Ayurvedic Massage: What It Is, Types and How It Differs

Ayurvedic massage is massage with warm oil chosen for the person’s condition: their constitution, the season and whatever is currently out of balance. In Ayurveda it is not a stand-alone service but part of body care. The Charaka Samhita puts oil on the body, head, ears and feet on a par with other daily rules — cleaning the teeth and bathing.

The main type of Ayurvedic massage is abhyanga, applying warm oil to the whole body in a set sequence. There are also head, face and foot massages, a dry powder rub and treatments with herbal poultices. Below: how all of this differs from classic massage and how to tell that you are getting a genuine Ayurvedic treatment.

The same treatment is often called Indian massage or Indian oil massage — after the country Ayurveda comes from and the oil that is central to it. There is no separate technique behind these names, and you should look for the same things: is the oil chosen for the person, and are you asked how you feel before the session.

• Abhyanga. Warm oil over the whole body, seven positions, strokes in the direction of hair growth. A detailed guide is in the article on abhyanga.
• Shiro abhyanga — head massage. Oil is worked into the scalp, along with the neck and shoulders. According to the Charaka Samhita, regular oil on the head protects the hair and supports sound sleep.
• Mukha abhyanga — face massage. A light oil massage of the face, often combined with a head massage. The pressure here is the gentlest.
• Pada abhyanga — foot massage. The Charaka Samhita describes it separately: oil on the feet relieves dryness, roughness, tiredness and numbness of the legs.
• Udvartana. A dry rub with herbal powder from the bottom up, against the hair growth. It is used for kapha conditions — more in the article on udvartana.
• Kizhi. Warming the body with hot poultices of herbs, rice or powders — see the article on kizhi.
• Pizhichil. Warm oil is poured continuously over the body while it is massaged — see the article on pizhichil.

Next to the massages stands shirodhara — a thin stream of warm oil on the forehead. It is not a massage, but it is often done on the same day, after abhyanga.

There is no single figure: the price of an Ayurvedic massage varies widely. It is more useful to explain what goes into it.

• Is there a doctor’s examination? A treatment prescribed after a consultation costs more than a massage from a spa menu — and they are different services.
• Which oil? Medicated oils cooked with herbs cost more than plain sesame, and a full-body treatment uses a lot.
• How many therapists? In Kerala practice abhyanga is often done by two therapists, in sync from both sides.
• Type and duration. A foot massage and a full abhyanga with the head are different amounts of work.
• Single session or a course? Ayurveda works with a series of treatments, and courses are usually priced separately.

If the price is far below the market, ask which oil is used and who performs the treatment.

At a spa “Ayurvedic” is often used for any relaxing massage with a fragrant oil. It may be pleasant, but it is a different service. Signs of a genuine treatment:

• You are questioned before the session and may be turned away if there are contraindications.
• The oil is warm and chosen for you, not one for everyone; you can be told which oil and why.
• There is a sequence: body positions, direction of strokes, separate work on the head and feet.
• The pressure is moderate, without pain or deep muscle work.
• There are no medical promises. Ayurvedic massage cannot “flush out toxins in one session” or “cure” anything, and a good therapist does not say so.

On the difference between spa and Ayurveda in general, see Spa vs Ayurveda: what’s the difference. Which Ayurvedic treatments can go on a spa menu and how a ritual differs from a treatment is covered in Ayurvedic treatments in the spa. How treatments are grouped — oil, heat, local, cleansing — is explained in Ayurvedic treatments: types and how they differ.