Prepared with USDA certified organic herbs and oil, our Tri-Doshic Massage Oil is excellent for all body types. Regular self-massage supports natural oxytocin production, an important hormone for stable mood and mentality.
Directions: Massage daily with a small amount of oil on dry skin or during a warm shower or bath. Give special attention to areas of lymphatic concentration: the head, neck, feet, and abdomen.
Net Weight: 34 fluid ounces
Ingredients: Sesamum indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Root Powder*, Sida cordifolia (Bala) Root Powder*, Asparagus Racemosus (Shatavari) Root Powder*, Passiflora Incarnata (Passionflower) Leaf Powder*, Eclipta Prostrata (Bhringaraj) Leaf Powder*, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder*, Lippia Citriodora (Lemon Verbana) Leaf Powder*, Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi) Leaf Powder*, Valeriana Officinalis (Valerian) Root Powder*
(*certified organic)
For external use only.
The Lymphatic System
Lymph is a circulatory system that is pumped by muscular contractions, unlike the blood which is pumped by the heart. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the most common ways for lymphatic flow to become congested.
Lymph is the first of the seven dhatus, or body tissues, which also include the blood (rakta), muscle (mamsa), fat (medha), bone (asthi), nervous tissue (majji) and reproductive tissue (shukra).
Common Symptoms of Lymphatic Congestion:
- Rings get tight on fingers
- Soreness and/or stiffness in the morning
- Feeling tired
- Bloating
- Mild skin irritation
- Breast swelling or soreness with each cycle
- Dry skin
- Brain fog
Ayurvedic Massage
The purpose of Ayurvedic daily oil massage – also called abhyanga – is to balance the nervous system, prevent physiological imbalances and to lubricate and promote flexibility of the muscles, tissues, and joints. The classical texts of Ayurveda also indicate that daily massage promotes softness, youthfulness, and luster of the skin.
The following are some simple instructions to assist you in learning how to perform abhyanga. Enjoy!
How to Do Abhyanga Self-Massage
Before you start your Ayurvedic self-massage, take a moment to quiet your mind. Start the massage with awareness, giving your full attention to each stroke. The more attention, love, and awareness you deliver with each stroke, the more powerful the results. The science suggests that the more sincere each stroke of the massage, the more oxytocin is produced. (1-4) Oxytocin is linked to optimal health, longevity, and happiness (4, 5) – not a bad return on investment! Give yourself a little love and get a lot of bliss.
>>> Watch a video demonstration of abhyanga with detailed instructions.
- Head Massage: Start by massaging the head. Place a small amount of oil on the fingertips and palms and begin to massage the scalp vigorously. The massage for the head and for the entire body should be with the open part of the hand rather than with the fingertips. Since the head is said to be one of the most important areas to be focused on during abhyanga, spend proportionately more time on the head than you do on other parts of the body.
- Face and Ears: Next, gently apply oil with the open part of the hand to your face and outer part of your ears. You do not need to massage these areas vigorously.
- Neck: Massage both the front and back of the neck and the upper part of the spine. Continue to use your open hand to rub the neck.
- Body Application: You may want to now apply a small amount of oil to your entire body and then proceed with the massage to each area of the body.
- Arms, Hands, and Fingers: Next, massage your arms. The proper motion is back and forth over your long bones and a circular motion over your joints. Massage both arms, including the hands and fingers.
- Chest and Abdomen: Now, apply oil to the chest and abdomen. A very gentle circular motion should be used over your heart. Over the abdomen, a gently circular motion should be used, following the bowel pattern from the right lower part of the abdomen, moving clockwise up, over, and down towards the left lower part of the abdomen.
- Back and Spine: Massage the back and spine as best you can.
- Legs: Massage the legs. Like the arms, use a back and forth motion over the long bones and a circular motion over the joints.
- Feet: Lastly, massage the bottoms of the feet. The feet are considered especially important, and proportionately more time should be spent here than on the other parts of the body. Use the open part of your hand and massage vigorously back and forth over the soles of the feet.
This completes the abhyanga. Ideally, about 10-20 minutes should be spent each day on the massage. However, if this time is not available on a particular day, it is better to do a very brief massage in the shower than to skip it altogether.
Explore the teachings of Ayurvedic massage in my book, The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage. This book provides the reader with all of the tools necessary to begin Ayurvedic treatments as a part of a spa menu or massage therapy program. It features more than 15 of these treatments, each described in step-by-step detail and some synchronized with two therapists for up to two hours in length.
Abhyanga FAQs
Q. When is the best time to do my abhyanga?
A. You can do it before, during, or after a shower.
- Before-Shower Tips: In the bathroom, place an old sheet or towel on the floor, bench or wherever you plan to sit and massage. Perform the abhyanga as described above.
- During-Shower Tips: As soon as you enter a hot shower or bath, apply an herbalized oil and massage deeply into the skin. So that you do not feel rushed, you may want to turn off the water and sit down either on a stool or in the tub to massage. Once the oil is rubbed in, continue with shampoo, conditioning etc. Use minimal soap, if any! When ready to get out of the shower, take a wet wash cloth and rub the oil off your skin. The applied oil will “pull” impurities out of the skin, so it is important to take this oil off. Finally, before leaving the shower, apply a fresh, thin coat of oil all over the body. Note: Large amounts of oil are not necessary. When you use the oil in the shower, the water will naturally and evenly spread a very small amount of oil all over the body and wash off any excess. The result we are going for is moisturized, but not greasy.
- After-Shower Tips: You may want to use a smaller amount of oil, as using lots of oil on your skin may stain your clothes. If you do get oil on your clothes or sheets, use 6 drops of dish soap and add it to your detergent load of laundry. This will cut the oil out of the sheets. In the rare occasion the oil does not come out, a stain remover may be necessary.
Q. How do I get the oil out of my hair?
A. Add shampoo to oil-soaked hair and massage thoroughly. If that doesn’t get it all out, mix 1-3 tablespoons of baking soda into your shampoo, and massage into scalp for a couple of minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Massage Calms the Nervous System
On your skin, there are at least 1000 sensory neurons per every square centimeter. When you massage just your arm with oil, you are calming more than a million sensory neurons. (6) According to Ayurveda, oil calms vata or the nervous system.
The skin has more than 20 million sensory neurons exposed to the environment that are aggravated by air, weather, stress, travel, clothes, and more. Massaging the skin can calm these neurons significantly. In one study, ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) – which increases with stress – was decreased by 20% for a group of participants who received massage, and increased by 30% for a group who rested and did not get a massage. (3)
Massaging the Skin Increases Oxytocin
In a number of studies, massaging the skin has shown to increase the production of oxytocin. In a recent study published in Alternative Therapies, 95 subjects had their blood levels evaluated for oxytocin before and after a 15-minute massage. Oxytocin levels increased by 17% for the group that received a massage. The control group who just rested showed a 9% decrease in oxytocin. (2, 3)
Now available with an optional pump top for convenient use! Also available in 4 oz size.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25628581
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15834840
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23251939
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4354898/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25907371
6. Granstein, Richard D. and Luger, Thomas A. Neuroimmunology of the Skin: Basic Science to Clinical Practice. Springer Science & Business Media, 2009
keywords: ashwaganda, arjun, tumeric, satawari, shatawari
