What is it ?
Abhyanga massage is the best known and most popular Ayurvedic massage. The word Abhyanga comes from Sanskrit (the ancient language of India) abhi meaning “directed towards” and anga meaning “movement”. The movements of abhyanga go from the heart to the extremities. The objective is to circulate energies and balance them within the body.
All parts of the body are massaged with hot oil, from the tiptoes to the top of the head.
In India this is a very common practice. Children from the age of 6 are invited to massage other members of their family.
Ayurveda gives a very important place to this massage. It is part of dinacharya (Ayurvedic rituals performed daily) and as such it is recommended to do it every day. It can be performed as a self-massage or by a professional.
For whom ?
This massage is particularly suitable for people with Vata or those with a Vata imbalance.
It can also be interesting for Pitta people.
On the other hand, for people with a strong Kapha imbalance it is preferable to perform an Ayurvedic lymphatic massage (Garshan and Udvartan).
As a reminder, the Vata dosha, the energy of movement, is made up of air and ether. Pitta, the energy of transformation, is composed of fire and water. Kapha, the dosha of consolidation, is made up of earth and water.
The oil is thus chosen according to the person's constitution, their imbalances and the season.
Sesame oil for Vata, coconut oil for Pitta and mustard oil for Kapha.
As is often the case in Ayurveda, this massage is intended to be preventive. Through its action, it intends to maintain a state of harmony in the body and soothe the mind. State of harmony necessary to avoid the appearance of imbalances and ultimately disease. However, in the event of an imbalance, abhyanga, through its gentle, nourishing and soothing action, can be an interesting Ayurveda tool to restore this state of harmony.
Benefits
The benefits of abhyanga are multiple.
First of all, this massage soothes the Vata dosha.
The Vata dosha has the following qualities : light, dry, rough, cold, subtle, unstable and shifting. When a dosha is out of balance, we come to rebalance it with its opposing qualities.
The massage oil is hot (acts on the “cold” quality), oily (acts on the “dry” quality) and smooth (acts on the “rough” quality). The massage movements help to anchor the person (acts on the “moving” quality).
Abhyanga massage relaxes and relaxes both body and mind. In this sense, it improves the quality of sleep and soothes the nervous system.
The movements performed during the massage allow energy to circulate better within the body, which helps to boost the immune system.
All parts of the body are massaged, including the abdominal region, to improve digestion.
Finally, the oil being heated can thus nourish the skin and deeply nourish the different tissues of the body.
Contraindications
It is not recommended to do an abhyanga when you are sick. In particular all diseases involving excess mucus such as the common cold, when you have a fever, in case of nausea and vomiting, phlebitis or in cases of infections and indigestion.
This is explained by the fact that the body must concentrate on overcoming illness and by the fact that circulating energies promote the circulation of pathogenic elements.
You should not do an abhyanga when the body is in the process of digestion. You should wait at least 3 hours after a meal.
Ayurveda believes that the body is in the process of digesting the meal and will not be able to digest the massage it will receive.
It is not recommended to do this massage on a person with toxins in the body. The risk being of moving these toxins in the body.
Traditionally, Ayurveda also advises against doing an abhyanga during the first three days of periods. During this period, the body is already cleansing itself naturally.
However, this aspect needs to be nuanced nowadays. Indeed, it is most appropriate when the periods are “natural”, that is to say when the woman’s hormonal system functions autonomously. On the other hand, if the periods are caused by taking hormones due to a contraceptive (pill, hormonal IUD), the latter are no longer directly caused by the body and therefore are not “natural”. It is therefore no longer a real cleaning.
Finally, pregnant women should opt for an Ayurvedic massage adapted to their pregnancy, such as prenatal Ayurvedic massage.
How does a massage take place at I am YAM ?
A quick interview will allow us to identify your needs in order to adapt the massage and choose the oil.
The massage is done on a massage table.
In winter, a heated under-mattress can be installed to keep you warm.
The best outfit for the person being massaged is a “string” type outfit. Disposable underwear is available if you wish. This is a recommendation, you are free to wear the outfit you are comfortable with. The massage is done in silence to allow a return to oneself.
At the end of the massage, a herbal tea is offered to you.
It is advisable to keep the oil on the body for at least 30 minutes after the massage so that it can penetrate deeply into all the tissues of the body.
After the massage : the massage needs to be digested by your body. The day following the massage, it is not recommended to have large or fatty meals so as not to give too much work to the body which must already digest the massage.
The particularity of abhyanga at I am YAM. There are as many ways to perform an abhyanga as there are practitioners. The massage offered at I am YAM is a gentle and very enveloping massage.
An oilcloth is installed on the massage table in order to have a good quality of gliding and wrapping. Above the table, a WAI QI infrared lamp provides heat and improves the circulation of energy.
And you, have you already tried this massage ?
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