What is Ayurvedic massage?
Ayurveda, India’s ancient system of healing has long understood the many benefits of massage and employed various forms of massage as part of both palliative (Shamana) and purificatory (Shodhana) therapies. Intentional touch, guided by the principles of Ayurveda has enormous power to return both body and mind to a blissful state of health and wellbeing.
The various techniques and considerations of Ayurvedic massage that we will explore have been laid out in many vedic texts including the brhat trayi (the great three texts including Caraka, Sushruta and Vagbhata) as well as Bhavaprakasha and Yogaratnakara. In ancient times, these methodologies were employed for various reasons including to support warriors and athletes, for the purposes of virilization and of course for healing such as in postpartum care and for preventative purposes.
Basic principles of the five elements and three doshas in Ayurveda
Ayurveda understands that all matter is composed of the five great elements; space, air, fire, water and earth. When these five basic elements manifest in the body, the elements are grouped into three doshas. The doshas, also known as the three key concepts of Ayurveda are Vata which is composed of space and air, Pitta which is made up of fire and water and Kapha which is water and earth elements combined. All Ayurvedic treatment is based on treating the doshas that get increased or vitiated, with their opposite qualities.
Individualized care:
Ayurvedic massages, like all other Ayurvedic treatments, are tailored to fit the needs of the individual recipient. Factors such as the individual’s unique constitution (Prakruti) and current state of imbalance of the doshas (Vikruti) inform choices made by the practitioner when planning and executing a treatment. Other important considerations are the state of the individual’s digestive fire (Agni) and level of toxins in the body (Ama).
The choice of which Ayurvedic massage techniques to employ; whether they should be more stimulating or calming to the system, affects and balances out different doshas; for example Vata and Pitta disorders can benefit from gentle, smooth and soothing strokes, whereas Kapha conditions can benefit from more heat being generated, stimulation and an increase in circulation.
Another key factor is the choice of oil with both the base or carrier oil and herbs that are infused into the base being used intentionally to mitigate specific doshic imbalances. Sesame oil, with its heavy and warming qualities works well to calm Vata dosha, cooling coconut or sunflower oil work well for Pitta, and lighter, heating oils such as mustard can be used in Kapha conditions.
For a Vata person or condition, large amounts of oil would be used, for Pitta a moderate amount of oil and for Kapha a small amount of oil.
When there is a significant amount of Ama in the body, massage with oil is contraindicated due to the fact that most oils, having similar heavy, sticky and unctuous qualities as Ama itself, can exacerbate those conditions. Dry rubbing with herbal powders, also known as Udvartana, might be employed instead in these cases.
In this way, we can start to appreciate how in Ayurvedic massage every aspect of the treatment, from the massage strokes to the choice of oil or herbs can be tailored and targeted to correct the present imbalance by Ayurveda’s classic ‘like-increases-like’ philosophy.
Special considerations for Vata and the mind
According to Samkhya philosophy, the air element is associated with the sense of touch (Sparshendriya). Vata dosha, being made up of the air and space elements, is particularly influenced and pacified by touch. The mind, being associated with all the elements but specifically the subtlest air and space elements, can also particularly benefit from healing touch. Thus, ayurvedic massage is particularly useful in the treatment of Vata dosha and mental health concerns.
That being said, the customizable aspect of Ayurvedic healing massage will also lend itself well to supporting Kapha and Pitta concerns, particularly with reference to circulation and complexion issues respectively. Much of the physical structure and function of the skin (Tvak) is governed by bhrajaka pitta, responsible for the color, complexion and luster of the body’s largest organ. Oil and herbs in the form of pastes or directly infused to those oils are said to nourish the agni of the skin, just as food nourishes our internal digestion. By feeding the skin in this way, repeatedly or regularly, these substances will penetrate to the deeper tissues, including the nerves, muscles, bones and organs as well as improve the quality and resilience of the skin itself.
Categories of massage:
Abhyanga
Perhaps the most well known of Ayurvedic massage techniques, Abhyanga refers to the practice of oiling the body. It can be practiced on one’s own body (self-massage) or given as a treatment by one or even two practitioners for a four-handed massage. As discussed, when applied topically, herbalized oils carry the medicinal properties of herbs into the skin and deeper tissues to unfold healing. The practice of external oleation is accompanied by internal oleation in deep cleansing procedures such as Panchakarma to loosen toxins and release the doshas that have accumulated in the body.
‘Snehan’ in Sanskrit means both oil and love. Oil is the physical manifestation of love and oil massage is equivalent to harmonizing the cells of the body with a vibration of love and radiance. Generally speaking, except in cases of high Ama and Kapha, oil is a central tenet of Ayurvedic massage. There are many special herbalized oil formulations in Ayurveda such as Mahanarayan tailam, used specifically in pain conditions and Dhanvantaram tailam, named after the god of Ayurveda, Dhanvantari, one of the best oils for Vata pacification.
Massage with powders and pastes
Udvartana, or massage with dry and hot herbal powders can be especially helpful in alleviating Vata and Kapha conditions. Udsadana refers to this type of massage with dry herbs and is useful for cosmetic and beautification procedures and udgarshana, massage with herbal pastes (herbs mixed with water or oil) is useful in alleviating other skin conditions.
Additional categories of ayurvedic massage are named according to body location; Deha samvahana or deha mardana are terms used to describe massage of the whole body, while head massage is called kesha mardana.
Strokes and directionality:
Anuloma/pratiloma are sanskrit terms used to describe the direction of massage strokes; away from and towards the heart respectively. Either one or both directions have specific effects and may be employed during a massage; for example pratiloma massage may be employed to stimulate lymph flow and varicosity while anuloma will help to calm the mind and ground Vata.
Ayurvedic massage strokes:
Garshana/ Mardana – friction
Peedana – Kneading
Udvesthana – Twisting/ wringing
Praharana – Percussion
Trashana – Stroking
Sandhi Calana – Joint movements
Marma therapy:
One of the most unique aspects of Ayurvedic massage is the potential to include another Ayurvedic science; Marma therapy. Marma is the science of stimulating specific energy points on the body, which correspond to various energetic channels as well as particular organs and glands in order to restore the proper flow of prana and thus unfold healing. There are many similarities between marma and chinese acupuncture, the main difference being the size of the points; in Ayurveda, each point is a different size and can often be much large than the corresponding acupoint.
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Beatrice Voss, CAP
Beatrice is an Ayurvedic Practitioner who studied under Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute. She holds a deep reverence for the lineage of the Ayurvedic Institute, including the heart centered approach and subtle therapies of marma, pranayama and meditation which she loves to share with students.
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