While I have touched on health and mental health in my previous blog posts, I wanted to take a deeper dive and further explore wellness by examining the practice of ayurveda. If you don’t already know, ayurveda is a holistic type of medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda and the practice of yoga are interconnected as it is centered on a holistic approach to health and well-being, and it specifically focuses on balancing the mind, body, and spirit, to improve overall health. The word “ayurveda” is derived from Sanskrit words meaning “life” and “knowledge” and it is essentially viewed as a holistic medical field, as it is not merely concerned with one practice, but rather, it is a compressive examination that addresses all aspects of an individual’s existence in accordance with health. According to ayurveda, when looking at the health of an individual, it is important to not only look at their physical body, but to also examine their mental health, spirituality, and their daily routines, including diet, exercise, and other factors. While the practice of ayurveda has similarities to the study of naturopathy, as they both focus on holistic systems of healing, they have distinct philosophies, principles, and practices. Ayurveda is grounded in the belief that there are three doshas’ – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, that govern the functioning of the body, mind, and spirit. For more information on the doshas, please click here for a helpful document outlining the properties of the doshas in more detail. While I was studying yoga in India, I had the opportunity to take an introductory ayurveda course and I was blown away with all the information I learned. Prior to this experience, I had no idea what ayurveda was, and while I am still very new to this world of wellness, there are definitely things I learned that I want to incorporate in my life routine.
One practice in particular that I forgot about was the importance of oil massage for the body and scalp. During my course in India, the teacher taught us about the benefits of regular self-massage with oil, specifically sesame oil, and demonstrated how to properly perform a head massage and I have included a video here for reference. As you can see, the massage incorporates a lot of different rhythmic movements and techniques. Head massages are viewed in ayurvedic medicine as an essential practice for maintaining good health and offer a variety of therapeutic benefits, such as enhanced blood circulation and lymphatic flow, which can ultimately help reduce stress and improve relaxation. I learned that sesame oil in particular is one of the best oils to use for massage and this is because it has warming properties and it is believed to help calm the nervous system.
So, I decided to purchase sesame oil from the grocery store and give myself a head massage. I must say, giving someone else a head massage is much easier and less messy than giving yourself one. This is the first time I attempted a head massage since India, and I forgot how much work and hand strength is involved. After massaging my head for two minutes, my hands and fingers definitely felt sore, and I was getting tired and bored with the repetitive movements. Nonetheless, after massaging my head with the oil and washing it out, not only did my hair feel super soft and was shiny, but I also definitely felt a sense of ease and relaxation and it was the perfect thing to do before I went to bed. Although ayurvedic medicine states that you should be performing head massages on a regular basis, I am going to stick to performing them on a bi-weekly basis as they take a lot of work and energy.