2180 GARNET, #1-I
SAN
DIEGO CA., 92109
272-2008
About ten years ago, Stephen Cimmarrusti offered to exchange some landscaping services for a therapeutic massage. So, he did some landscaping, and in return, his life changed. From that moment on he was hooked. According to Mr. Cimmarrusti "there was something about massage that intrigued me, everywhere I went after that I was drawn to information about healing and bodywork".
Today, Mr. Cimmarrusti is the owner/director of The Awareness Center for Healing Arts, in San Diego. And just what goes on at this center? A lot! For starters how about Panchakarma therapies, Accupunture, Chiropractics, massage, meditation classes, ear candling, yoga classes, Shiatsu, Resonance Balancing and weekly seminars.
Mr. Cimmarrusti was trained at The Center For Mind Body Medicine, where he specialized in Panchakarma therapies. Panchakarma therapies fall under the umbrella of Ayurvedic healing practices which have been used in India for the past five thousand years. Panchakarma therapy was originally offered only to the royalty of India, and I was soon to find out why.
It's difficult to grasp what Ayurvedic and Panchakarma therapies are all about without experiencing them (somebody's got to do it . . .), so I had a sampling which included Abhyanga massage and the Shirodhara. Abhyanga massage is a brisk oil friction massage, working herbalized sesame oil through the pores of the skin, deep into the channels of elimination. Two therapist worked on me for approximately one half hour. This was followed by a hot towel treatment, further opening the pores of the skin and driving the oil even deeper into the system. Next, I was given the Shirodhara treatment, which was a steady stream of warmed sesame oil flowing over the forehead to access the hypothalamus that directs the automatic responses of the body. This treatment appeared to last about forty five minutes, but I have to admit, at that point I was so relaxed that time became irrelevant.
After my session, I returned to Mr. Cimmarrusti's office (in a much more relaxed state) to ask him about his thoughts on healing . "What we're essentially doing here is trying to bring the body to a point where it can begin to heal itself". Mr. Cimmarrusti went on to discuss the various healing practices, both eastern and western that are available through the center.
On my drive home, I thought about all that I had experienced. We all know at some level, that the body is capable of healing many of the maladies that afflict us in modern society, but many of us in the nineties prefer the quick fix (just give me a pill doc, I'm in a hurry!). Perhaps centers like The Awareness Center For Healing Arts will move us a step closer to experiencing our our bodies, once again, as willing participants in the healing process.
Robert Ross can be reached by e-mail at: SanDiegoRoss@Yahoo.com
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