Self-massage…using your hands to love yourself up!
WHY I LOVE SELF MASSAGE - ABHYANGA
Well for starters, the word for 'oil' in Sanskrit is 'sneha', which literally translates to 'love', how beautiful is that?
Self massage has been the most profound practice for me, learning how to give & receive my own love and build self compassion. It's been a total game changer in the way that I treat my body in the mirror, and the way that I talk to each and every part of me.
I'm not sure about you, but it's taken me years (36 to be honest) to love myself from head to toe, inside and out, and know that I am enough...(and it's an ongoing practice).
To not crave validation and permission externally.
To show up for myself and trust that I've got my own best interests at heart.
To love the skin I'm in, and take actions to care for it for me, and not for 'appearance'.
Self massage has been one of the best tools I have been given to access this love, and it's my favourite to share.
It's accessible to us all, and we can pass it onto our loved ones and children too.
I want to bring this up as I know both personally, and through the work I do with others, that self touch can be triggering.
There's so many layers to self love, and for some of us, even the thought of connecting with each and every part of our physical body is TOO MUCH!
I had such resistance to this practice to begin with, telling myself I didn't have the time, didn't need it today, or that it wouldn't make much difference to my day anyways.
When really, I knew deep down it was because I was avoiding making this intimate connection with my physical body.
I was ashamed of the amount of times I told my body it wasn't enough, it needed to look different, it was too fat, too white, too broad, too much, too (fill in the blank)!
The word trauma may not connect with you. I just invite you to recognise that it is a sliding scale.
You may want to use a different word, but it will mean the same thing...'a distressing or disturbing experience'. And believe me, telling yourself for years & years & years that you need to look different in order to be loved comes into that bracket.
There are many ways that we can begin to take small steps into bringing this ritual into your days, know that no-one is expecting to jump in and begin a daily candle lit, full body oil massage ritual. You may want to begin by massaging just your arms over your clothes, or just your legs...a part of you that isn't triggering. Then slowly, slowly, like with every other habit, build it over time.
Firstly, you need to know what you’re going to receive from this practice.
So, here are 5 reasons why you would want to bring this habit into your morning routine…
1 – Full body health…Our skin is out biggest organ, both a protective shield and gateway to our internal system. By using oil, we get to enhance the bodies protective barrier externally, as well as fed the deeper layers of tissue this nourishing tonic.
2 – Mould your body with your hands… You get to shape your tissues by manipulating through touch. Stuck toxins and energy can build up, and by warming and rubbing our tissues we increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage. Flushing new energy into the cells, and encouraging them to release stagnant, old, stuck energies & toxins.
3 – Spatial awareness… I used to be covered in bruises, bumping into things when I was living in my head and dragging my body along behind me. Through the practise of Abhyanga I am now aware of the physical space I take up in the world and live from a much more embodied place…my body as the seat of my soul.
4 – Self compassion and appreciation… This deepens over time with the practise of giving your body your presence and love. Our hands are an extension of our heart chakra, so by using them to wake up and invigorate our bodies, we are infusing the tissues with self love.
5 – Observe sensation… Vibration and sensation are how our bodies talk. When we give our full awareness to this practise we get to listen in to what it is saying, which over time brings us closer and closer to living from a fully embodied place in true self energy.
Multiple ways to get started, and to deepen your practice…
Massage your hands, arms, feet or calves, over clothes to begin with to get used to personal touch
Then maybe without clothes as a barrier to this part of your body
Next trying a little oil and massaging that into your skin
You can be intuitive and mix essential oils into your carrier oil for the desired effect- uplifting, heart opening, centring, sleep..so many options!
There’s a practice called dry brushing, that stimulates your lymphatic system and helps encourage toxins and fresh prana/energy to flush through your tissues
You could use silk/bamboo satin gloves to receive soft touch without the residual oil left over
When you’re on your yoga mat, or starting your morning movement…you could use your hands to wake up your body
You could even use a foam roller or massage stick to stimulate the cells to release
When you feel called, you can warm some oil and massage a part of your body that is calling you
I love a full body oiling now, and one day a week take that further into a deeper massage…if you need stimulating and energising then do this from the toes up to invigorate Kapha energy, and if you need grounding and rooting then go from the head down to calm Vata energy
Treat yourself to a monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly massage, or ask your loved ones to treat you as a gift!
Whatever you decide, it doesn’t have to be the same every day, you can mix it up.
Like with any new habit, you are better to bring in 1-2 minutes of the ritual at a specific time, so that it feels doable and not overwhelming.
The from there, if some days you have a little more time, you can indulge in a longer, deeper practise.
Whatever you do, do it with your full love and presence…you deserve that as much as anyone else.
Let me know how you get on.
Sending you love & healing,
Faye xx