Abdominal Therapy: The Arvigo Technique
With Dr. Ari Weiner, ND
Abdominal Therapy is a form of physical medicine and massage that originally stems from the wisdom and medicine of the indigenous Maya population of Belize. It initially was, and sometimes still is, referred to as Maya Abdominal Massage, though as the lineage gets more distant and trainings are moved off native lands, there has been a conscious shift away from that name to protect and honor ancient Maya culture. The Maya people revere the abdomen as the “center of being,” believed to house not just the physical organs, but also emotional and spiritual health.
what is abdominal therapy?
What is Abdominal Therapy?
Abdominal Therapy focuses on the abdomen to support nerve conduction, arterial and venous blood flow, lymphatic drainage and the release of energetic or chi stagnation. Additionally, abdominal therapy addresses the position and health of pelvic and abdominal organs to improve their unique but collective functions.
“The uterus is the woman’s core, if it is out of balance, her whole life is out of balance – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually”
– Don Elijio Panti
benefits of abdominal therapy
Who May Benefit from Abdominal Therapy
Though Abdominal Therapy is most well-known for its benefits in fertility and reproductive health, it has a wide range of additional benefits for all people and all bodies.
Abdominal Therapy can support:
- Infertility / Fertility
- Pregnancy (After 20 weeks gestation)
- Postpartum (recovery from both vaginal and cesarean delivery)
- Menstrual concerns
- Peri/postmenopausal concerns
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Painful sex
- Chronic UTI’s
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Low back pain
- Surgical scar tissue/adhesions
- Digestive concerns
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Prostatitis
- Gentle detoxification
- Emotional and spiritual wellbeing
what to expect
What to Expect from the Experience
During a session, Dr. Ari will use gentle, hands-on techniques to assess the muscles, fascia, and organs of the abdominal and pelvic cavity. Though each treatment is tailored to your unique needs, there is often a belly-focused and back-focused component to each treatment, to ensure balance through the whole abdominal compartment. The therapy is non-invasive and generally quite relaxing.
Your session will also include guidance on performing self-abdominal massage to practice at home in between sessions, accelerating and deepening your physical and spiritual healing.
Abdominal Therapy Training
Dr. Ari was trained specifically in Arvigo techniques (the lineage of Dr. Rosita Arvigo) through the Abdominal Therapy Collective.
suggestions of care
Abdominal Therapy Suggestions of Care
- Fertility/significant dysmenorrhea (e.g: endometriosis): 1x/week x1 month THEN 2x/month x6 months (or until pregnant in case of fertility patients)
- General menstrual support (e.g: PCOS, oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea): 1-2x/month x3 months
- Pregnancy: 1x/month starting at 20 weeks
- General postpartum: 1x/month x3 months starting at 6 weeks postpartum
- C-section postpartum: 1-2x/month x6 months starting 12 weeks postpartum
- Digestive support: 1x/week x1 THEN 1-2x/month x3 months
- General wellness/health optimization: 1x/month x3 months
“It is folly to ignore the sacred in life or medicine. Skirting the spiritual has had a shattering effect on every dimension of contemporary existence”
– Rosita Arvigo
