Add Love To Your Life With Abhyanga Daily Oil Massage

Heavy Massage © by w00kie

The good news is that you do not need an elephant to have a great massage.

Massage is actually something that you can do for yourself every day.

The massage I am referring to is an oil massage which feels luxurious – like a dose of love – and detoxes as well.

Abhyanga

One of the most valued daily health practices in Ayurveda is oil massage called abhyanga.

Abhyanga, the Sanskrit word for oil, is the practice of pouring herbal oil on the body and massaging the  oil into the body to help restore and maintain balance. It is a daily massage practice for promoting general health or it can be part of the Ayurveda detoxification program called panchakarma. Sesame oil is the most commonly used oil for self-massage.

From a health perspective according to The Ayurveda Encyclopedia, abhyanga benefits the lymphatic system which carries nutrients to and remove toxins from the cells. Increasing nourishment and reducing toxins helps highly sensitive people by supporting their sensitive nervous systems from unnecessary toxic overload.

Health Benefits of Abhyanga

The Ayurveda Encyclopedia lists the following additional benefits of abhyanga:

1. reverses and prevents aging
2. releases fatigue and stress
3. heals and prevents nervous system disorders
4. helps vision
5. nourishes the body and improves sturdiness
6. remedies insomnia
7. promotes electrochemical balance in the body
8. prevents dehydration in the skin
9. strengthens nerves
10. helps the electromagnetic field of the body
11. strengthens the immune system by increasing antibodies.

These important benefits of a daily oil massage provide help for highly sensitive people because the oil goes into the skin, tissues and the nerves providing relief for stress, insomnia and fatigue which we are all affected by.

When the massage is done daily, it helps prevent the buildup of stress and nerve damage in the body. Unlike medication for stress and nerves, oil massage doesn’t have any side effects. A daily abhyanga practice keeps skin supple and helps reverse the aging that comes with the buildup of toxins.

How Abhyanga Makes You Feel

When doing your daily oil massage, the first step is to warm the oil.  When you put the oil on your skin and scalp you can feel the warm nourishment of it. When you massage the skin you are making sure that the medicated oil is absorbed to benefit as much of your body as possible. It takes 5-10 minutes depending on how much massaging of the oil you decide to do.

When you complete the massage, you shower or bathe and groom your hair.  Your hair will feel silky and healthy.  The massage on your skin will give you a feeling of joyful lightness as you go through your day.  I think that the self massage feels like you have received some love and as a result you have the feeling of being protected during the day.  It causes you to feel better, have a more positive outlook, and therefore have a better day.

For highly sensitive people who need every help they can get, oil massage is an easy way to obtain many health benefits, reduce stress and strengthen their nervous systems.  It detoxes, and because it is a great form of self-care, it can be thought of as an affirmation. The Ayurvedic practice of abhyanga is perfect way for HSP’s to take excellent care of themselves.

Related articles

• The Seven Gifts of Ayurveda. ~ Aparna Khanolkar(elephantjournal.com)

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About the Author

Maria Hill is the webmaster for HSP Health and HSP Health Blog. She is a long time meditator, reiki master, student of alternative health and Ayurveda. Maria is an abstract painter at Infinite Shape and also very interested in animal and human rights and the environment. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or the HSP Health Google+ page.