Hi there welcome to Banyan botanicals
My name is Alicia Diaz, and I'm here today to share with you one of the most grounding and nourishing practices in Ayurveda called, Abhyanga
Abhyanga is the Ayurvedic term for self warm oil massage
here are the things that you'll need to complete your oil massage at home a
squeezable bottle with about 2 ounces or a quarter cup of your favorite massage oil a pot with hot water a
large towel to sit on and
The warm space so that you don't feel cold, or have any drafts while doing your massage
First place the bottle of oil in the pot of hot water for about 5 minutes before you start your massage
When it's comfortably warm take a small amount of oil in your hands and rub your hands together
Start by massaging your scalp
Use your fingertips to really work the oil into your scalp even gently tugging up the roots of your hair
With each step take more oil in your hands as you need
Next move your hands to your face making circular motions over your forehead and temples
cheeks nose upper lip and chin
Pay special attention to your ears
Massaging the whole outer ear and then placing a small amount of oil on your small finger to massage the ear canal
Use long strokes to massage the front of the neck and the collarbone then the back of the neck and upper shoulders
Firm long strokes help move lymph to drain toxins give attention to the length of the muscles and
provide the most grounding touch for the body
Next move to the arms using long strokes to massage the long bones of the arm
Move from the outside towards the center of the body to bring fluids and lymph back into circulation
Then use circular strokes to massage the joints the shoulders elbows and wrists
Pay special attention to your hands massaging the palms as well as the knuckles and small joints of each
individual finger
Complete one arm and then the other
Moving on to your torso massage the chest with circular motions
Also massage the armpits towards the center of the body
Women should pay particular attention to the breasts as massaging this tissue can help drain lymph and keep the tissue healthy
Continue massaging the front of the torso with large circular motions over the entire abdomen
Starting at the bottom right hand corner and moving up and over to the left and back
Around this motion follows the direction of bowel flow and supports healthy bowel function while massaging the rest of the abdominal and pelvic
Organ be sure to reach under the rib cage to massage the liver pancreas and spleen
Once you finish the front of the torso massage the sides and flanks of the body with long firm strokes
Reaching all the way from the upper ribcage to the hips
Continue the long strokes to reach as much of the back as possible
Complete the back area by massaging the lower back and then naturally move to your hips
massage your hips with large circular strokes
And the move your attention to the buttocks
Using both long strokes and small circular motions with your fingertips and thumbs to release any areas of tension
Finally massage your legs and feet as you did your arms use long strokes on the long bones
Moving fluid and lymph back to the center of the body
Use circular strokes on the joints the knee ankles and small joints of the foot
Pay special attention to the sole of the foot and also the toes
This completes your daily warm oil self massage a tradition in Ayurveda
That says will help nourish and replenish the skin tone the muscles calm and soothe the entire nervous system
Revitalize and energize the cells of the body
awaken and tune up the functioning of internal organs and
optimize the body's ability to flush and remove toxins it can even support healthy sleep patterns and energy as
You adopt this practice we offer the following five practical tips to make the process easier
1 keep a separate towel for this daily habit as it's difficult to get the smell of oil out of towels
2 when you wash your hair first apply the shampoo before you wet your hair 3 take a warm bath or shower
After your massage to drive the benefits deeper 4 minimize the use of soap
5 take caution walking with oil on your feet as it can be easy to slip and fall
In choosing your oil you can simply go with clean organic sesame oil or you can choose one of the Vata Pitta
Or cuff a specific oils to get the added
Nourishment of those herbs into your body if you're curious what your body Constitution is you can visit us at Banyan botanicals
Calm and take our Constitution quiz then you can decide which of the oils you'd like to enjoy, so we'll see you soon
And enjoy your oil massage
You