I have kept this practice for ten years.

Not perfectly. There were months I let it go entirely. But I have come back to it every time, and if I had to give up everything else I do for myself, this is the one I would keep.

Abhyanga is the Ayurvedic practice of massaging the body with warm oil. It is traditionally part of dinacharya, the daily practices Ayurveda uses to keep us connected to our body and its natural rhythms.

And this is the beautiful part: the Sanskrit word sneha means both oil and love. Abhyanga is, quite literally, the practice of oiling yourself with care. You can do it at home, before a warm shower, in about fifteen minutes.

Why We Oil


Warm oil brings softness, warmth and grounding to the body. Ayurveda especially uses abhyanga to calm vata (the dry, cold, light and mobile qualities) that can leave us feeling scattered, depleted, restless or tired-but-wired.

Regular oiling also nourishes dry skin, supports circulation and gives the nervous system something many of us receive far too little of: slow, intentional touch. And perhaps that is the deeper medicine.

You are spending a few minutes touching your own body without trying to improve it, fix it or make it perform. You are simply caring for yourself.

How to Practice Abhyanga

1.Choose your oil

Keep it simple.

  • Sesame oil is the traditional everyday choice. It is warming and grounding, making it especially lovely during colder weather or when you feel scattered and depleted.
  • Coconut oil is cooling and can feel better during hot weather or when you naturally run warm.

Choose plain, cold-pressed oil when possible.
Warm the bottle by placing it in a cup of hot water for a few minutes before you begin. The oil should feel comfortably warm against your skin.

2.Set yourself up

Use an old towel that you do not mind getting oily.

Stand or sit somewhere warm. You can oil your scalp as well, but if washing your hair makes the practice feel like too much work, skip it. I believe that the practice should fit into your life.

3.Begin with your legs

  • Pour a little warm oil into your hands and begin at your feet.
  • Massage the soles of your feet, your toes and around your ankles.
  • Then slowly work your way up the legs toward your heart.
  • Use long strokes along the bones and muscles, always moving upward. Use gentle circular movements around the ankles, knees and hips.

4.Move to the upper body

  • Once you reach the hips, oil the abdomen with gentle clockwise circles.
  • Move across the chest with soft strokes.
  • Then massage your hands and arms, again using long strokes toward the heart and circles around the wrists, elbows and shoulders.
  • Massage anywhere you can comfortably reach across the back and shoulders.
  • Finish with the neck, ears, face and scalp if you are including them.
  • Use enough oil that your hands glide easily, but you do not need to drench yourself.

5.Let the oil sit

When you are finished, leave the oil on your body for about 10–15 minutes. This is part of the practice. Sit somewhere warm. Stretch. Breathe. Drink some warm water. Or simply do nothing for a few minutes.

Then take a warm shower.

Use soap only where you need it. You do not need to scrub all the oil away. Let a light layer remain on the skin and gently pat yourself dry.

How Often?

You can practice full-body abhyanga once or twice a week and increase it if your body loves it. Cold, dry seasons are especially beautiful times to make it a regular ritual. And you do not need the full fifteen-minute practice every time. Some evenings, oiling your feet is enough.

A Few Times to Skip It

  • Pause abhyanga when you have a fever or acute illness, when your digestion feels very heavy, or over areas of broken, irritated or infected skin.
  • During pregnancy or while managing a medical condition, keep the practice gentle and check with your healthcare practitioner if you are unsure.

Listen to your body. Ayurveda is always an invitation into deeper listening, not another rulebook.

Where to Start

Start with your feet. Tonight, warm a little sesame oil between your hands and massage the soles of your feet for three minutes before bed. Put on a pair of old socks if you need to walk around afterward.

Do that for a week. Then, if it feels good, let the ritual grow.

Ten years ago, I thought the oil was the practice. It wasn't. The practice was learning to give my own body fifteen unhurried minutes of attention. Over time, I stopped asking whether I had time for abhyanga and started noticing how different I felt when I had gone too long without it.

So you do not need to commit to the whole ritual.
Start with warm oil.
Start with your feet.
Start tonight.