Instructions for Ayurveda Abhyanga self-massage

Ayurveda Selbstmassage

The Abhyanga self-massage is a beautiful ritual in which we anoint our body, caress the soul and let our spirit grow wings. Float in a sea of warm oil and enjoy the deep touch of yourself.

Begin your massage with the head and end with the feet. For the whole body you need approx. 40-50 ml of oil, which you heat up in the preparation phase and fill into a heat-retaining container. Before the first self-massage, you may find the 40 ml of oil to be too much, but you will see that (almost) all of the oil is used up, since in Ayurvedic massage we always use oil until the oil is like a coat on the skin lies.

Before you begin, relax and take a deep breath in and out. Do you feel relaxed and calm inside? Then you can start the massage:

Head

Drizzle some oil on the middle parting and massage the oil into the scalp with small circular movements in the direction of the ears, as with shampooing.
Now bend your head slightly forward and apply some oil to the hairline at the nape of the neck. Now massage with light circular movements along the back of the head towards the

ears

To stimulate blood circulation and the nervous system, you can now tap your head with your fingertips and gently pull your hair. Finally, gently smooth out the head again and distribute the applied oil evenly over the head.

Face

Dip your fingertips into the oil and massage your forehead outwards in circular motions, starting from the center. Feel what pressure and what speed are most comfortable for you.
Then stroke the whole face outwards, starting from the middle - over the forehead, under and over the eyes, from the nose over the cheeks, the lips and the chin.
Finish the facial massage with a gentle stroking motion from the left side of the lower jaw to the right side of the lower jaw and vice versa.
If there is not enough oil on your fingers, dip them in the warm oil from time to time.

Neck

Now stroke from the lower jaw to the back of the neck and then up and down the neck. Grasp the back of the neck from above and stroke forward down the neck. The downward strokes are done with light pressure and the upward strokes without pressure. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times.

Armed

Take some oil in your right hand and spread it over your left shoulder, elbow and wrist in a circular motion. The circles should be small and strong on the strong arm muscles and slightly larger and delicate on the joints.
Now stroke the muscles of the upper and lower arm along its contours from top to bottom and gently run your fingers up the outer arm again. Repeat this process a few times in a harmonious rhythm and finally stroke the arm from the shoulder towards the wrist again.
Perform the same massage sequence with the left hand on the right arm.

hands

From the outside of your wrist, sweep down the back of your hand and treat each finger individually, sliding the thumb and forefinger of the massaging hand toward the tip of the finger and then slightly twisting and pulling on the finger from there.
Then use the thumb of one hand to rub the palm of the other hand. Start at the palm of your hand and work your way down the palms of your hands to the base of your fingers. Repeat the same massage sequence on the other hand.

hull

Now comes a large-area oiling of the hull. Start at the shoulder and massage in large circles over the chest to the bottom of the ribs. Always work outward from the inner midline of the sternum, making small, firm massage movements on the sternum bones and ribs.
Now take a little fresh oil and gently circle around the entire abdomen starting from your navel in a spiral. To support intestinal peristalsis, you should always stroke in a clockwise direction and do not exert any pressure in the lower abdomen.
Then gently massage the spine and the back of the coccyx upwards as far as your arms can reach up your back. Please do not put any pressure on the spine, just make a loving stroking movement.
Also massage the lateral back over the costal arches to the tips of the shoulders.

legs and feet

Finally, the legs and feet are massaged with oil. Start on the buttocks with large clockwise circular motions. Now go down the right leg and massage it with both hands, using one to stroke the inside and the other to the outside of the thigh. If you suffer from water retention or cellulite, emphasize the movement leading to the torso with vigorous strokes.
Now stroke the front of the lower leg and gently circle around the kneecap. Then it goes down to the ankles, around which you also gently circle.
Now go from the ankle over the Achilles heel to the calf and finally massage the leg again from the ankle up over the back of the knee to the thigh.
Repeat the same process with the other leg, turning to your feet to finish.
Gently stroke your feet from the instep to the toes and massage them with small circular movements between the foot bones. Massage with small circles and gentle squeezing on each toe, just as you have already done on your fingers.
Now smear the soles of your feet with the remaining oil and also gently massage them on the sides. If you wish, you can also treat the internal organs with a small foot reflex zone massage at the end.

Sense organs and post-oiling

Finish your abhyanga by placing a drop of oil in each ear and nostril with the pad of your pinky or ring finger. Your body should now be covered in a layer of oil from head to toe. If the oil is completely absorbed in some areas, use a little more the next time so that a residue can remain on the skin. Only then is the sufficient amount of oil on your skin. The oil massage enabled you to release toxins deposited in the tissues and stimulate circulation to flush out the dissolved toxins. Now leave the oil on for 15 to 25 minutes and relax, perhaps with a little meditation exercise.

Final cleaning

Now shower off the oil with water that is as hot as possible. The classic method uses a paste made from ground chickpea flour, water and milk, which is applied to the skin before the shower. You can also use the one available at Ayurveda Paradise Peeling-Powder Udvarthana take. If this is too time-consuming for you, use a pH-neutral and particularly mild soap with oil substances so as not to destroy the effect of the Abhyanga.

The hot shower expands the body channels (scrotas) in your body. The deposits loosened by the massage can now be processed and excreted. Rub yourself vigorously after showering to stimulate blood circulation again and rest a little while lying down. This is how the detoxification process can be completed.

Source: European Academy for Ayurveda, Kerstin Rosenberg
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The dosha is determined by an Ayurveda doctor or an Ayurveda therapist. You can find a list at Association for Swiss Ayurveda Medicine & Therapy.