Page 108 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

convinced they draw wind out of the patient’s body through their fingers. To

avoid absorbing the sickness themselves, they then must burp to get rid of it, and
encourage patients to do likewise.
Both pijat and urut massage have precise technical terms that differentiate
between the movements in a sequence. These movements are poles apart even if
the two approaches are similar. pijat generally works on the muscles—a masseur
uses her own routine and utilizes medium to strong kneading and squeezing.
urut, on the other hand, goes much deeper and works on the muscles and nerve
path. Thus, this healing massage involves some fairly tough pressing and beating
on specific points which can be uncomfortable at times. Its main purpose is to
encourage smooth blood circulation.

MASSAGE REMEDIES LIMP

Tom Nayoan, finance consultant and publisher, had difficulty walking. He assumed spending hours
in the car was responsible and concluded he must live with stiffness, pain and a lopsided gait. That
was before masseuse Ibu Ana was consulted and diagnosed the muscles on one leg as being totally
intertwined. As she gradually released and returned them to their correct position, Tom couldn’t
believe the change.
“I’ve had massage for years,” he complained, “But clearly they didn’t know what they were
doing.” He is now out of pain for the first time in months and walking normally.

In pijat, the fingers hold an area being worked on while the thumb produces
a pressured squeeze. The muscles may also be pulled up very slowly using all
the fingers, while a different technique involves three fingers moving in an anti-
clockwise, circular motion. ‘Big’ and ‘small’ pinching is done between the
middle and index fingers. Small pinching pulls little muscles, such as those
hidden in the armpit.

Urut incorporates some of the movements used in pijat but is more intense
and demands additional skills. To cure successfully, urut practitioners must
know nerve, acupuncture or pressure points. Thumbs, fingers, knuckles, fist,
palm and body weight are all used. This form of massage hits muscles below the
surface and utilizes its own sets of movements. Thumb pressure, or jempol, is a
series of small, short, press-and-pull movements along a straight line holding the
thumb upright; unceg is a similar technique but the thumb is held at 45 degrees.
Typical movements include forming a ‘V’ shape between fingers and thumb, or

locking thumbs together to create extra strength. Tiga jari is another movement
employing three fingers, pressing upwards at 60 to 75 degrees from the patient’s
body. A variation duplicates the press-and-pull thumb action but uses three