitioner creates the opportunity to develop a mindfulness practice in action. As the practitioner continues to practice a connection to greater knowledge opens up, allowing for greater insight both to their own patterns as well as the ability to tune in more acutely to others.As in Kum Nye practice, the most important part of the experience may be in practicing mindfulness of feelings at the end of the massage. Both participants should sit and turn their attention to the sensations and feelings in their bodies; maintaining the state of inquisitive awareness, focusing on breath, allowing the body to fully express this new state of being. Grounding the body and mind in this way allows for the healing to manifest."In all this world, there is nothing more important than appreciating the preciousness or our human embodiment and doing all we can to increase health and happiness for ourselves and others." Joy of Being-Tarthang Tulku
