The holistic therapeutic science of Ayurveda is essentially a system that relates to maintaining your natural health.
Ayurveda believes “prevention is better than cure.” This axiom of prophylactic natural wellness comes true only following the age old wisdom per se.
One of the resources of sustaining natural wellness and longevity is Ayurveda massage therapy that you can learn on your own, or experience in an Ayruvedic spa.
Benefits of Ayurveda Massage
Ayurveda counsels massage as a natural therapy that helps balance the vatta dosha—or the air body humor. Regular massage gives overhaul to the body and combats dryness. Massage is also a supportive therapy for having a good night’s sleep. This is because it provides a thorough relaxation to the body as well as mind.
Ayurveda believes massage to be indispensable means of gaining nutritive strength of the tissues and muscles of your body. Ayurveda also emphasizes massage therapy to be highly beneficial for proper working of the joints, elasticity and suppleness of the skin and natural radiance of the body. Moreover, Ayurveda advocates on the significance of massage therapy to be anti-aging and versatile healing technique.
Three Areas of Essential Massage
Massage has been compared to oiling of the wheels of a chariot, which augments the overall working and increases the life of the wheels. And this process subsequently benefits the chariot. Similar is the effect of massage therapy on the human body.
Ayurveda recommends three basic areas that you need to give these massage techniques to religiously so as to maintain natural wellness and stay clear of various ailments. The three areas on the human body that need to be considered for everyday massage are:
- the head region or the scalp
- the soles of the feet
- the ears
Three Kinds of Massage Oil Application
Applying oil onto the body is a natural remedial measure that the ancient therapeutic science of Ayurveda has at all times given magnitude to. This is mainly because this simple, yet natural, process is a supportive natural therapy by the virtue of which functioning of the body improves.
There are three kinds of processes of oil application to the body.
Abhyanga Massage Oil Technique: This is the therapy which relates to thorough massage of the entire body. The virtues of massage therapy includes making the body soft, slimy and supple, providing strength and nourishment to tissues and muscles of the body, crafting natural radiance, and cleansing of the skin.
Ayurveda signifies Abhyanga or massage therapy to be naturally supportive for balancing the vitiated vatta dosha or the air body humor.
Sinchana Massage Oil Technique: This is the second process of Avurveda massage oil application. Sinchana means immersing the body parts in copious oil. This process is believed to pacify the aggravated vatta, as in arthritis where there is increased pain and weakness in the body. Medicinal herb oil preparations are also used in Ayurveda therapy for the purpose of Sinchana, mainly in healing of wounds, fractures, scalds, burns and bruise cases.
Avaghana Massage Oil Technique: The third oil application in Ayurveda is Avagahana.This is the process by the virtue of which the medicinal massage oil is made to enter the minute pores of the skin, thereby providing strength to all tissues and improving blood circulation in the body.
Significance of Massage in Ayurveda
Vatta dosha or the air humor of the body is believed to be present in the skin and related tissues. Thus massaging the skin along with application of oil tends to have a calming effect on the vatta. This process is vatta pacifying, and a natural aid to balancing the air body humor.
Some Restrictions for Massage therapy
Ayurveda forbids massage to those individuals who are suffering from ailments such as indigestion, vomiting and diarrhea, or for those who have more phlegm or kapha dosha in their system.
Dr. Sonica Krishan is an Ayurveda and Natural Lifestyle Consultant, freelance health writer, and book author based in Chandigarh, India. She has authored the natural home cure books Herbal Healers and Home Remedies, and is presently writing for national and international publications. She may be contacted at drsonica@herboveda.co.in or visit www.herboveda.co.in.
