What is Chi Nei Tsang?

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Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) is a taoist form of “applied qigong” (pronounced: “chee-gung”). This abdominal massage cultivates your life-force-energy (“qi”) by releasing spasms in the muscles of digestion/elimination and allowing the qi to flow freely--throughout these organs, and throughout the body!

There are several approaches to CNT and I follow the teaching of Gilles Marin, from Berkeley, CA., author of Healing from Within, With Chi Nei Tsang and Five Elements, Six Conditions.

Our style of CNT is based on the idea that we process emotions with our gut, the same way we digest food. We’ve all felt our stomach/intestines tighten with fear, anxiety or stress, then relax when the situation has passed; but if an emotional charge is “indigestible”, it creates a long-term spasm in the small muscles of the gut. We no longer breathe into that area and are better able to block out ---but not resolve--- our emotional discomfort. Let’s face it: no one wants to feel bad--- so sometimes we choose not to feel!

As long as there are a limited number of these emotional charges, this can be a great safety valve--- It allows us to go about our business (relatively sanely), despite stress and traumatic life events! But, as we build up a lifetime of unresolved charges, we may begin to experience digestive or eliminative symptoms and discomfort in other areas of the body, as these spasms pull on the fascia: the continuous membrane which surrounds and penetrates all the muscles and organs of our bodies.

In many cases, we are also faced with scar tissue and adhesions, as a result of abdominal surgery, injury, PID, or endometriosis, etc.

 

What is a session like?

I work, first, to get you to breathe deeply and fully, using the movement of the diaphragm to massage your own organs from inside, and draw your consciousness back to areas of contraction. I then stimulate the lymphatic system by massaging around the navel and rocking the large intestine, then massage and hold all areas of the belly more deeply, as tension begins to release. I also stretch and begin to soften any scar tissue and gently encourage adhesions to release.

During the first session, I’ll have you feel your own belly, both before and after the session. The difference can be dramatic and is often a real eye-opener--- Most of my clients experience a much greater ease in breathing! I then teach you a daily self-care CNT treatment and, possibly, a little qigong. Depending on the situation, I may recommend the use of a castor oil pack.

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