Self-Love and Self-Care with Abhyanga
So many of us are struggling with anxiety. How could we not? Look at the state of the world, our political landscape, social injustice, and the daily demands on us in our personal and professional lives. It's so much!
In this 3-part series, I will help you ease your anxiety with small, important (but doable!) changes to your diet and lifestyle. Learn more about Ayurveda HERE!
Part 3
Self-Love and Self-Care with Abhyanga
If you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, tension, or need an easy immunity boost, Abhyanga is the thing to do!
This simple and yummy Ayurvedic oil massage (mmmmmm🥰) is known as the “fountain of youth” and is easy, relaxing, and beneficial for all doshas.
Don’t know your dosha yet? Take my quick, free assessment here, and get diet and lifestyle tips to benefit your unique mind-body constitution.
This self-massage technique really relaxes vata, which is related to dryness. Dryness manifests in the nervous system as anxiety and as dry skin, hair, and dry or gassy digestive tract (in the gut). It also soothes pitta, which is related to stress and inflammation in the body and brain. Abhyanga also helps boost lymphatic cleansing, aiding in weight loss for kapha.
It’s a short and sweet self-massage, traditionally done before you shower.
Here’s How to Do It:
Make sure the bathroom is warm
Get naked and lay out a towel on your bathmat
Choose your dosha-specific oil. I get mine (vata) from Banyan Botanicals.
Or just use a plain (unfragranced, organic) sesame oil for vata and kapha and, coconut oil for pitta
Start to gently rub oil on your feet, then up each leg
Use circular strokes on joints and long strokes on bones: shins, thighs, forearms, etc
Massage your abdomen in clockwise motion to follow the natural direction of your digestion
Massage breasts, then up neck, shoulders and even your face
Then lay on your towel and let the oil soak in as you breathe, relax, and meditate for at least 5 minutes
Slowly move into your warm shower and rinse off the oil.
No need for soap in the shower, and no need to moisturize afterwards!
The warm water will usher the oil deep into your pores and nourish your skin and soothe your nervous system.
I did my abhyanga last night and feel so much more moisturized and relaxed today 🥰 Hop over to find out your dosha so you’ll know your best oil choice!
What’s your dosha? Have you tried oil massage? If so, let me know what you think!
What are you working on right now? Hormone balance, weight loss, anxiety? I want to hear more about it, and offer you some natural options.
Click HERE to schedule a fun, free holistic chat with me, and we’ll dive in together.
Living in alignment with your dosha is like unlocking your unique health code.
You can feel amazing - without resorting to pills, self-deprivation or endless doctor visits. My Beautifully Balanced program combines Functional Medicine with Ayurveda to help women transform their health and lives naturally - in just 3 months. I’d love to support you too.
