I use modern massage techniques combined with ancient knowledge and traditional bodywork techniques performed by the indigenous healers of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.

The techniques were developed by Dr Rosita Arvigo and Don Elijio Panti as a way to bring this knowledge to the rest of the world, and to serve as a living memory of Don Elijio’s knowledge. Other healers, midwives and herbalists also contributed, such as Miss Hortence Robinson (1922-2010) a midwife, healer and herbalist of Belize and Miss Beatrice Waight (1948-2010) a traditional Maya healer of Belize.

Rosita Arvigo is a massage therapist, naprapath, herbalist and ethnobotanist from Chicago, and Don Elijio Panti (1893-1996) was a traditional Maya healer and Shaman (h’men) that was born in Guatemala and lived in Belize.

All contributors to the techniques offered their knowledge to create a practice that would bring these ancient techniques to the modern world and put healing back into the hands of the individual. Self care massage techniques were created to help people connect with their own bodies and a spiritual element was honoured and maintained in the creation and throughout the teachings.

Scroll down to read more about Rosita.
Click on images below to read more about each healer.

Miss Beatrice Waight

Dr Rosita Arvigo

Rosita is a herbalist, a doctor of Naprapathy and the creator of The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®, often referred to Arvigo® Therapy.

Rosita spent many years in the 70’s living in Mexico learning from the Aztec healers. While living in Belize in the 80’s, Rosita met Don Elijio, who became her mentor. She was his apprentice for 13 years before his death in 1996 aged 103.

In 1987, Rosita founded the Ix Chel Tropical Research Centre that began identifying, preserving and teaching people about the properties of native plants.

In 2021, Rosita became a co-founder and active educator of The Abdominal Therapy Collective and continues to teach and educate people all over the world.

Ix Chel Tropical Research Foundation

Rosita is a founder of the Ix Chel Tropical Research Centre and Foundation which works to preserve traditional healing and medicine along with the conservation of medicinal plants.

The Foundation provides education about plants and ancient traditions to local children to ensure the knowledge of the ancestors is preserved.

Children’s Bush Medicine Camps take place each summer and are funded by grants, along with tithes and donations from Rosita’s abdominal therapy students and practitioners.