Hand to skin. A ripple effect of lymph moving… a wave of relaxation.. a softening in the jaw… a deeper exhale… even a felt-sense of grounded presence.
Massage is obviously awesome, but often something we put in the luxury or treat bracket. What if we were to incorporate simple self massage techniques into our everyday routine? Sel- massage is a simple way to gently detox, get energy moving and boost our mood.
Then we could even add sauna – and uplevel our sauna experience! It can actually improve our sauna tolerance or stamina if we are focusing on the breath or anchoring our awareness to the sensation of touch.
Incorporating self-massage and lymphatic draining techniques into our sauna session is a powerful way to support our bodies natural detoxification process. With the heat of the sauna, the tissues are malleable and with the cold dip we revitalize our tissues – add massage and we start to deepen the rejuvenation process.
In ayurveda, the holistic medical system of India – time is dedicated to abhyanga – oil application. And this can become part of our dinacharya or daily routine. It can be a simple and short addition or you can turn it into more of a ritual.
Back in the day, I learnt ayurvedic beaty treatments alongside one of my first ayurvedic massage courses in Kerala in 2005 and in the last few years have discovered the power of marma therapy -essentially ayurvedic acupressure. Marma therapy can be used to boost energy, improve our physical, mental and emotional bodies and what I love about them is a way of self-regulation and nervous system care.
This year I have started to share ayurvedic inspired self-massage, marma therapy (ayurvedic acupressure) and aromatherapeutic skincare. And as I have been drawn more and more to the healing power of the sauna, I have added it to the sauna experience.
Through simple massage techniques we can:
- Remove toxins and waste via the lymphatic system
- Encourage the lymph to move (remember unlike blood and the circulatory system – there is no pump for the lymphatic system and so movement or massage is needed)
- Move stagnant energy – when we feel tired or stuck – a sweat in the sauna is a great idea, combined with the cold dip, it has uplifting effects on our nervous system
- Balance your nervous system – If we focus on the head, face and chest in our self-massage routine we also stimulate the vagus nerve (the vagus nerve interweaves with the cranial nerves that innervate the head, neck, throat and chest)
- Boosts our mood – I love the word uplift and uplifting. I think it sums up that inner sense. But also, it fits with the idea of the facelift massage. Feel uplifted physically and emotionally.
- Reduces joint stiffness and improves mobility. Our tissues soften…
This is all naturally heightened when using the heat of the sauna and contrast therapy. And in ayurveda, the focus of regular massage (abhyanga) or application of oil is for longevity and improved well-being as we age.
And what about if we focus on the head, neck and face? Mukta abhyanga.
- Drains fluid and reduces puffiness
- Relaxes jaw– especially if we massage the temples.
- Naturally it relaxes the face muscles – and it’s amazing how much tension we hold in the face and jaw often without realizing.
- Reduce sinus pain and headache
- Improves eyesight
- Helps us look and feel more radiant
My Mukta Abhyanga Ritual –
Where does the face massage start?
First things first… breath. We can start to move lymph and stagnant energy with conscious breath practices. We can add in some gentle movement. Both boost the movement of lymph in the body…
Then the most effective face lift massage starts with massaging the abdomen. In ayurveda, they look at the digestive system as the seat of our health. Start your face massage with belly massage to help reduce congestion, bloating and help us digest the stress that might potentially show up in the face, of affects our sleep and is then noticed as dark circles or puffiness around the eyes.
And remember all of these techniques can be done while in the sauna itself.
After the abdomen… the clavicles. Focusing on the area above the collarbone we can reduce bloating and puffiness as the clavicles are the terminal lymphatic draininage point. We’ll return there later.
Then the neck… even if you never get as far as massaging the face itself. The neck and chest are more important… Again, gets lymph draining…
I move to the scalp next – deep circles of the scalp, even gently pulling the hair – invigorating and pulling energy up.
Face wise – I like to start with 3 marma points (behind the ear/ mid cheek bone and under the bottom lip) for lymph drainage… and then a simple face massage with oil. I’ll share these in another post or video. (Or in-person? Be in touch if you want to sign up for an in-person workshop or an online tutorial)
We end by massaging the clavicles again and with Hridaya marma – our hands to our heart.
Sauna optional!
I have one upcoming Uplift Workshop – Sauna and Self-Massage in the UK – find out more
Or if you are interested in either an online tutorial or setting up a sauna workshop near you let me know…