How To Give Yourself An Abhyanga Ayurvedic Massage From Home

When's the last time you had a massage? For most of us, it was a while ago—a splurge on a vacation or birthday treat. But ask an ayurveda practitioner the same question, and they'll probably answer "this morning." No, they're not shelling out hundreds of dollars at a luxurious spa every day. They're practicing abhyanga, a soothing massage ritual that stems from ayurvedic practice.

Abhyanga is a full-body ayurvedic massage that uses warm oil to promote overall health and well-being. It involves rubbing the body down from head to toe with an herb-infused oil specifically chosen to help balance the doshas, or energies, in your body. There are three doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—and each one has its own qualities and characteristics. Everybody has a unique amount of each one in their body, and the idea is that balancing them out can help you achieve more vibrant health.

"Though abhyanga is often performed by an ayurveda massage practitioner, it's an easy and extremely self-loving practice to adopt in your own home," says Carly Banks, an ayurveda lifestyle counselor at The Habit Ayurveda.

In Sanskrit, the word for oil is sneha—the same word used to describe love or tender affection. "When we anoint the body in oil, we are anointing it in love," says Banks. And self-love is just the beginning of the health benefits of abhyanga: While science has yet to thoroughly study this practice, research has shown that it can calm your heart rate and melt away stress.

A 2011 study of 10 men and 10 women found that participants experienced significant stress reduction1, as measured by their heart rate and sometimes their blood pressure, after undergoing a one-hour abhyanga massage. Building on those findings, a 2018 study found that rhythmical massage with aromatic oil (similar to abhyanga) provided a measurable increase in heart rate variability2, which indicates relaxation and stress relief.

"Abhyanga moves the body from a state of imbalance to equilibrium, from stress response to ease, from clogged ama (toxins) to freely circulating prana (vital energy)," said Salila Sukumaran, an ayurvedic educator who runs the wellness travel consultancy Ayurgamaya.

Like a lot of alternative medicine, ayurvedic massage hasn't been studied in many clinical trials. However, ayurveda practitioners say their clients have seen noticeable benefits, like deeper sleep, sharper focus, more youthful skin, and improved circulation, from abhyanga.

If nothing else, taking care to rub your body with high-quality oil is sure to help your skin stay moist and nourished.

Don't have an appointment lined up with an ayurveda massage therapist? You can practice abhyanga in your own home, every day. Here's how to do abhyanga, according to Banks and Sukumaran:

Once you've learned the basics of abhyanga, play around with the ritual to make it your own. You might consider infusing the oil with your favorite skin-safe essential oils, listening to calming music during the massage, lighting some candles and meditating before you rinse off—anything that helps you relax and find deeper meaning in the practice.