Mail Today, New Delhi, Tuesday, January 25, 2011 GOOD HEALTH 27

Varmam has been a

boon for the family
By MANU MOUDGIL THE DEEP
MARTIAL
I
T WAS Bala Narayanswamy’s
search for a music therapist for
his 12-year-old son with learn-
ing disabilities, Vinayak, which
CONNECTION
led to his discovery of var-
mam. An ancient Indian
technique with origins in the 5th
century, varmam is based on the
premise that there is life energy
flowing through our body and
disease occurs as a result of
imbalance in this energy.
Pressing specific points on
the body can restore this bal-
ance and provide relief from
discomfort.
Within six months of receiving this
therapy, Vinayak’s condition
improved noticeably. “Though there KALARIPPAYATTU is the
is no dramatic progress, his intelli- ancient martial art of Kerala
gence and cognitive skills have and includes a hand combat
improved — he is now able to perceive
the consequences of his own actions,” technique which works on
Bala says. At a physical level, Vinayak’s varmam pressure points.
eyesight has improved while there is a Attacking these points in a
clear change in his gait which was faulty certain fashion can immo-
earlier because of difference in length of the bilise the opponent. How-
two legs. ever, the points used in the
Arts Research Institute (ARI), a charitable martial art form are seated
trust that has been spreading the science of deep inside the body and not
RAMESH SHARMA
varmam, has 18 treatment centres across touched during medical var-
India covering Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, mam treatment. Medical
Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi, with around
20,000 patient visits every month. practitioners, always present
during these martial art
classes, help revive the
BASED ON EXTENSIVE TAMIL TEXTS attacked individual by tuning
the pressure points in a spe-
THOUGH varmam seems similar to acupres-
sure, the approach differs somewhat since it is cific pattern to regulate
based on its own extensive texts of physiology, blood flow, temperature and
anatomy, diagnosis and treatment written on pranic flow in the body.
palm leaves in Tamil language. “The force
applied in varmam is much less than in acu-
pressure. There are 8,000 points in varmam
and 48 different ways to stimulate them.
Hence we can treat several diseases from the
same point. In addition, varmam has a unique
Varmam is an ancient Indian healing
herbal-based pharmacology for advanced and
chronic diseases,” says Mahesh Jayaraman,
who treats patients free of cost at the Delhi
centre of ARI.
Vinayak’s mother Geetha learned the tech-
technique that helps special children
nique and now gives therapy sessions to the
12-year-old at home. “It has proved to be an
empowering tool for us and does not cost a
penny,” she says. Varmam practitioners don’t
as well as those with high BP, joint
claim to offer an absolute cure for special chil-
dren. “The technique is a support therapy and
improves their functional behaviour making
them more independent which means a lot to
their families. There are several instances of
pain and other serious ailments A special branch of
varmam medicine is
therapeutic massage:
hyperactive and angry kids calming down and
acquiring better concentration,” techniques are cus-
Mahesh points out. tomised for various body
tion. “There was less pain and my ical trials. Tamil professor and var-
stamina increased in 6-7 months.
It has been a year now since I had
mam master Dr N Shunmugom,
who is trying to get the technique
NOT A MIRACLE CURE parts. Legs, hands, eyes,
ears and even sexual
HEALS PAIN my last varmam session and
there has been no recurrence of
its due attention, has trained more
than 1,000 registered medical prac-
VARMAM does not work for
everybody and practitioners are
organs have their own
perfectly distinct mas-
WHEN a truck rammed into V. frank about it. There are some
Chandrashekhar near Karol the symptoms,” Chandrashekhar titioners, of which 200 are allo- patients who don’t respond to sage methods. Whole
Bagh in 1995, severely injuring says. Today, he runs a restaurant pathic doctors who use varmam the therapy. “We ask patients to body massage, nerve-
his spine, he had no idea that his and drives himself around town. along with their regular treatment give at least three months before related massage, bone
injury would bother him over a methods. “The amount of relief expecting results. In my practice massage and flesh mas-
decade later. At that point, doc- patients get by combining this
tors diagnosed dislocation of the
spine and he was confined to
MANY ADVANTAGES technique with modern medicine
is amazing. I have seen so many
I have seen that those above the
age of 80 don’t respond very well.
sage are the ever-
expanding sub-divisions.
VARMAM has several advantages: Also, diseases of the skin, hair
bed for one year. However, med- people who are recommended and piles can’t be treated using
It has no adverse effects, a session joint or hip replacements but are
icines and physiotherapy put does not take much time and the pressure points on the body.
him back on the track. “There
was no visible change in the X-
rays or MRIs, but I was able to
cost is minimal. Though there is no
extensive scientific evidence to
relieved of their pain after trying
varmam,” says Dr S Yoganathan,
head of orthopaedics, Perundurai
There are herbal medicines rec-
ommended under varmam for
such ailments,” Mahesh says.
VARMAM &
function normally,” the 37-year-
old recalls. Life carried on, and
Chandrashekhar completed his
support varmam yet, practitioners
are making efforts to conduct clin-
Medical College and Hospital. manu.moudgil@mailtoday.in
YOGA ASANAS
education, landed a good job
and got married. And then one
day the symptoms returned.
“One fine morning I felt pain
‘It was an accidental discovery’ YOGA and var-
mam are
closely related.
IT WAS his interest in yoga that led Mahesh’s attention as he went on Yoga postures
radiating from my spine to the
toe. It became so intense that I to Mahesh Jayaraman’s discovery to repeat the workshop and also properly tune
was not able to sit at a stretch. of varmam. “I wanted to get in did advanced training in varmam. the nerve sys-
This started affecting my work touch with Dr N Shunmugom to It was in 2007 that he started tem along the var-
and I had to quit my job. Though get interpretation of a traditional treating his first case, a friend’s mam points resulting in reg-
I consulted various doctors, Tamil text on yoga since he is an daughter who is a special child. “I ulated blood flow
nobody could tell me why my authority in that field. Somebody did not learn varmam to heal oth- throughout the body. Every
pain was back,” he recalls. Noth- told me he was devoting all his ers but my friend’s daughter got yoga asana has its effect on
ing worked till he tried varmam. free time in teaching varmam and better and before I knew I was certain group of varmam
The pressing of specific points on to get hold of him, I had to attend treating people in Delhi. Now I
his body to restore what practi- points enabling proper
tioners call the blocked energy the training sessions,” Mahesh take out time twice a week to health, flexibility, mobility
has helped improve his condi- recalls. That was enough to catch attend to patients,” he says. and physique.