Abhyanga: How to Do an Ayurvedic Self Oil Massage at Home

Dry skin, stiff joints, a restless mind at bedtime: many of us feel these at the end of a long day. Ayurveda has an old habit for this, which is to massage the whole body with warm oil. It is called abhyanga. Daisy has an oiling playlist on her channel that covers it, and she uses oils in several of her own routines. This guide explains how to do it at home, how to pick your oil and what research says.

What is abhyanga?

Abhyanga is a self oil massage, done with warm oil from head to toe. Vaidya Vishwanath Guddadar of Kottakkal Ayurveda calls it a core part of dinacharya, the Ayurvedic daily routine. It is usually done before a bath, so the oil sits on the skin for a short time first.

Ayurveda sees it mostly as a way to calm vata. Vata is the dosha of air and space. It governs movement, circulation, elimination and nerve impulses. When vata is high, Ayurveda expects dryness, constipation and anxiety. Warm, heavy oil is the opposite of those qualities. That is the logic behind the practice.

Kottakkal lists what Ayurveda expects from regular abhyanga. These include better circulation, nourished skin, supple joints and muscles, and a calmer nervous system. The same page says its effect on eyesight is only believed, and that more research is needed. Treat these as traditional claims, not proven results.

Which oil for which dosha?

The California College of Ayurveda matches oils to the three doshas, which are body-mind types. Use this as a starting point, not a rule.

• Vata (dry, cold, light): a heavy, grounding oil such as sesame or almond. Use plenty, keep the room and oil warm, and use slow, smooth strokes with some depth.
• Pitta (hot, sharp): a cooling oil such as sunflower, coconut or olive. Use a moderate amount with soft strokes and moderate pressure.
• Kapha (heavy, cold, oily): lighter oils such as safflower, mustard or sunflower. Kapha types need the least oil. Faster, lighter strokes help, and dry brushing before the oil is also suggested.

Medicated oils are a step further. Kottakkal lists Kshirabala as a nourishing oil for vata and pitta, and Mahanarayana and Dhanwantharam for vata. In her nasya video, Daisy describes Kshirabala as heavy and grounding, and best for dry, anxious body types. She links the more concentrated Kshirabala 101 below. Choose medicated oils with an Ayurvedic doctor.

If you are unsure of your dosha, begin with a small amount of plain sesame oil, the classical base. Watch how your skin feels the next day. Soft skin and an easy mind are good signs. Heat, itching, heaviness or a blocked feeling mean you should switch to a lighter oil or use less. Raise the amount slowly over a few sessions.

How to do it and how often

The routine card above gives the order. Schools differ in small ways. Kottakkal starts at the feet and moves up. The California College suggests vata types start near the head and work down. Both agree on warm oil, a warm room and an unhurried pace. Do not rush the strokes, and use gentle pressure over tender joints.

Kottakkal suggests an empty stomach, or at least 2 hours after a meal. It suggests daily practice or a few times a week. After the bath, stay warm for a few hours. Wear old clothes while the oil is on, and take care on a slippery bathroom floor.

Nasya, putting oil in the nose, is a separate practice with its own article on this site.

Who should be careful?

Test a small patch of skin first. Sesame oil can rarely cause an allergic skin reaction. A case of allergic contact dermatitis from sesame oil in a topical medicine has been reported. Stop if you get redness, itching or a rash.

If you are ill, pregnant, have a skin condition or take medicine for a long-term problem, ask your doctor or an Ayurvedic doctor first. Keep your doctor in the loop.

What research says

Research on abhyanga is early. A small pilot study in Germany gave 20 healthy adults a one-hour Abhyanga massage. Stress scores and heart rate fell afterwards. Blood pressure fell only in people with prehypertension. There was no comparison group.

A 2026 randomised trial from Kerala gave 42 male students stretching, with or without sesame oil self-massage of the legs, for 4 weeks. Those who massaged improved more in hamstring flexibility and stiffness. A 2026 review of Ayurvedic sleep treatments notes that abhyanga and shirodhara are linked with favourable changes in the autonomic nervous system and brain waves. It adds that the trials are small and short, and that the effects of warmth, touch and attention cannot be separated from the oil itself.

Daisy’s tips

• In her nasya video, Daisy says to judge any oil by comfort. If your body feels discomfort, use less or switch to a gentler oil.
• She favours plain sesame oil for nasya, and Kshirabala for dry, anxious types.
• In her morning routine video, she says she keeps most of her skin care for bedtime, because she finds what she applies at night absorbs better.
• In her skin elixir video, Daisy massages a castor oil based face oil in at night. She covers the pillow with plastic under a satin cover, washes it in hot water and replaces it every 3 to 4 months. She says it may not suit oily skin, and that it takes time. She saw changes over about 2 to 3 months.

Daisy talks about these oiling practices in the videos below.