Soonetasumine
Old Estonian folk full-body massage, soonetasumine — with oil on a table, or through clothing on a mat.
WHAT IS IT?
Soonetasumine is like falling asleep in the rhythm of a regilaul between the paws of a bear.
HOW IS IT DONE?
Soonetasumine is kneading, rubbing, pounding, stretching, swaying, treading, squeezing, striking, rocking and empowering, done through clothing on a mat or with oil on a table. It is a soft yet strong technique. The deep muscle-affecting moves are supplemented with various stretching techniques. The masseuse uses both her hands and feet — fingers, palms, wrists, elbows, forearms, soles and knees. What makes soonetasumine special is its movement and rhythm: the work unfolds in a slightly drawn-out flow, like a regilaul. The rhythm is supported by breathing together — on the in-breath air is drawn into the tense organ, and on the out-breath through the mouth that organ is released.
WHAT IS IT FOR?
After great strain, the sinews (sooned) deserve their proper reward. In the old days such strain came mostly from hard physical work; today, on the contrary, it comes from too little movement, forced postures and mental tension. Soonetasumine gives a person the touch they need in life and the feeling of being cared for, and brings deliverance to a tired body. Soonetasumine puts the body in order and gives strength. After such a massage a person doesn't feel taken apart into separate pieces, but as a single whole.
COMMON COMPLAINTS THAT CAN BE EASED WITH SOONETASUMINE:
• sluggish blood and lymph circulation, circulation problems
• a slightly irritated nervous system, stress, sleep problems
• muscle tension, sore muscles, reduced joint mobility
• difficult breathing
• slight rise in blood pressure
• build-up of fluids and waste in the body
• slowed intestinal peristalsis
• tension headache
• tired-looking skin, formation of wrinkles and dry skin
• weak immune system
• tired posture, postural problems
• mental imbalance, fatigue from mental work
• lowered sense of well-being
CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE THE THERAPY IF YOU HAVE:
• acute heart problems
• too high or too low blood pressure
• injuries, open wounds
• acute inflammatory processes
• infectious disease
• acute organ failure
• varicose veins
• tumours
• large birthmarks, acute skin conditions
HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT...
...as a nature-rooted people, Estonians would have plenty to contribute to the development of natural therapies. But because literacy developed relatively late in Estonia, natural therapies spread only as oral tradition and the continuity has unfortunately been broken several times. Fortunately the knowledge of our ancestors is now highly valued, and in recent decades a number of people have dedicated a large part of their lives to gathering and recording this knowledge. The kneading wisdom of the old Estonians has been brought together and polished into a gem equal to other well-known massage traditions in the world by Alar Krautman.
