What is abhyanga?
Abhyanga is a whole-body massage with warm oil. You can get one from an Ayurvedic massage therapist, but as a part of dinacharya (Ayurvedic daily routine), Abhyanga is a self-massage. In Sanskrit, the word sneha means oil, but also love. So Abhyanga is literally massaging yourself with love. It is a beautiful practice during which you reconnect yourself with your body. It is an expression of self-care, a transmission of healing touch, love, nourishment, and safety.
Benefits of Abhyanga
Oiling your physical body regularly slows its aging processes and preserves the juiciness inside your body for longer. It is also an amazing practice for calming down and nourishing the nervous system. Massaging your skin with warm oil makes you feel good, decreases the number of stress hormones, and increases dopamine and oxytocin (among others) that help reduce anxiety and boost relaxation and pleasure. It also helps with trouble sleeping and balances the mind. Self-massage stimulates lymphatic flow, which improves immunity, as the lymph is our first line of defense when it comes to dealing with unwanted viruses. Rubbing the oil onto your skin pulls the toxins out of your body and rejuvenates the skin making it incredibly soft - I’m talking about this feeling of inherent softness that you can’t get from any cream. As we oil the machines to make them work smoother, oiling your body lubricates and promotes the flexibility of joints, muscles, and tissues. It also creates a rich protective layer all over the body, giving you a feeling of being lovingly contained.
Oil
The skin is the largest organ of the body and has to „digest” anything you put on it. Choose natural oils (you’ll be able to find most of them in the food section of your supermarket), so your skin doesn’t have to process any chemicals. For abhyanga, you want to use warm oil for its better absorption, but it also just feels nicer than cold oil. The actual oil to be used changes from person to person, depending on their current state of doshas, as well as seasons.
In general, if you have a Vata type of skin or it is Vata season out there, you may choose sesame or almond oil. Pitta skin, or anyone with no specific conditions during the hot Summer, may want to cool down with coconut or sunflower oil. People with Kapha type of skin may pick mustard or safflower oil for a vigorous and energizing self-massage. In general, to balance Kapha, you can self-massage less frequently and focus more on dry brushing.
Ready to try abhyanga yourself? Check out this blog post for the instructions!
