Ayurvedic massage combines the 5,000-year-old Indian principles of Ayurveda—the science of life—and pressure points. This type of massage is designed to create balance among the mind, body, and spirit, and help the body heal itself.
The Ayurvedic practice of abhyanga, or oil massage, touts physical benefits like released muscle tension, lymphatic drainage, and more nourished skin from head to toe. It stands out from other massages due to its focus on the skin, rather than just the underlying muscles—from the oils used to the circulation-stimulating movements, it’s more like a facial massage for your whole body. For someone used to massages that my body like the lump of pizza dough popular wisdom (you are what you eat!) says it is, abhyanga isn’t that.
The heavy use of essential oils and focus on specific energy points in the body makes an Ayurvedic massage different from your run-of-the-mill Swedish massage. Plus, don't expect a ton of actual massaging—the treatment is much more focused on manipulating your energy fields and freeing emotional burden than working out the kinks in your muscles.
Although there is a specific massage sequence and therapeutic technique associated with Ayurveda’s abhyanga massage, each session is tailored to the individual and their unique dosha.” According to Ayurveda, combinations of the elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth) called doshas occur naturally within all of us. The elements should be in a perfect ratio, but in most people, they’re a little off: you might have too much Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), or Kapha (water and earth). Ayurveda attempts to even them out.
Your therapist’s main goal is relaxation, and in India, the practice is tied deeply to the notion of self-care. “Sneha is the root word for this type of massage in Sanskrit,
The Ayurvedic practice of abhyanga, or oil massage, touts physical benefits like released muscle tension, lymphatic drainage, and more nourished skin from head to toe. It stands out from other massages due to its focus on the skin, rather than just the underlying muscles—from the oils used to the circulation-stimulating movements, it’s more like a facial massage for your whole body. For someone used to massages that my body like the lump of pizza dough popular wisdom (you are what you eat!) says it is, abhyanga isn’t that.
The heavy use of essential oils and focus on specific energy points in the body makes an Ayurvedic massage different from your run-of-the-mill Swedish massage. Plus, don't expect a ton of actual massaging—the treatment is much more focused on manipulating your energy fields and freeing emotional burden than working out the kinks in your muscles.
Although there is a specific massage sequence and therapeutic technique associated with Ayurveda’s abhyanga massage, each session is tailored to the individual and their unique dosha.” According to Ayurveda, combinations of the elements (air, space, fire, water, and earth) called doshas occur naturally within all of us. The elements should be in a perfect ratio, but in most people, they’re a little off: you might have too much Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), or Kapha (water and earth). Ayurveda attempts to even them out.
Your therapist’s main goal is relaxation, and in India, the practice is tied deeply to the notion of self-care. “Sneha is the root word for this type of massage in Sanskrit,