I’ve suffered great discomfort for beauty, but none has punished me for paying lots of money more than a traditional Ayurvedic massage. If you’ve been to an authentic Ayurvedic spa or center, you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to: It’s a specific kind of firm handling that only an expertly-trained Ayurvedic practitioner can dispense.
Your comfort is not our concern could be the unofficial tagline. At Ayurvedic spas, I’ve been steamed in wood sarcophaguses. I’ve been massaged on solid planks of wood, my fragile spinal discs protesting as they were ground into the unyielding table with every stroke. Nor is the environment a balm for the senses: Typically, Ayurvedic treatment spaces are dingy and spartan, subway tile the wall finish of choice. Bedside manner goes with the decor. Therapists can be stern and dictatorial—one Ayurvedic doctor actually tutted at me when I honestly reported my daily caffeine intake.
Ayurvedic medicine is a holistic practice that follows the principle of the three doshas—vata dosha, pitta dosha, and kapha dosha, each of which describe different qualities of being. In Ayurvedic philosophy, these attributes are present in varying degrees in each person’s body and mind, and one’s constitution is shaped by the balance among these doshas (or lack thereof.) The goal of any Ayurvedic intervention is to bring doshas into alignment.
I emerge from the treatments resembling an unfortunate bird caught in an oil spill, in desperate need of a Dawn degreasing. For days after I reek of fenugreek, a spice you may recognize from Indian butter chicken. Sum total, Ayurvedic massage pretty much sucks, as spa experiences go. But don t mistake my kvetching for discontent. On the contrary, I welcome the discomfort as part of the charm—and part of the treatment s effectiveness. A serious Ayurvedic treatment isn’t relaxing and indulgent, but that’s not the point: you’re there for the health benefits. For me, it’s a masochistic but rewarding habit I just can’t quit because of the deeply restorative and revitalizing aftermath.
If you, too, want to be ground into a solid neem wood massage table, it’s only fair that you know what else to expect. For the benefit of those uninitiated in Ayurvedic bodywork, I asked two Manhattan-based specialists to help me compile CliffsNotes on abhyanga, a full-body massage that’s one of Ayurveda’s best-known treatments.
The Benefits
Though they can be somewhat painful, Ayurvedic massage treatments have loads of nourishing benefits that are too good to pass up. Navi Gill, holistic wellness educator and therapist, lists the following as some reasons why you should consider this practice in Ayurvedic medicine:
- Relief from stress, tension, low energy, and anxiety
- Support for the body’s movement capabilities and nervous system
- Tones the muscles and body’s tissues
- Enhances circulation and stimulates organ function through
- Improves sleep patterns
- Has many skincare benefits and promotes softer, stronger, and more supple skin and boosts skin radiance
- Prevents injury and muscle strain
- Prepares the body for Panchakarma, an Ayurvedic practice that detoxes the body’s toxins and boosts the immune system
The vibe is tough but tranquil
In case it wasn’t clear already, don’t expect a typical spa-like pampering. “Regular spas are designed to feel good and cater to your five senses. An Ayurvedic place can smell like an apothecary, it might not be pleasing to the senses, and the therapists won’t have a loving bedside manner, but they have skill,” says Nidhi Pandya Bhanshali, a third-generation Ayurvedic practitioner. She describes the aftermath as “heal-good rather than feel-good.” She continues, “Instead of feeling like you’ve indulged and been indulged, you come out with a feeling that is more therapeutic.”
Bhaswati Bhattacharya—a neuroscientist, MD physician, and Ayurvedic doctor—wants the energy of the spa she’s visiting and its staff to radiate calmness and tranquility. However, both experts confirmed that I definitely hadn’t imagined the tough love I had received in previous treatments. Bhattacharya explains the firm treatment is actually by design, a fact Ayurvedic experts rarely reveal to civilians. “Kaphas have been over-pampered, so they need to be beaten up a little bit,” she says, referring to people whose body type (like me) falls under the kapha dosha. “You need to be a little bit sharp to break up the fat—both physical and emotional. You want to get them to mentally steer their own course away from laziness,” she says.
“We look at the bigger picture and not a localized perspective of one ache or pain,” says Gill. “We address the person’s entire constitution and get to the root cause of that symptom. We prepare a special oil made from plants, herbs, resins, and medicines for that person’s needs and it’s often prepared while chanting sacred mantras.”
Likewise, there are practical reasons for all of the other uncomfortable flourishes. Take those wood massage tables, called droni: They are typically made of neem wood, which is naturally anti-microbial and hence a more sanitary option than padded tables that can’t be properly sanitized after they’re soaked in oil time after time.
The oil should meet you where you are
An abhyanga involves special massage techniques and is typically a medium-pressure massage in which the therapist makes firm and long strokes over the long bones of the limbs and circular movements over the joints. Though dry massages are often performed in Ayurveda, an abhyanga typically involves a lot of oil so that the movements can flow freely with no friction or drag.
“[An abhyanga massage] is a warm oil massage that covers the entire body,” adds Gill. “You can always focus on one part of the body, but in Ayurveda it would have a specific name that addresses that part of the body (for example: the massaging of the feet is a Padabhyanga, the head would be Shiroabhyanga, and so on).”
To determine what warm oil to use, practitioners have patients fill out a form or ask several questions about their current state of health. A pulse check also provides vital treatment clues. “If your pulse is low and not strong, [it tells me] I should use a strengthening oil for you. If you have a very low digestive fire, I should use a minimal amount of oil,” Bhattacharya explains.
Though single-ingredient oils, like sesame oil and coconut oil, are used in Ayurveda, there’s also an array of compounded oils spiked with herbs and spices that address specific health conditions. A skilled therapist will pick the right ones, depending on the conditions you manifest. “If it’s a neurological or neuromuscular condition, an oil like Mahanarayan can be used, while Bala Ashwagandha is great for strengthening,” Bhattacharya says, mentioning two examples. If your massage involves coconut oil, Bhattacharya advises staying out of air conditioning for a while. “Coconut oil is coalescing and has cooling properties, so people can get colds from it,” she explains.
Gill says an Ayurveda massage therapy can take anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes for the entire body, with 2 to 5 minutes spent on each area, plus additional time for oil to remain on the body or for other therapies like Swedana (the practice of sweating). It’s a preventive measure to better your well-being, she says, that is usually done under the care of an Ayurvedic doctor or massage therapist. Taking along a change of clothes and undergarments that you wouldn’t mind getting oil stains on is wise, as your body will retain a Thanksgiving-turkey level of basting until you shower.
There’s an uninterrupted flow of energy
An abhyanga is not just a superficial body treatment. It’s performed to promote the flow of energy within the body. “[Therapists are] not working just the superficial muscles or the deep tissues, but actually moving energy,” Pandya Bhanshali says. I’ve experienced several abhyangas in which I’ve floated into a deeply relaxed and meditative state, not quite asleep but not fully alert either. “When a therapist does it right, they move energy, calm the nervous system, and ground everything. Through that movement of energy, [the patient] falls into a trance. It’s not because they’re so relaxed that they’ve fallen asleep. It’s a shift of energy,” Pandya Bhanshali explains.
Look for a gesture or ritual from the therapist to indicate when the treatment has started and ended. For instance, they might strike a bell or gong, or put their hand on your back and ask you to breathe in. “The ritual or intention when starting a treatment focuses the energy of the person getting the massage so the mind and senses can connect to the impending work on the body,” Bhattacharya says. At the end of the treatment, the ritual acts to formalize this mind-senses activation to bring the person back into the present.
There’s an unspoken rule that therapists should always be in continuous physical contact with the patient. “There should never be a time where you’re not touched at all. If [the therapist] is moving from one side to the other, they keep their hand on your back and rotate around to the other side of the table,” Bhattacharya says. This ensures the exchange of energy is constant.
“Its focus on harmony with nature, the sacredness that a therapist holds in the space and how they intentionally touch the body, all of that is rooted in spiritual wisdom,” adds Gill. “It’s important for a therapist to practice good spiritual hygiene themselves when they are administering any therapies so that the energy channels remain clear for both the giver and receiver.”
Save the steam room for after the massage
Most modern spas allow clients to come in early or stay back after their massages to experience their steam room or sauna in any order they wish. An Ayurvedic spa, however, will not leave the sequence up to you—the massage always precedes the heat. “It’s a scientific process, and there’s an order—it’s snehan followed by svedan,” Pandya Bhanshali says. Snehan refers to the application of oil, and svedan is the application of steam. In Ayurvedic philosophy, the oil massage helps soften toxins for elimination while the steam helps eliminate them. “As you sweat it out, the toxins have more mobility, and they are able to move out of the system,” Pandya Bhanshali says.
Focus on aftercare
Make sure to schedule some free time after an abhyanga and steam. Bhattacharya advises getting in some movement, like light yoga or even housework, to work the effects of the oil under the surface of the skin into the dermal layers and fascia, where the toxins are held. After that, take a tepid shower, as a very hot one will pull out all the oil. By the way, the best tip for washing a head full of oiled-up hair is to apply shampoo to dry strands and massage that in before you get under the shower nozzle.
Use this experience as a chance to practice self care and kindness. “Being gentle with yourself is really important, so sit for a bit. It’s really great to set up meditation time after your massage and shower,” Bhattacharya says.
Here’s hoping this checklist helps you get an abhyanga that calms the mind, invigorates the body, and leaves you floaty and weightless for the rest of the day.
