One of my most favourite self care rituals is self-massage. This grounding practice can easily be incorporated into your daily morning or before bed routine. Self massage, traditionally known as Abhyanga in Ayurvedic science, is a nurturing practice that helps to strengthen the body, calm the mind and nourish the tissues.

With most of the country in isolation or practicing social distancing rules, massage therapist all over have had to close their doors to clients for the unforeseeable future.

For many clients this uncertainty poses a difficult road ahead for those that rely on professional massage therapy for the management of pain relief, stress, anxiety, mobility, flexibility, injuries and the overall health and well-being of the body, mind and soul.

So how can we take our health and well-being into our own hands and what can we do when we can't visit our massage therapist? Well, the ayurvedic practice of abhyanga - self massage might just be the answer you're looking for.

Abhyanga - self massage is a nurturing, grounding  form of ayurvedic massage that uses warm oil to nourish the body and to assist in the balancing of the doshas.

Ayurveda is the health science of India and the sister science to yoga. Ayurveda teaches us how to live in harmony with mother nature. By observing the elements and changes occurring, we can easily adapt these changes into our lifestyle in order to feel balanced and come into harmony with these elemental rhythms.

Ayurveda recognises that each season brings different qualities that have a direct impact on our bodies intelligence and well-being.

Finding ourselves in autumn at this time of year we notice that our environment starts to become cooler, the days start to shorten and the leaves are falling from the trees. They are dry, crisp and rough, all qualities of vata, one of the three doshas that govern our bodies intelligence.

Vata, ether and air intelligence is strongest in autumn and has a wind like nature bringing variability and is constantly shifting. In order to retain a balanced state of being we need to incorporate practices that have the opposite qualities; stability, grounding, warm, nourishing and regularity.

Considering our present conditions and the seasonal characteristics, abhyanga is a simple yet very effective routine to welcome into your self-care regime.

• Calms and soothes the nervous system
• Nourishes the body and rejuvenates the mind
• Alleviates stiffness, roughness and fatigue in the body
• Relaxes the entire body, leaving you feeling amazing
• Helps to loosen and release toxins from the body
• Naturally boosts your immune system
• Decreases the effects of aging
• Very nurturing and grounding promoting a deeper, more restful sleep
  
• Increases circulation and stimulates the internal organs
• Brings strength, well-being and vitality and is a great way to maintain balance and keep yourself in optimal health

The skin is the largest organ in the body by weight and has a role in the excretion and absorption of substances into and out of the body. Basically, this means that what ever you apply to your skin moves into your entire body.

I only like to use products that I feel comfortable eating so try to use products that you would feel good about putting in your mouth.

There are different types of oils that are recommended for each dosha; vata, pitta, kapha but for the purpose of this post and ease of getting started with this nourishing self-care ritual I'll keep it simple.

Your skin and body loves the warm therapeutic experience and healing benefits of self massage so be sure to use good quality oils, not synthetic oils like baby oil or lotions that contain loads of nasty chemicals that dont belong in the body. I recommend sesame oil, coconut oil, almond oil or apricot kernal oil. Make sure that your oils are 100% pure, cold pressed, extra virgin and if possible organic.

Start by warming the oil. Simply pour or scoop the required amount of oil into your oil warmer, light the candle and leave to warm.

If you don't have an oil warmer, place your oil into a plastic bottle and then place the bottle in a cup of hot water to heat. While your oil is warming get your room ready and prepare for your massage.

The bathroom is the best place to practice. Use a small heater to warm the room to a comfortable temperature and lay a towel down over the floor.

You might like to light a candle, dim the lights or turn off artificial lighting, put some soothing, calm music on and make the room as relaxing as you can. Once the oil is warm you're good to go.

• Start on the left for females, right for male.
• Take warm oil into the palm of your hand, apply to the foot and start to move towards the ankle. Take your time. Massage each toe and work the oil into your feet, using circular motions around the ankles.
• Use long strokes and move up into the calf muscle.
• Use circular motions around the knee, encouraging warmth.
• Moving up into the thigh and back of the leg using long, vigorous strokes towards the heart. Try using a circular stroke on the back of the legs, whilst maintaining the upward flow. Repeat on the opposite leg.
• Apply oil to the belly with a soft circular motion. Start on the left at the top of your belly and move down and then across to your right and up towards the top of your belly and back across to the left.
• Massage in a circular motion around the chest/breast area.
• Move to the back of your body, using upward moving strokes from your buttock/hip area, reaching up as far as you can.
• Arms, remember left for female and right for male, apply oil to the hands and work it into the fingers and the palm of your hand. Use long strokes towards the shoulders, paying particular attention to your wrists, elbows and shoulders, using circular motions to warm the joints.
• Massage into the neck from the shoulders. Work out any tension you are carrying.
• Pour remaining oil onto the top of your head, vigorously massaging into your scalp.
• Finish by massaging your ears, starting at the top and moving down towards your ear lobe.
• If you have the time allow the oil to soak into the body for at least half an hour before showering.
• Have a spare bath robe and a thick pair of socks especially for your abhyanga practice. ready to put on once you have finished. You can now go about your morning routines.

Abhyanga is best done in the morning before your daily shower, but can also be practiced at the end of your day if you can’t find the time in the mornings. You can practice daily, three times a week or once a week or however often it flows for you.

Taking time to check in with oneself is a rewarding and deeply healing experience, an enjoyable act of self love. It allows you to connect with your body, check in with how your feeling, ease pain or discomfort in the body and maintain a deep sense of peace, well-being and balance.

I hope you find abhyanga - self massage to be an enjoyable part of your self care regime. Let me know if you try it and how your experience was in the comments below.

You can also print out a FREE Step-BY-Step Guide below to make life that little more easeful...Enjoy!