MysticMag chats with Dr. Anisha Durve, founder of the Marma Institute and Director of Acupuncture & Ayurveda at the University of Miami. Dr. Anisha integrates Acupuncture, Ayurveda, and Yoga into modern healthcare. With over 24 years of clinical experience and advanced training from India and China, Dr. Anisha specializes in client education, focusing on lifestyle and spiritual transformation through diet, detoxification, and rejuvenation. A co-author of “Marma Points of Ayurveda” with Dr. Vasant Lad, she is also a seasoned Ayurvedic Doctor, Ayur-Yoga Therapist, and meditation instructor, committed to spreading the wisdom of Ayurveda through her teachings and practice.
Anisha, could you explain the significance of Marma Therapy in Ayurveda and how it differs from other forms of acupressure or energy work?
Marma therapy is the science of energy points. Often likened to Ayurvedic acupressure, this comparison only scratches the surface. These energy points can be activated in various ways, including direct touch through massage, aromatherapy, light therapy, sound therapy, focused meditation or breathwork, pranic healing, and other energy modalities, as well as yoga therapy. Marma therapy transcends the narrow confines of acupressure, offering a deeper and more holistic approach to healing. These points facilitate profound healing of the physical body, mind, and spirit, providing access to the multiple dimensions of our being. This comprehensive approach is why many experience Marma therapy as deeply transformative.
What inspired you to create the Marma Bliss Therapy™ training program and how has it evolved over the years?
I have always been passionate about studying energy points, having simultaneously attended both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture school and Ayurveda school. The commonality of energy points in both systems inspired me to co-author the “Marma Points of Ayurveda” textbook with my guru, Dr. Vasant Lad. Published in 2008, it has since become a staple for every serious Ayurveda student.
Initially, I conducted weekend workshops for many years, but found that this format was insufficient to cover all the marma points comprehensively. In 2018, I launched the Marma Institute of Ayurvedic Acupressure, offering seven-day trainings that thoroughly addressed all the points on the body. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I focused on developing my online school, designing a program comprising 45 hours of theoretical content, which I named “Level 1 Theory of Marma Bliss Therapy.” Graduates of this program can advance to the “Level 2 Practicum of Marma Bliss Therapy,” a 30-hour, four-day course dedicated to hands-on techniques.
This efficient model ensures that students arrive well-prepared, knowledgeable about the point locations and functions, allowing us to fully immerse in learning the hands-on protocols I have developed over 24+ years of practice. Sharing this knowledge and seeing students build upon and creatively apply what I have created is my greatest passion. Marma therapy is not limited to Ayurvedic practitioners alone; it is accessible to healers of any background. My students include doctors, nurses, chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, acupuncturists, midwives, doulas, Reiki practitioners, yoga teachers, and massage therapists. It is exciting to witness the versatility of marma therapy and its practical application across various healing disciplines, enhancing treatments in diverse ways.
What are some common misconceptions people have about Marma Therapy, and how do you address them in your training?
Defining marma therapy as merely acupressure and limiting it to physical touch and influencing the body oversimplifies its essence. I strive to make my students aware that marma is about much more than affecting the physical body, musculature, and tissues. It delves deeper into the subtle and emotional bodies, where true change occurs. When students learn how to access these deeper layers, the points become dynamic, powerful, and significantly more meaningful. Influencing change at the body-mind-spirit level fosters true integration, enabling all my students, as marma therapists, to facilitate comprehensive healing by the end of their training.
How does Marma Therapy integrate with other modalities such as acupuncture, yoga, or massage therapy, and how can practitioners benefit from combining these practices?
Marma therapy can be integrated with any healing modality. For acupuncturists, I emphasize acupressure as an additional hands-on tool they can incorporate into their practice. For patients who are afraid of needles, acupressure alone can be very powerful and open them up to a deeper healing experience.
Massage therapists love learning marma because it allows them to be less physically drained from whole-body massages. Instead, they can focus on specific energy points, leading to dramatic changes such as pain relief or emotional release.
Midwives and doulas find that stimulating these points can aid in labor and delivery, making marma work an excellent tool during childbirth. I also encourage them to teach new moms how to use simple marma protocols on their babies.
For yoga teachers, I emphasize stimulating the points through breathwork and meditation focus. This addition deepens their yoga practice and enhances their teaching skills.
What do you hope students will take away from your training program, and how do you see yourself shaping the future of holistic healthcare?
My goal is to create marma ambassadors. I want each of my graduates to feel confident in their knowledge of marma therapy, the hands-on protocols, and how to integrate it into their specialties and modalities. I aim for them to spread marma therapy around the world, empowering everyone to realize they have the power to heal at their own fingertips.
For instance, if someone has a headache, they can work on specific marma points at the temples, near the eyes, at the vertex, or the back of the head to relieve the pain themselves. If their sinuses are blocked, they can stimulate the nasal marma points to open up their sinuses and enhance respiration. If they are stressed or anxious, they can learn a few points that instantly help them feel calm.
This is the knowledge of marma I wish to spread worldwide, empowering patients, students, and practitioners alike.
If you would like to find out more about the Marma Institute, please visit https://www.marmatraining.com/
