The Ayurvedic Beauty Ritual Every Woman Needs To Try

There is one thing you can do to lower your blood pressure, reduce stress and slow the aging process. If you desire health, beauty and well-being, this is the one Ayurveda ritual to adopt as part of your self-care routine. If done on a daily basis, it has the potential to change your life.

The Sanskrit word for oil application, or self-massage, is Abhayanga, whose syllables specifically refer to the movement of sustenance toward all the body tissues so that they radiate health. This sustenance comes through therapeutic oils, our healing touch, our intention, and our own energy.

Ayurveda recommends warming oils to a pleasant temperature and massaging them into the body with light, firm strokes. When the body is gently anointed with warm oils, dryness is counteracted, the joints are lubricated, and the skin shines and glows with inner health. And besides all this, a warm oil massage is relaxing. What a beautiful way to begin our mornings!

In daily self-massage, the strokes are deliberately kept light (as if you are gently caressing yourself), and the hand pressure is almost imperceptible. The benefits of Ayurvedic self-massage do not accrue only from skillful manipulation of the muscles but come as well from the application of the oil. For these reasons, only natural oils such as sesame are used in massage.

Almond oil is a bit expensive for daily use, but it will leave your muscles, nerves and entire body revitalized. It is grounding and has anti-aging qualities. Almond oil can be mixed with sesame for daily use as well.

To perform Abhayanga, you only need ten minutes. Make it part of your morning routine. This is also ideal because you won't have eaten yet, and it's important that your stomach is empty. You can drink water right before a massage, but you should wait at least two hours after eating to massage.

1. Take half a cup of oil, warm it gently in a tiny crockpot or oil warmer, and lavishly apply it to your body. You can also use a squeeze bottle and heat the oil by placing the bottle in warm water.

2. Close your eyes, slow your breath, and focus on the sensation as you massage your body with gentle strokes.

3. After you have covered your body with oil, shower with hot water (or, if you have time, take a hot soak). It might sound weird, but Ayurvedic practices suggest self-massaging with oil before we bathe, not after. This is an important part of the treatment.

The oil will come off with any natural soap or scrub. I especially recommend Green Mung lentil flour.

If you can't practice self-massage daily, do it once a week, but spend a bit more time with the process—at least 25-30 minutes. Oil your scalp on weekends, or whenever you have extra time. Massage oil into your hair, including the ends. It will condition your hair, nourish your roots, and reduce frizz and split ends.

Ayurvedic massage works, first and foremost, at the energetic level—the prana. It soothes the nervous system and mind, which is then borne out in all of the other systems of the body. This is why daily Ayurvedic massage releases emotional tension, discharges pent-up memories, and leaves you feeling cheerful, optimistic, and deeply relaxed.