Date:   11/8/2006 10:49:29 PM ( 18 y ago)
Hits:   7,823
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=770684

....found this, excellent info...pertains to thread below but I didn't want it to get lost.. :)

swish & rub... :D

Abhyanga: Ayurvedic Oil Massage
by Dr. Claudia Welch
“The body of one who uses oil massage regularly does not become affected much even if subjected to accidental injuries, or strenuous work. By using oil massage daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, trimmed body parts and becomes strong, charming and least affected by old age.”
Charaka Samhita Vol. 1, V: 88-89

Abhyanga is the anointing of the body with oil. Often medicated and usually warm, the oil is massaged into the entire body before bathing. For thousands of years, people have used abhyanga to maintain health, benefit sleep patterns, increase longevity. It has also been used as a medicine for certain disorders. Abhyanga can be incorporated into a routine appropriate for almost anyone.

The Sanskrit word sneha can be translated as both "oil" and "love". It is believed that the effects of abhyanga are similar to those received when one is saturated with love. Like the experience of being loved, abhyanga can give a deep feeling of stability and warmth. Sneha is subtle; this allows the oil/love to pass through minute channels in the body and penetrate deep layers of tissue.

In Ayurveda, it is believed that there are seven layers of tissue in the body (called dhatus). Each successive layer is more concentrated and life-giving. For sneha to reach the deepest layer, it is believed that it must be massaged into the body for 800 matras, roughly five minutes. To give this kind of attention to your entire body, you may need about fifteen-minutes. Considering the benefits that have been gained by people for thousands of years, fifteen-minutes per day is a minimal amount of time.

Benefits of Abhyanga (applying oil to the body) (Outlined in: Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hrdayam)

Produces softness, strength and color to the body
Decreases the effects of aging
Bestows good vision
Nourishes the body
Increases longevity
Benefits sleep patterns
Benefits skin
Strengthens the body's tolerance
Imparts a firmness to the limbs
Imparts tone and vigor to the dhatus (tissues) of the body
Stimulates the internal organs of the body, including circulation
Pacifies Vata and Pitta and Harmonizes Kapha
Benefits of applying oil to the scalp (Murdha taila):

Makes hair grow luxuriantly, thick, soft and glossy
Soothes and invigorates the sense organs
Removes facial wrinkles
Benefits of applying oil to the ears (Karna purna):

Benefits disorders in the ear which are due to increased Vata
Benefits stiff neck
Benefits stiffness in the jaw
Benefits of applying oil to the feet (Padaghata):

Coarseness, stiffness, roughness, fatigue and numbness of the feet are alleviated
Strength and firmness of the feet is attained
Vision is enhanced
Vata is pacified
Sciatica is benefited
Local veins and ligaments are benefited
Vata Pacifying Abhyanga:
The primary qualities of vata are dry, light, cool, rough, subtle and mobile. Most of these qualities are opposite to those of oil. This is why warm oil is especially good for pacifying vata.

If your vata is high, either in your Prakriti or Vikriti, doing abhyanga daily can be highly beneficial, even life-changing. Sushruta says, "The deranged vayu [vata] of the body is restored to its normal condition by the help of Udvartana (massage)." (Sushruta Vol.2, 24:28) Just be sure to do the abhyanga in a warm place and avoid getting chilled afterwards.

Abhyanga Routine:
"By using oil massage daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, trimmed body parts and becomes strong, charming and least affected by old age." Charaka Samhita Vol. 1, V: 88-89

Put about ½ cup oil in a squeeze bottle.
Place the bottle of oil in a pan of hot water until the oil is pleasantly warm.
Sit or stand comfortably in a warm room, on a towel that you don't mind ruining with oil accumulation. Make sure you're protected from any drafts.
Lovingly and patiently massage the oil into your entire body for about 15 minutes, beginning at the extremities and working toward the middle of the body. Use long strokes on the limbs and circular strokes on the joints. Massage the abdomen and chest in broad, clockwise, circular motions.
Apply oil to the crown of your head and work slowly out from there in circular strokes. Oil applied to the head should be warm but not hot.
Put a couple drops of warm oil on the tip of your little finger or on a cotton ball and apply to the opening of the ear canal. (If there is any current or chronic discomfort in the ears don't do this without the recommendation of your health care practitioner).
Be sure to wash your feet off before entering the shower.
After you've massaged your entire body, enjoy a warm bath or shower.
Remove the oil with a gentle soap.
When you get out of the shower, towel dry. Keep a special towel for drying off after your massage because it can eventually get ruined, due to the accumulation of oil.
Dr. Claudia Welch is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine. She worked at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM with her teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad, for seven years, and is currently a member of the faculty. She received her Master's Degree in Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in 1997. Dr. Welch is a faculty member at Southwest Acupuncture College and at The Institute for Postgraduate Studies in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

This is from: http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/nl/311.html

 

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