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🇮🇳 Kerala (India) · Ancient

Ayurvedic Massage (Abhyanga)アーユルヴェーダ・マッサージ（アビヤンガ）अभ्यङ्ग (Abhyaṅga)

Oil-based manual work within Ayurveda, involving the spreading of oil, stroking and kneading. Its role differs in household routines, specialist facilities and spas. Concepts such as dosha are presented as explanations within that tradition.

Traditional healing systemIn-depth article

Fact sheet

Origin
🇮🇳 Kerala (India) · 🇮🇳 India · 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka — India (Kerala and beyond) and Sri Lanka
Era
Last centuries BCE to c. 2nd century CE (Charaka Samhita)（Ancient）
Classification
Traditional healing system
Core theory
The three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha), the 107 marma points, snehana (oleation)
Classics
Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya
Oils
Sesame base; medicated formulations such as Dhanwantharam, Ksheerabala, Mahanarayana
Official status
Under India's Ministry of AYUSH; Ayurvedic physicians hold the five-and-a-half-year BAMS degree
Related procedures
Shirodhara (oil stream to the forehead), pizhichil (oil bath), kizhi (herbal boluses), udvartana (powder massage)
Techniques
Oil / Herbal / Heat
Practitioner body parts
Palm / Finger
Medium
Oil
Clothing
Skin contact, draped
Setting
Table
Typical duration
45–90 min
Also known as
Abhyanga · Ayurvedic oil massage · Kerala massage · Snehana · Vishesh

History: from the Samhitas to Kerala

Ayurveda ('the knowledge of life') is among the world's oldest medical systems, founded on the Charaka Samhita (internal medicine) and Sushruta Samhita (surgery), which took shape in layers between the last centuries BCE and the early centuries CE (the surviving texts passed through later redactions). Both describe abhyanga (anointing with oil) in detail as part of the daily regimen, dinacharya, and as preparation for treatment. Charaka teaches that one who performs abhyanga daily is little troubled by ageing, fatigue or disturbances of vata; Sushruta defined the 107 marma, vital points where life energy gathers.

Vagbhata's Ashtanga Hridaya of around the 7th century, a concise textbook that organised the earlier works, was especially prized in Kerala in south India. With its warm, humid climate and abundant herbs, Kerala became the region where Ayurvedic oil therapies developed furthest. There the healing system of the martial art kalaripayattu (kalari chikitsa) sharpened practical knowledge of the marma, and a tradition arose in which the therapist was also a martial artist.

Under colonial rule Western medicine took the centre of the system and Ayurveda was marginalised, but after independence in the 20th century the Indian government gave traditional medicine official standing with university education and licensing, culminating in the Ministry of AYUSH founded in 2014.

Theory and ritual: dosha, marma, sneha

Abhyanga combines application of oil with manual work within Ayurveda. Household care and work in a specialist setting can differ in content and practitioner roles.

Vata, pitta and kapha are theoretical terms used within that medical tradition to understand the body and daily life. This page does not turn those explanations into symptom diagnosis or instructions for choosing oils independently. Oil selection is considered within the training concerned and individual circumstances.

Two-practitioner work and prayer are features of some settings, without making them requirements of every practice. Shirodhara and kizhi are related but distinct procedures, not mandatory manual techniques of abhyanga.

Development: the Kerala procedures and the spa

In Kerala a family of oil therapies was systematised around abhyanga: pizhichil (a continuous pouring of warm oil over the body), shirodhara (a thin stream of oil onto the forehead), kizhi (pounding with cloth boluses of herbs, rice or powder), udvartana (dry massage with herbal powders) and kati basti (a pool of oil held on the lower back), combined before and after panchakarma, the five purifications.

Ayurveda was introduced to the West from the 1970s, and from the 1990s Kerala became internationally known as a destination for 'Ayurveda tourism'. The state certifies treatment centres, and two- to three-week panchakarma stays for foreign guests have become an industry. At the same time shirodhara and abhyanga became staples of the world's spas, spreading as relaxation treatments outside their medical context.

Sri Lanka has its own Ayurvedic tradition, with a government ministry of indigenous medicine, and institutionalisation has advanced across South Asia.

Abhyanga today

Abhyanga has different roles in household routines, specialist facilities and spas. Some forms use two practitioners, but the number of hands or quantity of oil is not a measure of worth.

Learning traditional explanations is separate from diagnosing someone’s constitution or illness. Discuss oil, scent, temperature, clothing and coverings beforehand, and seek appropriate professional advice about allergies or health concerns. This encyclopedia does not promise benefits for particular symptoms.

Signature moves

Descriptions introduce ways of touch, not instructions to reproduce them. Practice varies by lineage, practitioner and recipient.

  • Oil application (within snehana)

    Snehana is a broader concept of oleation, not simply the name of a pouring movement.

  • Long strokes along the long bones

    Strokes along the long bones of arms and legs, following the direction of the hair (anuloma).

  • Circles around the joints

    Circling the shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles; gentle around the marma.

  • Two-practitioner coordination (one format)

    Therapists on either side mirror each other's movements.

  • Shirodhara (companion procedure)

    A thin stream of warm oil onto the centre of the forehead; not a massage stroke but a procedure often paired with abhyanga.

  • Kizhi (related bundle therapy)

    A related therapy using bundles of materials such as plants; not a mandatory manual technique in every abhyanga session.

One possible session

An example centred on conversation and consent—not a prescribed sequence, duration or self-treatment guide.

  1. Assess constitution and condition; choose the oil

    Prescription by dosha and season.

  2. Prayer and oil to the head

    Oil poured on the crown; scalp kneaded.

  3. Whole body through seated, supine, side-lying and prone

    Kerala style cycles through seven positions with two therapists in synchrony.

  4. Rest to let the oil absorb

    Sometimes followed by swedana (sudation).

  5. Herbal bath to remove the oil

    Washing with a warm herbal decoction or green-gram powder.

Related competition categories

Competition scores assess a performance under that event’s rules—not the value of a technique or culture. Consult the official rules for eligibility and judging criteria.

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Related forms and lineages

Frequently asked questions

Q.Are abhyanga and 'Ayurvedic massage' the same?

Abhyanga is an oil-based practice within Ayurveda, not a synonym for every service labelled Ayurvedic massage. Content and practitioner roles differ between household care, spas and medical settings, so ask about the particular service.

Q.What are the doshas?

Vata, pitta and kapha are concepts used in Ayurvedic theory to explain the body and health. They are not modern medical diagnoses and should not alone determine what illness someone has or what care to receive.

Q.Why two therapists?

Some formats coordinate two practitioners, while others use one. The provider’s approach and recipient’s preferences matter. A direct origin link to a championship multi-hands category has not been established here.

Q.Is the oil washed off?

Traditionally, after a rest for absorption, it is washed off with a herbal decoction or green-gram powder; spas may remove it with warm towels.

Glossary

ドーシャDoṣa
The three principles of life energy: vata, pitta, kapha.
マルマMarma
The 107 vital points defined by Sushruta.
スネーハナSnehana
Oleation; preparatory treatment by applying or ingesting oil.
パンチャカルマPañcakarma
The five purifications; abhyanga is their preparation.
ディナチャリヤDinacaryā
The daily regimen.

Sources & references

This article draws on the following primary sources, official bodies, scholarship and organisations.

  1. [1]Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana ch. 5 (Matrashitiya) — on abhyanga in the daily regimenPrimary source
  2. [2]Sushruta Samhita, Sharirasthana — the 107 marmaPrimary source
  3. [3]Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India(opens in a new tab)Official body
  4. [4]Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)Official body
  5. [5]Lad, Vasant. Textbook of Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic Press.Book
  6. [6]Kerala Tourism — Abhyanga Snehana (practice context)(opens in a new tab)Official body

About this article

Edited from published sources. Listing sources does not mean community or specialist review is complete, or that benefits are established. We welcome practitioners’ perspectives on names, descriptions, additions and corrections.

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