ABHYANGA: HOW TO & BENEFITS

I personally prefer body oils over lotion, because I'm a stickler about ingredients, and in order to create a lotion, or anytime you're mixing oil and water, there are typically preservatives involved. There are so many toxins in our environment that we just don't need any more, especially all over our skin, which is our largest organ! The the beauty of using a high-quality unrefined (and certified organic) oil - it works with the body and penetrates the skin easily, meaning no greasy residue.

In Ayurvedic medicine, a healing system that's been around for over 3000 years, there is a daily practice of applying oils to the skin - all over the body to soothe the body and reduce excess Vata, or wind element. This is not just to moisturize the skin, but to lubricate the joints and soothe excess 'wind' or air element, which makes us a bit frantic, moving too fast and not being fully aware in the moment.  

The Sanskrit word for oil also means love, so the practice of applying oil is like saturating your body with love. Health-wise, this practice of abhyanga (application of oils with 5-15 minutes of self-massage) has been known to be beneficial for sleep, vision, circulation, inner organs, skin and to slow aging. It also moves the lymph, which aids in detoxification, increases stamina and calms the nerves.

After massaging the oil all over your body, you take a warm shower or bath and gently wash off the oil with soap. That's the traditional way, but you can certainly also massage oil into your skin after a hot shower or bath too!

When oil is massaged onto the ears, it's known to help a stiff neck, stiff jaw and ear issues associated with excess air element. When oil is massaged into the feet (my favorite!), it not only softens rough skin, but it can enhance vision, strengthen ligaments + veins and is beneficial for sciatica. It also soothes stiffness, fatigue or numbness in the feet. {If you're Pisces like me, this is especially important, because feet are typically the weak area on a Pisces body.}

Our Balancing Serums are a great oil for this practice!

Love + flower petals,