Indian head massage

The art of Indian Head massage is an Ayurvedic form of healing & relaxation used widely in Asia, mainly by masseurs & hairdressers, to combat daily tensions & stress. The technique has been passed down families for several generations & brings immediate relief & relaxation on a deeper level.

It offers the means by which the individual can begin to get in touch with the healing potential within. The unexplored regions of their inner being become empowered to ensure their own wellbeing, as well as that of others. Awareness of recent trends in medicine show that modern physicians have begun to deal with finer forms of energy both the diagnosis & treatment of human illness, correspondingly subtler approaches in therapy are required with principles & interventions involving the mind, body & spiritual dimensions.

An Indian head massage soothes comforts & harmonises the body’s natural balance so helping to promote physical & psychological wellbeing leaving the client with a sense of tranquillity, focus & vision. It incorporates the laying on of hands, deep thumb & finger pressure, effleurage & friction movements.

Acupressure points are stimulated, the techniques reduce muscular & nervous tension thus improves circulation of blood & of the lymphatic fluid.

The cells are fully oxygenated, flushing out both physical & emotional toxins. The tissues of the neck & shoulders are stretched & mobilised. A stiff neck can be caused by anything from stress or sitting in a draught, to sleeping in an uncomfortable position to watching too many games of tennis. It is however one of the simplest ailments to aid with a remedy which include a lot of simple movements & plenty of warming repetitions, plus some kneading strokes to relax & release any areas with trapped nerves or muscle tension.

There is a thin layer of muscle covering the skull, which tightens when we are tense, causing headaches & a feeling of anxiety. The scalp retains a lot of tension, massage relaxes this area & the subcutaneous muscles are toned thus helping to relieve headaches, eyestrain & anxiety enabling the client to focus & concentrate. Vascular headaches including migraines as well as psychogenic headaches (caused by tension, anxiety, depression and discontentment) can often be an aid to relief by this form of massage.

The clinical explanation is that blood vessels in the head increase in size & as these arteries are usually accompanied by nerves, when enlarged they press on the nerves & cause pain. Relief can however often be affected by applying pressure for a few seconds on each side of the two muscle tendons at the centre base of the skull.

When the scalp tightens the blood supply the hair follicles is restricted & so they become undernourished. By stimulating the circulation, massage can improve hair growth. It will not make a bald head suddenly sprout hair but it can improve the condition of the hair. Clients who have had their scalps massaged for ten minutes twice daily notice a definite improvement in the condition of their hair. The scalp circulation is stimulated & improves, helping to promote texture combined with strength & growth of hair in some people.

The technique is known as “Malish” & in India is part of the hairdresser’s service if required; hair pulling is part of the technique. Initially the hair is simply stroked then a bunch is grasped at the roots & pulled, although this sounds painful it does not hurt at all if the hair is grasped right at the roots. The grasp is released & the fingers are glided up through the hair, using the hands alternately gives a lovely feeling of pulling away all the tightness in the scalp. The ears contain over one hundred & ten acupressure points alone so are one of the most important areas to be massaged.

Insomniacs who are given a ten to fifteen minute massage of the upper back & shoulders before going to bed should save both parties several hours of interrupted sleep. People who drive for long periods may require more attention to massage of the upper arm, whereas those who sit at the desk all day probably will have a more urgent need for specific attention to the neck area.

Method

There are various methods used in Indian head massage some of the treatments that I have had whilst travelling in India have been immensely relaxing to the point that I have only wanted to sleep afterwards, others have been extremely vigorous however & it is very much a case of adapting a treatment to each individuals requirements but also to what would be accepted in the west. The technique that I practise & have performed upon myself is authentic Indian traditional massage but is totally acceptable within our more conservative western standards.

The treatment takes anything over an hour that’s including a full consultation.

Centering

There is an initial very important aspect of becoming centred, focusing totally upon the client & oneself being relaxed. The next essential point is to transfer this calmness to the client by placing your hands firstly upon their shoulders & then by placing your hands on top of the head. If someone is extremely stressed, the energy coming from the top of the head is tangible & it is important to try to reduce this by starting the treatment simply by increasing the length of the time that your hands remain in this position.

When you feel that the time is ready one hand should be placed on the front of the forehead & the other on the base of the neck for a short while.