What is Indian
Head Massage?
Also known as Shiro-Abhyanga*, Indian Head
Massage is part of the Ayurvedic* Bodywork system from India. Ayurveda is a holistic way of looking at
health, i.e. a healthy body is necessary for continuous progress in life and
can only be achieved if the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the
individual are addressed equally. Indian
Head Massage therapists do not treat specific ailments, but treat the person by
stimulating and balancing their body, mind and spirit.
Indian Head Massage is a safe, simple yet
effective therapy renowned for relieving the symptoms of stress. The massage
can be done with or without oils and a treatment lasts around 45 minutes (with
15 minutes consultation) and will usually include the upper back, shoulders,
arms, hands, neck, scalp, ears and face.
Chakras* are also balanced at the end of the treatment. The treatment
does not require you to undress and you are treated sitting upright. It is a
relaxing, safe, non-invasive, preventative therapy that can be carried out
anywhere anytime and is ideal for all ages.
Almost every mother in the India - irrespective
of her religious belief - has practised scalp massage, which has become both a
customary and integral part of her family life. Using a variety of oils, sitting outside in the
warm air, she massages her family sitting in her lap or on the floor at least
once a week.
What are
the benefits of Indian Head Massage?
Particularly relevant today, when we sometimes get little opportunity to be
still or quiet, an Indian head massage offers a period of calm and an
opportunity to focus on oneself. It is a simple but effective stress-busting therapy
that can often bring relief to those experiencing aching shoulders, tight necks,
tension headaches, eye strain, anxiety, sinusitis, insomnia, aches/pains, hair
loss, tinnitus, poor concentration or symptoms of stress. But, above all, many people find an Indian
Head Massage provides an extremely enjoyable sensation that triggers the
release of endorphins, creating an almost euphoric sensation of
contentment and happiness.
*SHIRO-ABHYANGA - Shiro = head, neck and shoulders – Abhyanga
= therapeutic massage.
*AYURVEDA - Ayu = life, r = relating, Veda = knowledge. Ayurveda = the knowledge of life.
*CHAKRA = rotation, also known as ‘wheel of energy’ and it is where prana*
enters the body. Chakra is where the prana
comes into the body and through which prana
is circulated throughout the body.
Balancing the chakras will help energy to flow freely throughout the
body.
*PRANA - Pra = before, Na = breath. Prana means life force energy or energy
force. Prana is always being received
and transmitted. Transmission takes
place through the chakras. Prana flows
into the body through chakras and is contained in the food we eat, water we
drink and the air that we breathe.