Abhyanga for Self Love

Abhyanga is a part of Ayurveda’s dinacharya or daily routine, a primary healing tool of Ayurveda. Abhyanga translates to “self-anoint,” and it is a luxurious self-care and biohacking treatment where one ceremonially lathers their entire body with warm oil from head to toe.

Oil in Sanskrit is “sneha,” which also means “love. So applying oil to your body is one of the most powerful practices of self-love.

This daily touch is a ritual in deep self-loving and nourishment.

A daily abhyanga practice restores the balance of the doshas and enhances well-being and longevity. Regular abhyanga is especially grounding and relaxing for the vata dosha, but everyone substantially benefits from this practice.

If you’re feeling flighty, disconnected, ungrounded, are experiencing a lack of juiciness (both physically and emotionally) or are looking to deepen your spiritual practice this healing art form is for you (so… everyone).

Benefits of Abhyanga:

• Builds radiance

• Tones the skin and muscles

• Stimulates lymphatic detoxification

• Increases blood circulation

• Feeds a healthy skin microbiome

• Smoothes the skin, prevents wrinkles, & improves the sense of touch

• Stills the mind and helps promote deep sleep

• Heals the body faster

• Grounds the spirit

• Calms the nervous system

• *Clinically proven to reduce stress, heart rate, & blood pressure

Prana, or life force, is the vital essence that gives us vibrancy and impacts the energy made available to use in our daily lives. Abhyanga increases a steady and well-dispersed flow of Prana throughout the body.

“The body of one who uses oil massage regularly does not become affected much even if subjected to accidental injuries, or strenuous work. By using oil massage daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, trimmed body parts and becomes strong, charming and least affected by old age.”

—Charaka Samhita Vol. 1, V: 88-89 (Ancient Ayurvedic Text)