Ayurvedic Self-Massage Oils by Body Type, Plus Daily Bathing Tips

The skin of the entire body becomes soft, smooth, and brightened. Best Oils by Body Type For Ayurvedic oil massage, use one of the following oils, according to your constitutional type: Vata = sesame oil Pitta = sunflower oil Kapha = corn oil BATHING Following your oil massage, take a bath or shower. Bathing is cleansing and refreshing. It removes fatigue, brings energy and alertness, and promotes long life.

Bathing every day brings holiness into your life. EXERCISE Everyone should do some exercise every day. A walk in the fresh early-morning air and some yoga stretching are good enough for many people; some additional aerobic exercise may also be beneficial, depending on your prakruti. Kapha individuals, with their stronger, heavier physiques, can do the most strenuous exercise, and they benefit from it.

Jogging, bicycling, tennis, aerobics, hiking, and mountain climbing are great for kaphas (though they don’t like such vigorous exercise!). Pittas do well with a moderate amount (swimming is especially helpful for cooling pitta), while vata individuals do best with quieter exercises like walking, easy swimming, or yoga asanas. As a general rule, Ayurveda recommends exercising up to one half of one’s capacity. A good gauge is to exercise until sweat forms on the forehead, under the arms, and along the spinal column.

Straining is absolutely not recommended. Yoga stretching is recommended for all body types. Postures particularly beneficial for vata individuals include the Sun Salutation (twelve cycles, done slowly). The most important seat of vata in the body is in the pelvic cavity, and any exercise that stretches the pelvic muscles helps to calm vata.

These include the Forward Bend, Backward Bend, Spinal Twist, Shoulder Stand, Plow, Camel, Cobra, Locust, Cat, and Cow poses, and Leg Lifts. The Headstand, Half Wheel, and Yoga Mudra are also beneficial. (For illustrations of yoga postures see appendix 4.) The major seat of pitta is the solar plexus, so exercises that stretch the muscles around the solar plexus are especially beneficial for individuals with a pitta prakruti and will help to pacify pitta. These include the Fish, Boat, Camel, Locust, and Bow poses.