Dear Marlon!
Looking at your skin how beautyful it is makes me want to try abhyanga massage,but I am not sure how to do
the face part - do you put oil around your eyes and eyelids? Do you use hot water and cleanser to
wash the oil off your face? Do you moisturize after that?
I always fallow your advice. You're an amazing example for a young woman living in small country -
23,Croatia.
I was just wondering - why is abhyanga pre-bath massage? Why isn't after-bath massage with warm oil
just as good? Can you explain it?
Thank you for everything, I wish you everything you wish for yourself; peace and beauty in you and
around you, nd a magical new year.
Mera
Hello Mera in Croatia,
Many thanks for your well wishes and compliments. I'm very happy to hear you are following some of the guidelines I set for myself.
Let me tell you a little bit about abhyanga to clarify. Like all things yogic, the purpose of doing a particular practice has much deeper effects than the obvious one. Abhyanga is done not for the quality of the skin, but for the nurturing effects it has on the entire organism--you! Smooth and lovely skin is a mere fringe benefit, but I must confess, it is one I enjoy, too.
One of the first of the deeper effects you will experience from the practice of abhyanga is experiencing more groundedness. The entire nervous system is soothed, so being physically steady, experiencing mental clarity, being calm and lucid, and generally in a sattvic state (one of centeredness and openess akin to spirituality) soon become one's general condition.
After sustained practice of abhyanga, the change in overall energy penetrates all 7 layers of tissue, called dhatus by ayurvedics. The progression is described in detail on my site here: http://askyogimarlon.com/abhyanga.html
As far as you question about doing abhyanga on the face, I certainly do. I try to be careful not to get the oil in my eyes, but I do come as close as possible. I do not wash it off with soap, so it has time to saturate in as much as possible. If I need to put foundation on, I wipe as much off as I can with a dry towel.
To answer your last question--Abhyanga is done before or during bathing because the heat of the shower opens the pores and allows the oil to penetrate further into the dermas. If you do it after like most moisturizing, its only a cosmetic treatment. The oil remains only on top of your skin and the benefits for which traditional ayurveda strives, are not reaped.
For all my readers, please do let me know if abhyanga is working for you. Are you experiencing tranquility, and not just smooth skin?
Om Shanti,
Yogi Marlon
Monday, January 08, 2007
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3 comments:
Thank you for answering my question, dear Marlon.
I have been doing abhyanga for five days now, and it has made such a change for me,I can't wait morning to do it again,and it is such a good way to start a day, fast and simple too. And smooth skin is a bonus too, especially for my sensitive skin. I can't wait for your new writings.
Mera
I've been practising yoga for more than 8 years with different teachers and different trends. All I can tell you is, it works, both physically and psychologically.
I'm from Portugal (western europe)
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