**20-Min Self-Massage Tutorial - Soothe Your Nervous System with Ayurveda**

For Ayurvedic stories, tips, and teachings delivered straight to your inbox, grab a spot on our newsletter list.

Raise your hand if your to-do list gets more TLC than your body.
Yep. Same.

There was a time in my life when the only time I touched my body with intention was when I was applying concealer or pinching the muffin top I hated so much (we’re awful to ourselves).

Self-touch - loving, intentional, nourishing touch - was foreign.

Enter: Abhyanga.

This ancient Ayurvedic practice of self-massage with oil is so much more than a wellness trend. It's a homecoming.

Abhyanga: The Ultimate Act of Sneha (Love)

In Sanskrit, sneha means both “oil” and “love.”
Let that sink in.

When we rub oil into our skin, Ayurveda teaches that we are literally massaging in love, coating our entire being in comfort, safety, and reverence. It's not a luxury, it’s a daily medicine, especially for anyone feeling frayed at the edges.

Here’s how it typically goes in my world:
Oil in a little bowl. Towel nearby to catch rogue drips. Comfy corner to sit and begin.

And then—warm hands on skin.

This practice is deeply calming for the nervous system, supports lymphatic drainage, boosts immunity, and reconnects you with your physical self in the most tender way.

It’s More Than a Massage

Sure, it boosts circulation, helps digestion, and quiets an anxious mind. But honestly? That’s not why I keep coming back.

I keep coming back because when I oil my body, I remember I have a body.
A living, breathing, feeling, beautiful body that deserves care—even when it’s tired, or bloated, or doesn’t look how I want it to in the mirror.

And that kind of remembrance? It’s sacred.

Abhyanga is wildly underrated because it meets you on every level.
It’s not just topical. It doesn't just calm your mind or nourish your skin—it does both, and more. It supports your immune system, soothes your nervous system, heals dry or inflamed tissue, improves sleep, stimulates digestion, and increases circulation.

Most wellness tools target one area—Abhyanga nourishes them all.
And yet... it rarely gets center stage in our self-care routines.
Why? Because we’ve been conditioned to rush, and this ritual asks us to slow way, way down.

Want to Go Deeper With This Work?

If Abhyanga made you pause and exhale, imagine what it would feel like to know exactly how to care for your body using these ancient spa rituals—right from home.

Inside the Vedic Home Spa Practitioner Program, you'll learn the 4 foundational Ayurvedic therapies that have been used for thousands of years to restore balance, radiance, and deep healing:

Abhyanga – full-body oil massage to nourish tissues and calm the nervous system
Swedana – herbal steam therapy to detox and soften the body
Udvartana – invigorating exfoliation to awaken lymph and circulation
Shirodhara – warm oil pouring to quiet the mind and ease emotional overload

You'll also learn how to:

Craft medicinal oils at home, using traditional Ayurvedic herbs
Personalize your rituals based on your dosha
Create your own at-home spa retreat, with recipes, seasonal guidance, and step-by-step rituals

This isn’t about booking a spa day.
This is about becoming your own healer.

Get $110 off when you use the code SPA79 at checkout.

home spa practitioner program

So many of us were raised to push through discomfort, numb out, or only touch our bodies with criticism.
Abhyanga is the antidote. It’s sneha. It’s a return.

Let this be your reminder, love:
The world will still be there after you oil your feet.
But you will return to it softer, steadier, and just a little more sacred.