(Coming Soon)
For information on Ayurvedic Chef services, please refer to the “Ayurveda + Food” link on the main menu.
One-Size-Fits-All: Dosha Know-Style Abhyanga
75-minute sessions: 15-minute consultation; 60-minute abhyanga
$90
Please note: Prices will increase in 2024 to $125/session. However, the $90 rate will be locked in to any clients who commit to their Ayurvedic treatment plan and attend an appointment minimum of once a month.
What is “Abhyanga?”
Easiest explanation:
Abhyanga is an Ayurvedic treatment traditionally known as an “oil bath.” (It’s not actually a bathtub full of oil.)
Using similar principles as acupuncture, abhyanga is a holistic treatment using customized oils to open the marma points (marma points are like acupuncture points), instead of needles, for optimal healing.
Not all abhyangas are the same! Each body has different complications, and each person has a different set of health goals. Therefore, the treatments are customized to fit the desired outcomes of each individual. To achieve this, I spend 15 minutes consulting with you by reading your pulse (an Ayurvedic technique used to “diagnose” imbalances) and asking you questions.
Oftentimes, I will make use of any/all of the following:
Reiki/energy work: I am Reiki level-two certified and trained in Ayurvedic energy work
Pranayama/Breathwork: Encouraging guided breathing while on the table for optimal effect
Nada Yoga/Mantras: Ayurvedic sound therapy. This can include chanting or use of a variety of sound tools
Marma chikitsa: localized focus on specific points
Nasya: oil treatment for the nasal passage
Heat: heated rice bags/stones to soothe specific types of isolated pain
Aromatherapy: while this is inherently part of the treatment through the customization of the oil blends, I may use more aggressive aromatherapy techniques if called for.
The more you and I work together, the more I can customize your treatments and introduce a wider variety of in-depth tools and healing modalities so as to treat lingering and chronic symptoms and conditions. Such examples are:
Lepas: an herbal paste placed on a localized spot for quicker healing (usually for more superficial aches)
Basti: dough dam placed on a specific spot and filled with medicated oil (usually for deeper healing)
Svedana: steam therapy for relaxing all tissues and releasing toxins
Ubtan: A customized paste for skincare
Shirodhara: a stream of medicated oil that pours gently on the third eye (best for treating mental imbalances and migraines)
Combined Pranayama and Nada Yoga
55 minute session: 5-minute consultation; 50 minutes of breathing and sound
$75
This is a hands-free session that can either be lying down or sitting up. Clothes get to stay on, and this is oil-free.
Pranayama is specified and guided breathwork that can have energizing, calming, and/or euphoric effects. It also has great physiological benefit, as regulated and disciplined breathing stimulates balanced bodily function.
Nada Yoga is Ayurvedic sound therapy. In this session we will use mantras/chants, singing bowls, bells, and chimes to balance vibrations that are linked to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. While interactive chanting is highly encouraged, chanting along is not mandatory.
This session combines both breathwork and sound.
Questions You May Have:
Q: Oil bath? What do I wear?
A: Something loose that you don’t mind if it gets a little oily when you put your clothes back on.
Q: How is and abhyanga different than a massage?
A: You do situate yourself on a massage table as you would as if you were getting a massage. The fundamental difference is that I am not a massage therapist and do not focus on manipulating muscle tissue. I apply oils and pressure and use circulatory flows according to the marma points that are to be worked on that day.
Q: What do I do after an abhyanga session?
A: You’ll be oily when you leave. It’s good to let the oils sit on your skin for a bit before washing it off. By the time you get home, you are free to shower. I recommend letting your shower steam up nicely and let the steam hit your skin first. Then, shower as usual. You may need to shampoo twice to get all of the oil out.
Q: How will I feel afterward?
A: I don’t know! You tell me! Everyone experiences the sessions differently. Some feel energized, some feel sleepy, some may feel a little dizzy and some just feel euphoric. Whatever experience you have is the right one for you. I recommend carving out time after a session to rest before going about your day.
Q: Then what?
A: Up to you. For those who have chronic pain, the first session is just the start. Chronic pain is meant to be chipped away at until eventually it needs simply to be managed. These sessions can help to both get to the core of the pain and serve as a management plan. This can be further discussed after our first session.
If you don’t have chronic pain but want to schedule as desired just because it feels nice and/or you have acute pain, that works, too.
Q: Are you going to add more services?
A: Eventually I will compile a menu that will include shirodhara (warm oil stream on the third eye), Ayurvedic nutrition planning and chef services, as well as deconstructed/individualized modalities that, for now, are applied in the Abhyanga description above.