Abhyanga is an Ayurvedic treatment you can do for yourself. Like food for your skin, warm oil (sesame, sunflower or coconut) massaged into your body relieves fatigue and rejuvenates the mind and body while lubricating the joints and making the skin soft and supple. This is traditionally performed in the morning to get your circulation moving and remove the toxins that accumulate during the night. However you can also try it in the evening to promote restful sleep.
In Sanskrit the word sneha means both “oil” and “love”, Abhyanga is like saturating yourself with love! Let the oil soak in for up to 15 minutes to penetrate the subtle channels, then take a hot bath or shower.
The benefits are numerous and include; soft, supple, beautiful skin, tones the muscles, lubricates the joints, slows down aging, nourishes the body, promotes restful sleep, stimulates the systems of the body, enhances circulation, calms the nervous system, increases immunity…
A nice wintertime habit is to massage warm sesame oil into your feet before bedtime. Wear a pair of natural fiber socks at least until you won’t get oil all over your sheets. This is also an excellent practice before getting on a plane at any time of the year.
In addition, if you find yourself dry from the heater always running, anoint your nostrils and ears with sesame oil.
Be sure to use cold pressed organic oil.
After about a week see if you notice any differences. I’d love to hear about them! Please share on my Facebook Page.
[…] If you suffer from dry skin and are wondering what to do, check out my previous post, The Magic of Oil. […]