Ayurvedic massage is known as Abhyanga Therapy. The word ‘abhyanga’ is composed of two Sanskrit words, Abhi
and
anga
. Abhi means ‘towards’ and anga
, in one of its meanings, refers to ‘movement’.
Abhyanga is a synchronized massaging of the body towards the direction of the movement of arterial blood. In practical terms, it means massaging the body in the direction of the body hair. The scientific reason for this protocol may be to increase the blood flow towards the most distal parts of the body and avoid overwhelming the heart through increased venous return if the massage is done towards the heart, or in other words, in the direction opposite to that of the body hair.
Abhyanga may be done using oil, herbal powder, herbal pastes or ghee. It is a part of the dinacharya or the daily routine suggested by Ayurveda. It is used for relief of pain, stiffness, and tiredness. It also forms an important part of snehana or oleation which is an indispensable prelude to panchakarma treatments, the five Ayurvedic detoxification therapies.
Abhyanga not only prepares the body for panchakarma but also helps to mobilize the dosha from the periphery toward the core in order to get them eliminated through the body orifices. The Vata dosha is particularly pacified by Abhyanga but even Pitta and Kapha can be pacified using different massage mediums like ghee and herbal powders respectively. Abhyanga is considered an important treatment modality for balancing the dosha.
The Sarvanga Abhyanga (Full Body Ayurvedic Massage)
Ideally sarvanga abhyanga massage should start with the head and end at the feet. The body should be massaged in sections and not the whole body at a stretch. This is to facilitate the proper flow of blood and lymph and induce relaxation of the body part by part, from the head downwards.
The massage should be done slowly with varying pressures. A firm pressure should be applied to the extremities and a light to very light pressure should be applied to the neck, abdomen, heart area, face, eyes, and forehead. The extremities can be massaged with long strokes in the direction of body hair. The back of the neck, waist, and sides of the body can also be massaged using long and firm strokes.
The circular clockwise motion should be used on the joints. The abdomen should be massaged in a clockwise circular motion in the direction of the large intestine, moving up on the right side then straight across the abdomen and downwards on the left side. The massage should be done for 5-15 minutes on a routine basis and on weekends one should give at least 10 -15 minutes to each of the three areas of the body – head, body, and feet. One should rest for 15 minute after the massage before taking a warm water bath.
Massage should be done in a comfortably warm, ventilated but draft-free room like a bathroom. Warm oil should be used for the body and cool to luke warm oil should be used on the head. In peak summer season cool oil can be used and in cold seasons lukewarm to warm oil should only be used even on the head. For Pitta dominated people or for those with Pitta aggravation, oil at room temperature can be used.
The choice of oils should preferably be made according to your dosha and the area to be massaged. For the head, generally oils with cooling properties are used.
For Vata constitution, use sesame, olive or castor oil.
For Pitta constitution, use coconut, sunflower oil or ghee.
For Kapha constitution, use mustard, sesame, corn or olive oil.
For the body, use sesame, olive, sunflower, mustard or corn oils.
For the head, use coconut oil or sesame oil infused with cooling herbs.
For the feet use any oil appropriate for the dosha. Or use ghee.
In addition, there are several herb-infused oils available for different purposes and can be selected following the advice of an Ayurvedic practitioner.