Instructions for Ayurveda Abhyanga self-massage

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

Start your massage with the head and end with the feet. For the whole body you need about 40-50 ml of oil, which you warm up in the preparation phase and pour into a heat-retaining container. Before the first self-massage, the 40 ml of oil may seem like a lot, but you will see that (almost) all of the oil is used up, as in Ayurvedic massage we always apply oil until the oil lies like a coat on the skin.

Before you begin, relax briefly and breathe in and out deeply. Do you feel relaxed and calm inside? Then you can begin the massage:

Head

• Drip some oil onto the middle parting and massage the oil into your scalp in small circular movements towards your ears, just like you would shampoo.
• Now bend your head slightly forward and apply some oil to the hairline at the back of your neck. Now massage with light circular movements along the back of your head towards your ears.

ears

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

Face

• Dip your fingertips in the oil and massage your forehead in circular movements, starting from the center and working outwards. Feel what pressure and speed are most comfortable for you.
• Then stroke the entire face from the middle outwards - over the forehead, under and above 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 left on your fingers, dip them in the warm oil every now and then.

Neck

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

poor

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

hands

• Stroke from the outside of the wrist down the back of the hand and treat each individual finger by stroking with the thumb and index finger of the massaging hand towards the fingertip and then gently twisting and pulling on the finger from there.
• Then use the thumb of one hand to massage the palm of the other hand. Start at the ball of the hand and work your way across the palms to the base of the fingers. Repeat the same massage process on the other hand.

hull

• Now comes a large area of ​​oil on the torso. Start at the shoulder and massage in large circles over the chest to the end of the ribs. Always work from the inner center line of the breastbone outwards and make small, strong massage movements on the breastbone and ribs.
• Now take a little new oil and gently circle your entire abdomen in a spiral, starting from your belly button. To support intestinal peristalsis, you should always stroke in a clockwise direction and not apply any pressure to the lower abdomen.
• Then gently massage the spine and back from the tailbone upwards, as far as your arms can reach up the back. Please do not put any pressure on the spine, just use a loving stroking motion.
• Also massage the sides of the back over the rib cage to the tips of the shoulders.

legs and feet

• Finally, the legs and feet are massaged with oil. Start on the buttocks with large circular movements in a clockwise direction. Now go down the right leg and massage it with both hands, stroking the inside of the thigh with one hand and the outside with the other. 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 go down to the ankles and also gently circle around them.
• Now go from the ankle over the Achilles heel to the calf and finally massage the leg once again from the ankle up over the back of the knee to the thigh.
• Repeat the same process with the other leg and finish by turning to the feet.
• Gently stroke your feet from the instep to the toes and massage them with small circular movements between the bones of the foot. Massage each toe separately with small circles and light pulling, just as you did with your fingers.
• Now rub the remaining oil onto the soles of your feet and gently massage the sides as well. If you want, you can also finish off by treating the internal organs with a small foot reflexology massage.

sensory organs and re-oiling

Finish your Abhyanga by putting a drop of oil in each ear and nostril using the tip of your little or ring finger. Your body should now be covered in a layer of oil from head to toe. If the oil has been completely absorbed in some areas, use a little more the next time so that a little remains on the skin. Only then will there be enough oil on your skin. The oil massage has released deposited toxins in the tissues and stimulated circulation to flush out the dissolved toxins. Now let the oil take effect for 15 to 25 minutes and relax, perhaps with a short meditation exercise.

Final cleaning

Now shower off the oil with the hottest water possible. The classic method involves using a paste made from ground chickpea flour, water and milk, which is applied to the skin before showering.You can also use the Ayurveda Paradise  peeling powder Udvarthana take.

If this is too much work for you, use a pH-neutral and particularly mild soap with oily 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 eliminated. After showering, rub yourself vigorously to stimulate blood circulation again and rest a little while lying down. This allows the detoxification process to be completed.

Source: European Academy of Ayurveda, Kerstin Rosenberg