So I’m sitting here covered in my lovely rose scented oil writing to you about abhyanga or self-massage. I’ve loved my body up in warm oil from head to toe. It feels and smells great.
Ideally, I’d be wrapped in a huge fluffy white towel overlooking the ocean and doing some serious relaxing and meditating.
But the truth is, life is busy and that is not going to happen today! But, I can still give myself some self-love by anointing myself with warm scented oil, and I can still get lots of benefit.
Little and often is better than a lot every now again. Regular abhyanga is especially good for people with vata dosha imbalance, but every dosha can benefit.
Here are some of the benefits:
Makes the skin look and feel more youthful
It’s an excellent moisturizer
Improves muscle tone
Lubricates the joints
Increases circulation
Assists in elimination and detox
Moves the lymph around the body
It’s calming and aids with sleep (do it at night if you want to get extra sleep benefits)
Pacifies vata and pitta and stimulates kapha
Type of oil to use:
Vata Dosha: sesame, almond or jojoba
Pitta Dosha: coconut, sunflower, jojoba
Kapha Dosha: sunflower, safflower or jojoba
Use coconut if you are feeling hot, sesame if you are cold, sunflower if you are neutral or jojoba if you are not sure! Always use cold-pressed, organic oil if you can.
Adding Essential Oils
You can add a few drops of any oil that makes you feel more balanced.
For grounding:
Clary Sage
White Camphor
Bergamot
Frankincense
Geranium
Jasmine
Lavender
Myrrh
Neroli
Patchouli
Rose
Rosewood
Sandalwood
Ylang Ylang
For calming and cooling:
Cedarwood
Chamomile
Fennel
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon
Lemongrass
Peppermint
Rose
Sandalwood
Spearmint
Vetiver
Yarrow
For warming and stimulating
Basil
Bergamot
Bitter Orange
Cinnamon
Eucalyptus
Ginger
Grapefruit
Juniperberry
Lavender
Rosemary
Thyme
Steps to Follow for Self-Massage:
I deliberately keep the instructions simple. There is no right or wrong, just start. Don’t make it too complicated or worry about getting it wrong. Once you start making a loving connection with your body, beautiful things happen.
Warm some oil in a cup or warmer.
Be in a private and warm enough room
Apply the oil in any way that feels good to you.
Use circular strokes on your joints, head, heart and tummy.
Use long strokes on your limbs.
Massage your face, including the insides of your ears and nose.
Take extra time on your ear-lobes.
Take extra care massaging your feet.
Allow the oil to sink in for at least 5 minutes, more if you can. I usually put my oily clothes on while I’m doing this.
Shower or bathe.
Use a dedicated ‘oily’ towel as they will start to smell of oil.
Sit with the oil for 5-15 minutes if possible so that the oil can absorb and penetrate into the deeper layers of the body
Enjoy a warm bath or shower and wash off the excess oil.
That’s it. Enjoy!