What is Abhyanga?

In the ancient Indian medical science of Ayurveda external ointment of the body and massage has a special place in the healing process and Abhyanga is precisely the Ayurvedic massage therapy with the use of Ayurvedic oil formulation on the body surface. In Ayurveda any particular treatment is just not followed from mere technical point of view or for sudden relief but rather in consideration to its relevance on providing accumulative relief with other medications and body's natural properties. Just like Ayurvedic medicinal formulations different Abhyanga treatments on different parts of the body are prescribed in consideration to the particular bodily characteristics or humors or doshas as referred in Ayurvedic terminology.

Abhyanga in common reference is called to be the regular oil massage, but in more specialized definition it is not just the regular oil massage but body massage with sufficient amount of herbal oil formulation on the body surface. It is more a medicated massage than just common massage. Before just getting into the discussion on the wide array of health benefits of this massage therapy in the Ayurvedic discipline let us see how it is administered for therapeutic purposes by the Ayurvedic practitioners.

Abhyanga as part of Panchakarma

Panchakarma is the most important through going process in Ayurveda that is practically irreplaceable for all sorts of diseases concerning any imbalances in any organic functions across the body. Ayurveda rather than just considering the disease or physical disorder to be something alien or pertaining to outside reality of body rather considers them as mere syndromes of imbalances in body's natural order. Every individual according to Ayurveda is characterized with a set of physical and psychic characteristics that are different from others and billions and billions of these characteristics are categorized in simple 3 main doshas or bodily humors. According to the imbalance of the doshas in the particular patient that person is declared as suffering from certain disease.

In Ayurveda treatment means mainly the replacing of the disorderly syndromes with orderly functions of the physical and psychic reality. Thus in Ayurveda simple expulsion and draining out of some harmful substances from the body can be extremely useful for the treatment to shape into a properly functioning organic whole. Panchakarma in the Ayurvedic science is long hailed to be a great treatment procedure crucial for making the body free of toxic substances. Panchakarma with its primary detoxification procedures on the whole body prescribes this massage therapy Abhyanga to administer because of its great effect on making the circulation of the body fluid smoother and it helps the Panchakarma treatment to drive to its expected goal of relieving the body if toxins because through this massage the circulatory paths or Shrotas works better for carrying the toxins to out of the body. Before Panchakarma treatment a process called Purva Karma or initial processing of the body is administered to prepare the body for the long detoxification process and Abhyanga is undoubtedly the most important part of this stage of treatment.

Benefits of Abhyanga

Apart from the therapeutic use of Abhyanga in Ayurveda treatment this procedure of treatment has a wide array of health benefits for the regular well being and health like increased circulation of blood, better nervous function, toning of the muscles, calming of the nerves, lubrication and smoothening of the joints, increased mental alertness, improved elimination of toxins through the circulatory channels, softer and smoother skin, increased level of stamina and finally better and deeper sleep at night.