Did you miss yesterday’s tip: boundary setting as a soul cleansing practice? If so, be sure to check it out.
Day 4’s cleansing tip is self-massage.
Setting aside time each day or even once a week to give yourself a full body massage with warm oil is great for your body both externally and internally.
In Ayurveda self-massage is recommended as a regular practice, especially during a cleanse. The act of massaging oil into your body moisturizes skin, improves skin color, decreases the effects of aging, improves sleep cycle, relieves muscle tension, tones and firms tissues, and increases circulation. On a deeper level, self-massage assists tissues in releasing toxins and increases blood flow to carry toxins to your digestive system for elimination. It also increases digestion, stimulates and purifies organs, and calms the nervous system.
Ayurveda routine suggestions include:
- Use Sesame seed oil
- Warm oil first
- Pay special attention to scalp, ears, and feet
- Massage for at least 30 minutes
- Perform massage in the morning, before bathing
- Allow oil to soak into the skin for 15 minutes before bathing
Personally, I say do what feels right for you. I, for one, am NOT a morning person, so getting up an hour earlier to massage myself and soak in oil BEFORE I shower is wishful thinking. Besides, once I’m done, I guarantee you I will be ready to go back to sleep.
Best practice would be to create a routine that works for you so that you can be consistent. I also suggest using an organic oil that works for your skin type and does not contain any harmful additives or chemicals. I’m a lover of coconut oil or shea butter, depending on the season.
Also, make it fun. Create a scented oil blend using a few drops of essential oils or by soaking some dried herbs in the oil for a few days.
Here are some great scent ideas:
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Lemongrass
- Clary Sage
- Citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, or a blend: citrus fresh)
You can use one, mix and match or find other scents you like better.
A few warnings before you get started: citrus can be very reactive to the sun so if you use one of those be sure to rinse it off well in the shower before exposing skin to direct sunlight, be careful with oils-especially scented oil-around your eyes and don’t forget to wipe off the bottom of your feet so you don’t fall! My goofy butt would go slipping and sliding on the floor.
What’s your favorite oil to use for self-massage? Let’s chat everything self-massage in the Actualize Your Healing Facebook group.
Keep Manifesting,
