Basics: Look and Feel like a Goddess with Ayurvedic Body Care

*See the bottom of this post for Ayurvedic Skin Products I recommend.

Lakshmi: the goddess of prosperity, purity, generosity
and embodiment of beauty, grace and charm

Who doesn't want to feel like a goddess? Powerful, beautiful, serene, graceful, enchanting-- sounds good.

What if I told you that you could invoke your inner goddess for under $8? And that in addition to being goddess-like you'd also be decreasing the signs of aging, reducing your anxiety, sleeping better, alleviating stiffness, improving your circulation and lympathic system (the drains of the body) and making your skin luscious...

You'd be excited, right?! Great! This practice of Ayurvedic Body Care called abhyanga (translated as "anointing the body with oil") is one of the brightest jewels of Ayurveda and is a must for ladies everywhere. 

In sanskrit, many words are given multiple meanings to help us bring the word to life. One of those words is sneha which means both "love" and "oil". Abhyanga is the bathing of the body in sneha (oil=love), so you see this body care is much more than just rubbin' in some oil; it's caring for your body. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED...

1. Dosha appropriate oil which you can buy at any health food store (see below to choose your oil. Sesame a.k.a. "the king of all oils" is the default oil if you're not sure)
2. A spare towel (or two) that you don't mind getting oily
3. A warm bathroom without a draft
4. 5-15 minutes before showering/bathing

*Wondering why before showering? Because the heat from the shower allows the oil to penetrate further.

SKILL TO HAVE... Not something to add to your resume, but good to know:

HOW TO HEAT YOUR OIL 

You've got options: (I've done all four at one time or another. I find boiling my kettle for tea in the morning and using the same water for my double-boiler as in #2 is a nice routine)

1. You can heat your oil in a pan and transfer it to a bowl and wait for it to cool to a gently warm temp. 
2. You can boil a kettle of water and create a mini double boiler (medium sized bowl filled with hot water, small bowl with oil cradled inside bigger bowl) to heat your oil more gently. 
3. You can put your oil in a small plastic squeeze bottle and let it rest in a pot of hot water until oil is warm. 
4. You can buy an oil warmer. 

NO ABHYANGA WHEN...

• You're menstruating. Rest instead and look forward to getting oily after Aunt Flow leaves town. 
• You've got a high ama or toxicity condition sometimes shown by a thick white coat on the tongue. If you're not sure, you'll know pretty quickly because abhyanga will make you feel pretty terrible, heavy and bogged down. 
• If you have swollen or painful areas of the body, masses, infected or broken skin, acute chills/fever/flu, are pregnant, or have any medical condition or suspicion that this practice might not be right for you. Please consult your health-care practitioner first. 

HOW TO...

To Balance Vata:  appropriate for the winter-time and those with dry skin, vata body types (think long/skinny/lanky), those with anxiety, fatigue, tendencies towards bloating and other Vata imbalances.

• Use warmed UNTOASTED organic sesame oil. Stand on your spare towel in a warm non-drafty space in your birthday suit or similar (light robe or towel). Take some warm oil in your palm and apply it to the body using circular strokes over your joints and long strokes over the limbs. When massaging your belly, gently apply the oil going up the right side, across and down the left, following the path of your large intestine. Take extra time with the ears, feet and head/neck. Allow the oil to settle into your tissues for a few to 10 minutes after application and be sure you stay warm throughout. Follow with a warm shower or bath using soap only on the most important places. The idea is to allow some of the oil to remain on the skin. Towel off with a towel that you don't mind getting a bit oily and needing to replace in a few months time. 

• Especially for Vata: This is one of the best practices for Vata so take your time and be present with it. Take slow deep breaths as you slowly apply the oil to your body and use a heavy hand with a broad touch. Rub the oil on your limbs away from your heart and so that your applying hand goes all the way to the tip of the limb and past (i.e. shoulder to tips of fingers then off). 

To Balance Pitta:  appropriate for the summertime and those with inflammation-prone skin, pitta body types (think athletic and medium build), those with irritability, drive, competitive-tendencies and other Pitta characteristics.

• Use gently warmed organic sunflower or coconut oil. Stand on your spare towel in a warm non-drafty space in your birthday suit or similar (light robe or towel). Take some warm oil in your palm and apply it to the body using circular strokes over your joints and long strokes over the limbs. When massaging your belly, gently apply the oil going up the right side, across and down the left, following the path of your large intestine. Take extra time with the ears, feet and head/neck. In the summer, using a cooler oil on the head may feel best. Allow the oil to settle into your tissues for a few to 10 minutes after application and be sure you stay warm throughout. Follow with a warm shower or bath (note: not hot, just warm) using soap only on the most important places. The idea is to allow some of the oil to remain on the skin. Towel off with a towel that you don't mind getting a bit oily and needing to replace in a few months time. 

• Especially for Pitta: Remember this isn't just something to add to the to-do list: this is a gift for your body & mind so don't race through it or multi-task while oiling. Apply the oil to your skin with a loving non-critical eye. Rub the oil on your limbs towards your heart (see the figure below) as this improves your lymphatic circulation.  Coconut oil is the more cooling of the oils and is heavier on the skin. If you try coconut oil and feel too heavy, try the sunflower. Coconut is ideal when the mind is especially busy or stressed and you're finding it hard to settle down. 

To Balance Kapha:  appropriate for the springtime and those with cool smooth skin, kapha body types (think strong bones and smooth curves), those with mellow minds, tendencies towards lethargy in body and dullness of mind and other Kapha characteristics.

• Option for Kapha types and Vata & Pitta types outside of winter: Garshana or Ayurvedic Dry Brushing (see below for more info)

• Use gently warmed organic sesame, corn or mustard oil. Stand on your spare towel in a warm non-drafty space in your birthday suit or similar (light robe or towel). Take some warm oil in your palm and apply it to the body using circular strokes over your joints and long strokes over the limbs. When massaging your belly, gently apply the oil going up the right side, across and down the left, following the path of your large intestine. Take extra time with the ears, feet and head/neck. Allow the oil to settle into your tissues for a few to 10 minutes after application and be sure you stay warm throughout. Follow with a warm shower or bath using soap only on the most important places. The idea is to allow some of the oil to remain on the skin. Towel off with a towel that you don't mind getting a bit oily and needing to replace in a few months time. 

• Especially for Kapha: Get in touch with those gorgeous tissues of yours! Rub them deeply and feel your circulation improve! You're already more grounded naturally and blessed with beautiful skin so you can use less oil- just enough for a light coat. Feel the gentle friction of the your hands on your skin and appreciate your innate physical connection to Mother Earth. Rub the oil on your limbs towards your heart (see the figure below) as this improves your lymphatic circulation.  

For Pittas and Kaphas: rub towards your heart
Diagram from:
http://www.wealdennaturalhealth.com/dry-skin-brush.html

A NOTE ABOUT HAIR & WHY TO OIL YOUR HEAD...
My good friend Ellen once said to me, "You're so lucky because you can totally rock the oil-in-your-hair-look." What a great compliment, and one only given from one Ayurvedi to another! :)  I'm not sure it's always a winning look, but having oil in your hair feels so freaking amazing that it's definitely worth it! Applying oil to the head allows the senses to rejuvenate, the hair to grow long, strong and luscious and "removes facial wrinkles" (per Claudia Welch). Yes, it's not ideal to have oily hair (because some stays even after you shampoo twice if you're not using evil shampoo), but it's worth doing at least once a month. The benefits strongly outweigh the oily hair look for two days. And to my frizzy hair friends: it helps a lot better than any frizz-ease out there; I can attest to that. A time when it's come particularly in handy is when my mind has been in Pitta-overdrive and won't settle to let me sleep; coconut oil on the crown of your head...ahhhhhhh, sweet dreams.


GARSHANA: AYURVEDIC DRY BRUSHING
Garshana is ideal for Kapha dosha anytime and for extra lymphatic drainage on occasion for Vatas and Pittas. It's done prior to oil application (abhyanga) using dry silk gloves (the traditional method) or a natural dry brush (an acceptable method). Like Kapha abhyanga, it's done rubbing briskly towards the heart to improve circulation and movement of lymph. It gives your skin an excellent glow and is refreshing especially for those who wake feeling lack-luster. I highly recommend the gloves found here.

PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND
I am by no means an expert on beauty products, but here are my favorites:
http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Organic-Unrefined-Sesame-Oil/dp/B005A5JTL6 <-- gotta have it!
http://www.betterbotanicals.com/ <-- LOVE their sandalwood moisturizer and coriander cleanser!!
http://www.bhaktiveda.com/-- Gorgeous products! Can be found at Rainbow Grocery
http://www.shikai.com/ -- Love the gardenia with aloe body wash & their shampoos with alamaki!
http://drhauschka.com/ -- Always gorgeous. Love their make-up too.
http://www.saradausa.com/ -- I've heard great things about these oils.


Many thanks to Dr Claudia Welch for her wonderfully thorough article which I referenced in writing this post: Abhyanga: Ayurvedic Oil Massage. Please read the article if you find yourself with questions or wanting to read snippets of the Vedic text on abhyanga. 


Disclaimer; the content contained in these materials is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health care provider before taking or using any product you have seen here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking help because of something you have read here.