ABHYANGA KARMA TREATMENT

Of the many methods that are described in Ayurveda for externally oiling the body, the one that is used for this purpose in Poorvakarma is known as Sneha Abhyanga. It is worthwhile to know something of the entymology of this term. Sneha, we may recall, means oil, or unctuousness. Abhyanga is derived from the root ang meaning "movement" and the prefix abhi meaning "into" or "toward". Thus the word "abhyanga" has the meaning of moving energy into the body or, alternatively, moving toxins towards the alimentary canal for elimination. 
The main purpose of massaging the body with oil is, like the internal oleation procedure, to encourage the detachment of toxins (including vitiated doshas) from the deeper tissues and the subsequent movement of these toxins back to their origins in the gastrointestinal tract where they can be efficiently eliminated with the help of the main panchakarma (pradhanakarma) procedures. Massage has an obvious added benefit in this regard namely the stimulation of the circulatory systems of the blood and lymph tissues which is a natural result of this therapy. Abhyanga is traditionally performed by one, two, four, or more therapists simultaneously. We will review a few other important aspects of Abhyanga karma.

Position of the Patient

According to the classic texts, the patient adopts five different positions (or postures) during the course of each massage session. Two of the postures are repeated, making a total of seven postures for each massage. These seven postures are: 

1. Seated with both legs extended 
2. Lying on the back 
3. Lying on the left side 
4. Lying on the stomach 
5. Lying on the right side 
6. Seated with both legs extended (a repeat of #1) 
7. Lying on the back (a repeat of #2)

In clinical practice, an approximately equal amount of time is given to each position, with perhaps a little more time allocated to the front of the body and the back of the body (positions #2 and #4). The physician may also indicate which positions to emphasize for a given patient. By adopting these simple postures throughout the massage procedure, together with the actual "downward" pressure of the massage being applied by the therapists, the patient is forced to bring into contact with the massage table certain joints and bony areas of the body. These areas are several examples of a group of cutaneous energetic points known as marma sthula, the famous marma points of Ayurveda.