Abhyanga is the ancient Ayurvedic tradition of massage with warm oil. This natural wellness practice can be done by a professional or via the process of self-massage. Oil often imbued with herbal medicinal essences is applied to the entire body from head to toe.
Abhyanga is still a growing area of research, but it’s anecdotal benefits have made it a lasting tradition through centuries. Oiling the skin from head to toe locks moisture into the body, improving overall hydration. Other anecdotal outcomes of the practice touted by Ayurvedic practitioners include improved vision, increased energy and alertness, increased physical strength, and delayed age-related changes.
Still, a small and growing body of evidence reveals some empirically backed benefits of the practice as well. Several studies revealed that Abhyanga reduces biological markers of stress, helping the body increase resilience. Other studies show Abhyanga’s benefits in reducing elevated blood pressure. Abhyanga also improves skin health, increasing skin blood flow, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, cellulite, and scars improving skin smoothness and softness, and decreasing hyperpigmentation. Abhyanga also reduces joint stiffness, increasing flexibility and range of motion. Lastly, but certainly not least, are the benefits of Abhyanga for the lymphatic system, which removes the body’s waste. If fluid in your lymphatic system accumulates and causes swelling it is called lymphedema. Massage can improve and reverse the condition of lymphedema by promoting lymphatic drainage. The physical pressure expands lymphatic vessels, improving lymph flow.
How to Practice Abhyanga Self-Massage
- Undress or dress in a light towel or bathrobe
- Pour liquid oil into a bottle and warm it in a cup of warm water or warm solid coconut oil in small increments in the palms of your hands
- Apply the oil to your whole body,moving in circular motions
- Begin at the top of the head
- Continue to your forehead, ears, cheeks, and jaws.
- Massage oil into the hands and arms moving from the periphery of the body towards the heart in long straight motions. Massage in circles over the joints.
- Massage oil into the feet and legs moving from the periphery of the body towards the heart in long straight motions. Massage in circles over the joints.
- Massage your chest and abdomen, moving in clockwise and circular strokes. On your trunk, massage inward along your ribs.
- Continue to your back and buttocks.
- Relax for 10 minutes to let your skin absorb the oil.
- Take a warm bath or shower. Use a gentle cleanser to remove the oil.
This practice can be repeated daily for those who tend to run dry and cold, every other day for those who generally run cool and hydrated, and only as needed for those who run oily and warm.
Basler A. J. (2011). Pilot study investigating the effects of Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 17(5), 435–440. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2010.0281
Basler A. J. (2011). Pilot study investigating the effects of Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 17(5), 435–440. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2010.0281
Miyaji, A., Sugimori, K., & Hayashi, N. (2018). Short- and long-term effects of using a facial massage roller on facial skin blood flow and vascular reactivity. Complementary therapies in medicine, 41, 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.09.009
Park, J., Shim, J., Kim, S., Namgung, S., Ku, I., Cho, M., Lee, H., & Roh, H. (2017). Application of massage for ankle joint flexibility and balance. Journal of physical therapy science, 29(5), 789–792. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.789
Capobianco, R. A., Mazzo, M. M., & Enoka, R. M. (2019). Self-massage prior to stretching improves flexibility in young and middle-aged adults. Journal of sports sciences, 37(13), 1543–1550. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1576253
