Category: Body

Abhyanga | Ritual of Self-Massage

9/15/2024

AYURVEDA • BODY • RITUAL

Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD
Photo: Chelsea Shapouri

I have two words for you: Self Massage.

If you ask me, the Ayurvedic ritual of abhyanga (oleation of the skin) NEEDS to be a living part of every body's self-care routine.
Maybe it's because I have been a practicing Massage Therapist for two decades and I've seen *first-hand* the pure magic of therapeutic touch. Right now, I'm thinking of all the excess tension you hold in your body–the stress and habitual patterns of emotional suppression–oh my goodness! Your sweet body carries your baggage.

But your body is more than a baggage handler. It is also your temple and your shelter. It is your medium for self-expression, your vehicle for movement. When your body is healthy, it provides both a sense of security and connection. Your body is the interface between you and the world around you. As a human being, it is probably your most valuable asset (obvi.)

And your skin...don't even get me started!...

You've probably heard that your skin is the largest organ of your body. Intuitively you know that it is pretty important.
It protects you from harmful microbes and harsh elements. It helps regulate your body temperature and prevents dehydration.
Your skin literally helps hold you together. Not to mention: it provides a canvas for super-cool tattoos.
But perhaps the best quality of your skin: It is a playground for sensation. Heat, cold, smooth, rough, pain, itch, tickle, prick–sensation can be delightful and delicious...or it can alert you of danger in your environment.

Abhyanga is a seriously amazing ritual of Self-care with some seriously amazing benefits to your glorious skin, your entire body and, ultimately, your whole being:

Reduce pain, edema, and inflammation.
Ease headache tension.
Promote skin health: elasticity and resilience.
Improve your flexibility and range of motion.
Activate lymphatic drainage.
Loosen and lengthen constricted fascia.
Soften, relax and realign muscle tissue.
Minimize scar tissue.
Alleviate muscle ache or joint pain.
Instigate the Parasympathetic Nervous System (the relaxation response) which in turn helps to...
Lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Conserve oxygen consumption.
Inhibit the levels of stress hormones: cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.
Calm anxiety.
Counteract insomnia.
Improve circulation and digestion.
Release happy/calm hormones: serotonin and dopamine.
Increase your overall vitality.
Put you in a better mood.
Provide a moment of centering meditation for your mind to become fully present.
Invite yourself into deeper connection to your miraculous embodiment.
Attune with your body's natural rhythms so that you can more easily sense when something feels misaligned.

Abhyanga self-massage is an easy, effective, and affordable ritual of Self Care that can bring your whole being into balance.
I recommend this ritual of Self-Care for at least 15 minutes every day. Below is a little protocol for each Ayurvedic dosha:

Vata

The elemental properties of vata dosha include the cool, drying, and moving energies of wind and space. Vata season includes late autumn and early winter in environments that are windy and colder.
RITUAL OIL: Use a carrier oil that is rich, warming, and nourishing like shea butter, sesame oil, or jojoba.
AROMATHERAPY: Use essential oils that are warming and calming like lavender, clove, ginger, sweet orange, and sandalwood.

Kapha

The elemental properties of kapha dosha include the heavy, dense, fluid, and cool energies of earth and water. Kapha season includes late winter and early spring in environments that are wet, cold, and muddy.
RITUAL OIL: Use a carrier oil that is fine, warming, and invigorating like almond, sesame, or mustard seed oil.
AROMATHERAPY: Use essential oils that are spicy, heating and energizing like lemongrass, sage, holy basil, and eucalyptus.

Pitta

The elemental property of fire dominate pitta dosha making it hot, dry, and light. Pitta season is concentrated in the summer months where environments are hotter and there is more sunlight throughout the day.
RITUAL OIL: Use a carrier oil that is balancing and cooling like coconut, jojoba, and apricot kernel oils.
AROMATHERAPY: Use essential oils that are cooling and hydrating like rose, peppermint, neroli, and chamomile.

YOGA + AYURVEDA Workbook
Āyurveda is a system of wellness deeply rooted in nature.
It recognizes that humanity is created from, exists within, and eventually returns to the elements.

Āyurveda is a Vedic science that has been practiced for thousands of years for the sake of holistic wellness. The system of Āyurveda recognizes that the key to good health is balance at all levels of being. It employs mindful dietary considerations, yoga āsana (postures), prānāyāma (breathing practices), herbs, and meditation for optimal health.
It seeks to cleanse the body of toxins and eliminate excess inflammation.

Ayurveda views everything as comprised of the pancha mahābhūtas (five basic elements): earth, water, fire, air and space. These are the building blocks for the qualities of your mind, body, and environment.

Get your copy.

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Rātricaryā | Evening Ritual

9/8/2024

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ĀYURVEDA • SLEEP • RITUAL

Create an Evening Ritual for a Good Night's Rest
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD

photo: Sean Boggs Photography

Oh the magic of a sunset.
We have all witnessed the radiant blast of glory just as the sun descends behind the horizon.

The ancient Egyptians celebrated this daily phenomenon as an epic journey of the Solar God, Ra, as he sailed into the underworld, leaving the luminous and nourishing powers of the moon to govern the night sky. The underworld traverse was considered an auspicious event, necessary for confronting shadows and defeating monsters so that the sun could rise again the following day.

In the ancient Sumerian myths, the heavenly goddess Inanna descends into the underworld to confront her recently widowed, and completely heartbroken, sister. Although Inanna must face terrible hardship, the story expresses the value of compassion for transformation and ultimate freedom.

The underworld descent has been interpreted by Jungian psychologists as an archetypal symbol of the spiritual journey each of us must take into our heart's wisdom. Only by encountering the depths of our inner knowing may we become truly balanced and whole.

Sunset is therefore a sacred time to turn inward and center your awareness upon the wisdom flame of your heart. Within the traditions of Yoga and Āyurveda, the evening provides a time for lunar practice, or Rātricharyā. When you establish an evening ritual you set yourself up to enjoy deep benefits:

Harmonize with the rhythms of Nature.
Receive guidance from your deepest truth.
Embrace the dark stillness with contemplative calm.
Enjoy restful sleep.

Rātricaryā for Vata Season

According to the Indian wellness system of Āyurveda, each season is governed by different elements. Autumn is the season of wind and space and therefore is honored as a time of movement, creativity, and spontaneous change. When imbalanced, however, these winds can feel more like a tornado than an inspirational breeze. Excess vata in your mind can make you feel anxious, restless, and worried. Physically, you may feel dehydrated, constipated, and depleted. Insomnia is common during this time of windy change and busy holiday schedules. Follow these practices from Yoga and Āyurveda to cultivate a restful sleep pattern.

SUNSET VINYASA & MEDITATION
As the sun sets, enjoy a fluid āsana vinyāsa (flow of yoga postures) that moves your energy from the active charge of the day into the calm nourishment of darkness. Conclude your movement practice with a deep and quiet meditation. This is a sweet time to light a candle at your altar, chant mantras, and turn your attention toward gratitude. Focus your awareness on your breath as it expands within your belly and let your mind follow the exhalation out of your body, as you settle into stillness.

WATER RITUAL
As the sun sets, enjoy a fluid asana vinyasa (flow of yoga postures) that moves your energy from the active charge of the day into the calm nourishment of darkness. Conclude your movement practice with a deep and quiet meditation. This is a sweet time to light a candle at your altar, chant mantras, and turn your attention toward gratitude. Focus your awareness on your breath as it expands within your belly and let your mind follow the exhalation out of your body, as you settle into stillness.

EVENING ABHYANGA
Massage your entire body with warm oil to purify and nourish your system. Enjoy circular strokes over your heart region, belly, joints, and limbs. Be sure to massage your feet thoroughly, then cover the oil with socks to maximize the moisturizing benefits and keep you warm and cozy. Make this a nightly ritual to release stress, tone tissues, and soothe your nervous system. Add essential oils of clove and/or amber to calm and warm your senses. Once a week, you can also apply a scalp oil and massage the marma (pressure points) around your skull, neck, and ears. Find more details in the article: SHIRO ABHYANGA | ĀYURVEDIC HAIR RITUAL.

SLEEP BEFORE 10 PM
Save all your computer work and social media surfing for the tomorrow. Spend your last waking hours with your family, reading a book, or writing in your journal. I like to take time, just before sleep, to jot down any ideas or goals I have for the following day, so I can let them go until morning. I say a prayer of gratitude and peace.

Shānti Mantra

The Śānti Mantra (Peace Chant) is a favorite lullaby chant in our household.
After we sing, I set an intention to sleep with an open heart so that I might remember whatever messages come through my dreams. I put my dream journal on my nightstand so that I will be ready to quickly record my dream images upon waking.

ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om dyauh śāntir-antarikśam śāntih
prthivī śāntir-āpah śāntir-oṣadhayah śāntih
vanaspatayah śāntir-vishvedevaah śāntir-Brahma śāntih
sarvam śāntih śāntir-eva śāntih sā mā śāntir-edhi
Om śāntih śāntih śāntih

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Healing Waters Meditation

4/22/2024

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WATER • NATURE • RITUAL

Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD
Photo: Angie Barnes

"If my body is made primarily of water and animated by the breath, is it possible to call the water in the body “mine” and the air outside of my lungs “the world”?... I notice that the body can’t be separated from the natural world except in my imagination....I move the body and I’m moving a corner of the world...”

~Michael Stone

We need water.

As much as 78% of the human body is water. This same water cycles through absorption
and evaporation to the air around us, the clouds, and is rained down into the oceans. In
this way, our bodies are directly connected the entire world.

The following meditation is a invocation of healing for your physical body and the body of Mother Earth.

You may be seated or standing.
Close your eyes and bring your full awareness to your breath.

Inhale fully and exhale completely.

Allow the breath to create space in your body and your mind.

Inhale and notice the dynamic expansion in your ribcage and lungs.
Exhale and let your body release, soften, and settle.

Inhale, expand and swell like a great wave of energy.
Exhale and allow that wave to pulse back out to the Earth.

Only if it feels natural, you may gently constrict your throat and channel your breath, to practice Ujaii pranayama, creating the soothing sound of the ocean with each inhalation and exhalation.

Notice the rhythmic pulsation—the dance of the breath—as it crests and falls
like a sacred tide.

Release tension now, and surrender to the oscillation. Feel your whole body begin to respond to the natural flow and sway of the breath.

Allow the waves of breath to wash over you.

There is mobility at every joint, between your ribs, across your back body and throughout your internal organs.

Like water, let your movement patterns follow the path of least resistance.

Be absolutely uninhibited in your movements—Absolutely FREE and fluid.

Imagine all the water in your body, allowing your the FREEDOM to move, to dance naturally and dynamically with the rhythms of Life’s sacred pulsation.

As you move, visualize the color green and picture the water molecules in every cell of your being.

Using your breath, silently offer a healing message of love to all the water in your
body.

Now, imagine yourself as water.

Visualize yourself flowing like a river into the ocean,
the healing waters of your physical body mix, merge, and mingle with the Earth’s Ocean waves.

Using your breath, send a healing message of love to all of the water on the planet.

Bring your palms together at your heart to seal your intention.

Namaste.

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Shiro Abhyanga | Āyurvedic Hair Rituals

8/9/2020

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ĀYURVEDA • BODY • RITUAL

Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD
Photo: Kasia Serbin

Do you know your Āyurvedic "Hair Type"?
Here's how to figure it out...and why it matters:

It all begins with the three dosha (disorders):
According to Āyurveda, your entire being (and everything around you) is made up of five elemental forces: earth, water, fire, air, and space.
These five māhābhutas (major elements) combine to form three dosha that effect your overall wellness:

vata = space + air
pitta = fire
kapha = water + earth

Your unique arrangement of dosha determines your physical constitution. It contributes to your attitude and behaviors–wether you prefer a hot bath or a cool shower; if you have a sweet tooth or savor spicy dishes instead. It even determines if you will respond to a conflict with anxiety, frustration, or defeat. When your dosha constitution is balanced, you are better able to handle everything.
Seriously!
It is pretty darned valuable to know your personal Āyurvedic dosha balance (or imbalance) and how it contributes to your everyday choices and overall well-being. And your hair (or lack of it) can be a tell tale indicator of your unique dosha profile.

The wisdom sages of Āyurvedic medicine recommend a daily ritual of Shiro Abhyanga (head massage). This Self-care regime provides all kinds of benefits to your body and mind. Use the following guidelines to determine your Ayurvedic hair type and the corresponding Shiro Abhyanga protocol:

Vata

The elemental properties of vata dosha include the cool, drying, and moving energies of wind and space. Vata hair type is generally fine, thin, course, dry, and brittle. It may be curly, but it is more often straight; and is prone to split ends and dandruff.
The Ritual: Massage your head and ears with a nourishing oil like almond or sesame. If your scalp is very dry, use castor oil. Massage with oil 3 times each week. On the off weeks, massage your head with warm milk and honey for a rich cleansing and moisturizing treatment. Rinse with warm water.

Kapha

The elemental properties of kapha dosha include the heavy, dense, fluid, and cool energies of earth and water. Kapha hair type tends to be oily and thick. It can be wavy or straight, but is generally lustrous, shiny, and strong.
The Ritual: Rather than add oil, use dry hands to massage your scalp and distribute your natural oils to the ends of your hair. Then, spritz your hair with apple cider vinegar and massage through your hair shafts before rinsing with warm water to cleanse excess oil from your hair. Apply raw avocado or banana to your hair once a week (before your vinegar rinse) to maintain your lustrous shine.

Pitta

The elemental property of fire dominate pitta dosha making it hot, dry, and light. Pitta hair is generally medium thickness and density. It may be red or light blonde. When imbalanced, pitta dosha often leads to hair fall and premature grey. Pitta scalp be greasy and irritated with breakouts.
The Ritual: Massage scalp with a light carrier oil that is balancing and cooling like coconut or jojoba oil. Use an essential oil of peppermint or lavender for calming the scalp. Aloe vera gel or yogurt can be applied to improve hair and scalp health.

Benefits of Shiro Abhyanga

improve circulation to the scalp
moisturize and/or distribute natural oils
cleanse hair and balance hair ph
activate the parasympathetic nervous system
prevent hair loss/improve hair growth
improve memory and overall brain function
promote sleep
delay premature grey
improve eye function

YOGA + ĀYURVEDA Workbook

Āyurveda is a system of wellness deeply rooted in nature.
It recognizes that humanity is created from, exists within, and eventually returns to the elements.

Āyurveda is a Vedic science that has been practiced for thousands of years for the sake of holistic wellness. The system of Āyurveda recognizes that the key to good health is balance at all levels of being. It employs mindful dietary considerations, yoga āsana (postures), prānāyāma (breathing practices), herbs, and meditation for optimal health.
It seeks to cleanse the body of toxins and eliminate excess inflammation.

Ayurveda views everything as comprised of the pancha mahābhūtas (five basic elements): earth, water, fire, air and space. These are the building blocks for the qualities of your mind, body, and environment.

Get Your Copy!

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EVERYDAY
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This ritual is more than just a self-care routine—it’s a life-saving act of self-awareness and connection. It was through this very practice that I discovered both of my breast cancers at the ages of 39 and 40, with no family history. Breast exams do not stop after a diagnosis, and it was through my commitment to my breast care, long before I turned 40 (when standard breast exams typically begin), that I found the lumps. I reached out to my doctors and pushed for more testing, which led to early detection that saved my life.

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Abhyanga | Ritual of Self-Massage

Vata

Kapha

Pitta

Rātricaryā | Evening Ritual

Create an Evening Ritual for a Good Night's RestAuthor: R.R. Shakti, PhD

Rātricaryā for Vata Season

Shānti Mantra

Healing Waters Meditation

Shiro Abhyanga | Āyurvedic Hair Rituals

Vata

Kapha

Pitta

Benefits of Shiro Abhyanga

YOGA + ĀYURVEDA Workbook

EVERYDAY RITUALayurveda • meditation

Contributors

Archives

More to Explore

​Shop Treasures

neti pot

Ritual of Awareness

TRANQUILA Bath Soak Ritual

Candlelit Tranquila Ritual

Sanara El Cuerpo

Upcoming Events

Create an Evening Ritual for a Good Night's Rest
Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD

EVERYDAY
RITUAL
ayurveda • meditation

Shop Treasures