How to do Abhyanga – Ayurveda oil massage for a healthy body and mind
Abhyanga is an ancient Ayurvedic oil massage technique that is known to work towards relieving the mind from all kinds of stress and also helps to detox the body.
Regular oil massage helps to rejuvenate the body and mind from within. Oil massage therapy is used for healing and detox the body and mind. It prevents the accumulation of physiological imbalances as well as helps to lubricate and promote flexibility of the tissues, muscles, and joints. It is good for skin as it makes it soft, lustrous, and slows the aging process.
What is Abhyanga ?
It is an Ayurveda therapy where warm oil is massaged into the body to get the oil into the body through the to heal, cleanse, and nourish the tissues.
Benefits of Abhyanga
- Improves circulation, vision, and stamina
- Health and lustrous hair
- Improve skin tone and overall skin appearance
- Strengthen tissues, organs, bones, and joints
- Better sleep and improve the overall health
- Slows down visible signs of aging
- Eliminates toxins and impurities from the body
Oil for massage :-
You can use any face or body oil of your choice that best suits your skin type. I like to use 2 different oils, coconut oil for my head and then use a different oil for my body, like sesame oil, neem oil, or safflower oil. Pour the oil in a metal bowl and place it of hot water to purify the oil by heating it up, make sure the oil is slightly warm and not very hot.
Head and Scalp Massage: –
Heat about 1/4th cup of oil in a bowl. Dip your fingers in the oil and using small circular motions to massage the oil on your scalp. Massage the scalp from front to back 10 times and then from back to front.
Face, neck, ears Massage: –
Once you are done with the head and scalp massage, move to your face and ears. Pour the oil on your palms, rubbing it in to warm it up, and then start massaging your face in upward strokes. Extend the application gently towards the ears and then move down to the neck. READ MORE – HAIR STEAMING – how-to and benefits
Arms, chest abdomen, back, and spine: –
While applying oil to arms, fingers use long strokes and massage towards the heart. Massage the chest, back, spine, and abdomen in long strokes warming up the skin. Massage the torso and heart using gentle circular moves over the heart, and follow the path of the intestines when massaging the lower abdomen.
Legs, feet: –
Back and forth movement on the leg and make sure to massage the back of the feet, including the soles vigorously using long strokes.
This massage has to be done 10-20 minutes regularly to get the best results. At the end of the day, a mini self-massage before your shower and bed or simply massaging just the soles of your feet with warm oil will certainly help those with insomnia and promote restful sleep and also improve the overall health.
To wash off the oil from your hair and body, use natural soaps. I like to use a shampoo bar or a hair cleansing powder – HAIR GROWTH POWDER RECIPE that contains natural ingredients, you may have to wash your hair twice to get all the oil out from the hair. For the body, I use a herbal soap or a homemade body wash powder. READ MORE – SKIN BRIGHTENING POWDER