Self-Abhyanga – Sacred Ayurvedic Self Massage
The Sanskrit word “Sneha’ translates as both “oil” and “love” and it is believed in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda that one of the highest expressions of self-love is anointing the body with warm oil with our own, loving hands. This ritual of self-love is known as Abhyanga and it can instill a deep sense of stability, warmth, nourishment and pure fulfilment when performed regularly.
Self Abhyanga is particularly beneficial to high Vata types, who could try to do this daily, especially throughout Autumn to mid winter when they will be most shaken by the elements. However, this act of self-love will bring profound benefits to all the body types. We should aim to include this stunning ritual at least once a week into our daily routine. For me, the ideal time is a Sunday morning when I can create a warm, peaceful environment in which to truly re discover my body, mind & Soul.
Why Oil?
In Ayurveda, Abhyanga literally translates as ‘massage’, but in reality what we are performing is an ‘oil therapy’. This ancient science prescribes “do not put anything on your skin that you cannot put on your tongue; just the way everything we put on our tongue gets absorbed and reaches different parts of our body, so will everything we put on our skin get absorbed and reach the deepest tissues”.
The oil we choose will penetrate all seven layers of bodily tissue in under 600 seconds, yep that’s right, less than 10 minutes for the oil to work it’s oily way to the deepest, reproductive tissue of our being. Most of the oils we use in Ayurveda are infused with herbs and create a hugely effective way of getting herbal medicine into the body without having to travel through the digestive system, which is often over-loaded already. Later I will recommend some oils and if you choose to make your own blends using essential oils, please be sure to use only Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils for the reasons above. At The Threshold we only work with dōTERRA oils as they are amongst the purest you can buy. If you aren’t sure, just stick with plain oil.
What are the benefits?
Making time to perform this ritual creates a pause in our lives. In the act of gathering what we need and creating space and time to do this, you are stepping out of your daily duties to care for yourself and press a re-set button. By choosing the right oil, getting it to the right temperature and adapting the pressure of our strokes we can make this therapy suitable for all Doshas. But don’t worry if you don’t know your Dosha, the benefits are still huge. To name a few; anti-ageing, strength increasing, fatigue & anxiety reducing, aids insomnia, soothes aching muscles & joints, increases circulation, alleviates dry skin, aids memory recall, helps digestion, boosts immunity, reduces water retention and helps with weight loss. If I had to pick just one reason to perform this ritual of simplicity as part of my daily routine, it would be to help soothe and calm the central nervous system which is so tirelessly over loaded in this Aquarian Age of Technology. I guarantee you will notice a difference in a short period of time if you adopt this little ritual.
Times when we should not perform this are if we are suffering from severe toxic overload, menstruating or have a current viral infection such as the flu. Also please wait until after the 12th week if you are pregnant or until after the 6th week if you are post-operative.
What oils should you choose?
Classically we prescribe Coconut oil for Pitta types (cooling) and Sesame or almond for Vata (warming) and either dry massage or a very sparing amount of Sesame for Kapha types (warming). Other beautiful Ayurvedic oils are:
· Kumari Oil – reduces Vata & Pitta and is wonderful for all skin related issues;
· Jatyadi Oil – reduces Pitta & Kapha and is wonderful for all inflammatory conditions;
· Mahanarayan Oil – reduces Vata & Pitta and is best for pain;
· Chandana Bala Kashadi Oil – Pitta reducing and is helpful for alleviating dryness and inflammation;
· Pinda Oil – reduces Vata and is the best choice for all bone, muscle and joint problems;
· Brahmi Amla Oil – reduces Pitta & Vata and is the only oil to use when pregnant.
If in doubt as to your Dosha type, I’d choose plain almond oil. Which ever oil you go for it should always be warm.
My favourite places to buy massage oils are:
I always buy my carrier oils in bulk and decant into small 100ml glass bottles.
How to perform self-Abhyanga
Firstly, get your oil warming. If you have an oil warmer great, if not you can heat the oil in a jug of boiling water (be sure your oil is in a glass bottle and pump action ones are so much easier!). Now prepare your sacred space. Make sure this is a warm room where you don’t mind getting any oil in places if it accidentally spills. Gather a couple of old towels and an old bathrobe if you have one. I always have one towel on the floor to stand on and one warming on the towel rail. This is the ideal time to dim the lights, light a candle, breathe in your favourite essential oil and play some soft mantras or your favourite music – this is a ritual, treat it as such. An abhyanga should always be followed by either a steam, hot shower or warm bath – if you are having a bath then I’d run it before you begin to apply oil so it’s ready and waiting when you finish.
A classical self-abhyanga always includes the head, but you may not always want to get the oil in your hair. If you are happy to do the full practice then it is a beautiful thing to firstly anoint your crown chakra with oil and then just let that soak in whilst you attend to the rest of your body. Always begin at the feet and work up using nice long strokes. Don’t forget the soles of the feet and in between the toes. When you get to the abdomen only work in a clockwise direction around the navel. When you reach the head you can include inside the ears and nostrils if you are using just a plain oil. The whole massgge should take around 15 mins, but it can be as long as you have time for! If you are opting for a warm bath, you can step right in and let the warm water do the magic for another 20-30mins. If you are going to steam or shower then it’s good to wrap up in your old towel or bathrobe for 20-30mins to let the oil soak in, then step into your hot shower. Before you end your shower or bath gently wash the excess oil off with a very pure, mild soap. There is no need to apply anything else to your body when you step out as it will now be completely nourished.
Enjoy every oily, delicious minute!