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Culture

Champissage: Massage like an Indian

By: Santosh :+: Under: Culture, Desi Ishtyle, Desi Please, Humor, It Happens Only in India
On: ⋅ February 12, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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An easy way to meet women
(image: via indianchampissage.com)

Working in a high pressure white collar environment, I’m always looking for new methods to de-stress. When googling “Office Stress” imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the ultimate desi stress reliever, Champissage, a.k.a the great “Indian Head Massage”.

Champi (head massage) has been practised for over a thousand years in India as a tradition of family grooming. Originally developed by women who used different oils according to the season to keep their hair strong, lustrous and in beautiful condition. Barbers practised many of the same skills when going to individual’s houses to cut hair, they would often offer Champi as part of the treatment.

Narendra Mehta, a pioneer of this art has an interesting history.

Narendra Mehta, having been totally blind since the age of one, has developed a highly sensitive power of touch. He has over 25 years experience in bodywork and has studied various hands-on therapies.
In 1978, he went to India to research “head massage” and subsequently developed his own unique therapy of Champissageâ„¢ (Indian Head Massage), based on the traditional form of Champi and his own experience as a practicing therapist. He has been working for over 10 years as a physical therapist and as an manipulative therapist and has been running Indian Head Massage (now known as Indian Champissageâ„¢) courses for several years.

Another great stress reliever is laughter and one sure shot way to laughter is to read the comments in the media regarding Champissage.

Here’s a couple of suggestive quotes.
The Express (UK) (caption for the article):
Discovering the secret of Stroking
and ……
In Balance Magazine (UK) (caption for the article):
Get (A)head with Head Massage

This recommendation is more upfront and wastes no time getting to the nitty-gritty.
Daily Mail, August 1999:
‘Forget the gin and tonic, giving your partner an Indian head massage - or Champissage - is the most sensual way to ease the tensions of a stressful day and is guaranteed to bring you closer as a couple‘

Rule #312: Never mention head, massage and lift in the same sentence.
Harpers, Dec. 1989:
‘Indian head massage is guaranteed to lift you out of the hustle and bustle of everyday stress’

This quote is cryptic. How can a massage lift weights? Unless we’re missing something here this needs more investigation.
Here’s Health, October 1999:
‘Indian head massage performed by an expert is fantastic. It seems to lift weight, worries and stress, leaving you feeling free and exhilarated’

This one in the South China Morning Post has this (pardon the pun) touching image of a middle aged man being massaged by a younger man. You can almost hear the waves in the background as the sun starts it descent into the Arabian sea on a warm summer evening ………………

Champi on the beach
(image: via indianchampissage.com
via South China Morning Post)

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