This week I have started practicing the greatest expression of self-love…. anointing myself with oil from head to toe. Mmmmmh…Abhyanga, the ayurvedic practice to restore balance and enhance well-being. It is believed that Abhyanga creates an experience of being saturated with love and gives an experience of stability and warmth.
Using warm oil massage your body with love for 15 to 20 minutes. Based on your ayurvedic body type, you can use a different oil, or jojoba oil is nourishing for all body types. Let me know if you’d like to know more about the Ayurvedic body types. Throughout winter, if your skin is dry, you are likely to have a Vata imbalance and I would recommend black sesame oil.
Apply oil to the crown of the head and massage in a circular upward motion to encompass your entire scalp. Using a circular motion, massage your ears, forehead, temples, cheeks, and jaw. Then use long strokes on the limbs and circular strokes on the elbows and knees and always massage towards your heart. Encircle the abdomen and chest in broad clockwise motions and always feeling love and compassion towards your beautiful body. Finish the massage by spending a couple of minutes on your feet. Then sit in meditation for 5 – 15 minutes to allow the oil to soak in. Enjoy a warm bath then blot with the towel to dry.
Bask in the feeling of having nourished your body, mind, and spirit and carry that with you throughout your day. Ahhh – Abhyanga, the ultimate in self-love.