Ayurvedic Self Oil Massage Benefits: Why Abhyanga Is an Act of Self-Love
Ayurvedic self oil massage, known as abhyanga, has profound benefits for the lymphatic system, nervous system, and emotional health. But beyond its physical effects, it is something even deeper.
It is an act of love.
Yesterday, I gave myself the gift of luxuriating in oil. I oiled my hair and my body and let it soak in.
There’s something almost rebellious about oil.
We’ve been taught to fear fat. To shrink our bodies.
Ayurveda does the opposite.
In India, oiling the body is normal. Women are allowed to be soft. Nourished. Oiled. After birth, women are massaged with warm oil for days — strengthened, grounded, saturated.
And then I learned something that stopped me in my tracks.
In Sanskrit, oil is called sneha.
And sneha also means love.
Not romantic love. Not performative love.
But tenderness. Essence. Saturation.
To oil the body is to saturate it in love.
How Abhyanga Supports Rasa and Lymphatic Health
In Ayurveda, the first tissue of the body is called rasa.
Rasa means nourishment. Rhythm. Sensory satisfaction. The sap of life.
Physically, rasa includes your plasma and lymph. Emotionally, it reflects how satisfied and supported you feel.
When rasa is strong, you feel nourished.
When it’s depleted, you crave.
Sugar. Attention. Approval. Busyness. Distraction. More.
Modern life dries us out. Chronic stress, overstimulation, fear — all of it depletes rasa.
And when rasa is dry, the lymph slows.
The lymphatic system is responsible for clearing waste, supporting immune function, and regulating inflammation. Unlike the circulatory system, it does not have a pump. It relies on movement, breath, and tissue hydration.
Oil helps restore that hydration.
Abhyanga supports lymphatic drainage by softening the fascia and encouraging flow toward the heart. This improves circulation, immune resilience, and detoxification — but it also creates something less measurable:
A felt sense of nourishment.
How Stress and Fear Impact the Nervous System and Lymph
Fear dries the body.
When the nervous system is chronically activated — stuck in fight, flight, or freeze — tissues tighten. Fascia constricts. Breath shortens. Flow diminishes.
And when flow diminishes, so does receiving.
You see this in your own life.
When your body feels braced and unsupported, your mind looks for something to soothe it.
Sometimes that’s sugar, wine, and carbs.
Sometimes it’s overworking.
Sometimes it’s control and attachment.
But sometimes what your body actually needs is warmth and lubrication.
Abhyanga sends a powerful message to the nervous system:
You are safe. You are held. You can soften.
This alone can lower cortisol, increase oxytocin, and improve vagal tone — supporting overall nervous system regulation.
Abhyanga Benefits for Women
The benefits of Ayurvedic self oil massage are especially profound for women.
The breasts hold significant lymphatic tissue. Gentle massage toward the heart supports circulation and drainage. This is not vanity — it is nourishment and immune care.
For women navigating stress, hormonal shifts, postpartum recovery, or perimenopause, oiling can be deeply regulating.
Benefits of abhyanga include:
Improved lymphatic drainage
Reduced muscle tension and fascia tightness
Nervous system calming
Better sleep
Increased skin hydration
Hormonal support
Emotional grounding
Oil softens the body.
And when the body softens, the mind often follows.
What This Has to Do With Love
Valentine’s Day tends to point outward.
Ayurveda turns the mirror inward.
Are you hydrating your tissues?
Touching your skin with tenderness?
Feeding your rasa?
Allowing yourself to feel satisfied — even briefly?
Oil reduces friction.
In the body.
In the nervous system.
In life.
And when friction decreases, flow increases.
Sometimes what you need is oil.
Sneha.
Love.
And that kind of love begins in your own hands.
