I spent the weekend helping out some dear friends at their meditation center, and one afternoon I found myself exploring the North and South Nodes in the birth charts of nearly all their participants. It was such a sweet moment. I’d never done so many in a row before, and it made me reflect deeply on how different we all are.

We live in a time where so much advice is standardized—blanket recommendations on how to eat, live, sleep, heal. What I love about astrology and Ayurveda—the systems I use most in my work and personally—is how clearly they reflect our uniqueness. Our paths, our destinies, our constitutions: they’re all different.

In this standardized culture, where we’re constantly receiving information from the internet on what we “should” do, we can lose touch with our own inner knowing. I feel often we attach ourselves to these trends because we crave belonging. But the truth is, when we learn to use these frameworks to look inward—to truly understand ourselves—we find rhythms that are more aligned with who we are at the core. And I believe we get better results that way.

In my individual sessions, I draw from many different systems: Ayurveda, astrology, psychic massage, resonant tension, yoga. They are all just lenses—tools to help us restructure our lives in ways that feel more authentic, more whole. Holistically speaking, we all deserve to feel deeply satisfied and to live in alignment with our true nature.

So I wanted to begin today’s post with this small reflection. Even the practices I share here are meant to be experimented with, not followed rigidly. We each have to discover our own way of working with the medicines—whether energetic or physical—that are available to us.

Today, I want to talk about the morning practice of Abhyanga, the most classic of the upangas (supportive limbs) I’ll be sharing in this series.

I’ll also include a few of my favorite oils that I’ve used over the years and really love.

The way I practice Abhyanga in the mornings shifts depending on the season, how I’m feeling, and what my schedule allows. This morning, I had just returned from an intense trip, so I took it slow. I drank some hot water and chicory coffee, and then I did my Abhyanga using a beautiful oil from Benefica that’s great for balancing Vata (which governs the mind and nervous system). It’s especially helpful after traveling or before heading into a journey.

I anointed my body with oil in the bathroom, then used a wooden lymphatic drainage paddle to stimulate my skin and tissues. I stayed with the oil on my body for a bit before patting myself dry and getting into my infrared sauna blanket for about 30 minutes of relaxation and meditation. I love using the sauna with oil on my skin—it helps the oil absorb more deeply. After that, I dried off and took a shower, which was cold today, as the weather is getting warmer.

Then I did my yoga practice. I really enjoy moving with Elena Brower—her classes are on the Glo app. I love her style: soft yet strong, and she doesn’t talk too much, which I appreciate.

After yoga, I made a smoothie inspired by Harmonic Healing by Dr. Lancaster.

Below, I’ll list some of my favorite oils and their properties. If you feel inspired to try Abhyanga but don’t want to purchase a specific oil just yet, you can start simply. In summer, if you have high Pitta, coconut or olive oil can be cooling and soothing. For a more warming oil, sesame is always a good choice.

Enjoy—and I hope to see you Monday at 9 PM for our Yoga Nidra for Sensitive Souls gathering.

Medicated oil recomendations:

Eladi Taila for eczema

Dhanvantharam for high vata

Wachholder-Brennnessel Thailam for detox

[VERSIONE ITALIANA]

Oils that I use daily for belly, feet soles, face and more.

I love the way oiling the body makes one feel deeply grounded and nourished. I sometimes do it in the morning, but this winter I’ve especially enjoyed making abhyanga self-massage a nightly ritual before bed.

During my experiences with panchakarma—Ayurveda’s professional therapeutic cleansing—I discovered that after the oiling, one is placed in a steam room (or steam box), where the heat opens the body's channels and meridians, allowing the botanicals to be more easily absorbed and to penetrate deeply.

As I heard spiritual teacher Igor Kufayev say in his course Kundalini care:

“Water does not cleanse the cells—oil does.”

Sometimes I bring my oils to the beach and apply them in the sun before taking a dip. Other times, when I have access to a sauna or steam room, I oil my body and then step into the heat. The sensation on the body, the nervous system—on everything, really—is truly remarkable.

Last week, we explored a simple and grounding practice: applying sesame oil to the soles of the feet before practice or bedtime. Today, I want to introduce you to another sweet and nourishing ritual—oiling the navel.

This gentle practice can also be done before bed. You can use sesame oil, ghee, or any natural oil you prefer. One note: I’ve heard that almond oil is best avoided, as it can often be moldy and is very dry—so choose another oil that feels good to you.

For navel oiling, pour a few drops of oil directly into the navel. You can either leave it to absorb naturally, or gently massage it into the base of the navel, along its inner edges, and around the surrounding area.

Sometimes, I begin at the navel and slowly massage down toward the crease of the hips—where the ovaries rest—especially when I’m using an oil that supports the womb and ovaries.

Many many nerve endings are in the navel, so this massage will deeply ground and juice your nervous system.

And that’s it—simple, grounding, and deeply nourishing.

I personally make my own little blend for navel oiling, by infusing in organic olive oil three herbs: hops, lavender and mugwort. I harvest the mugwort myself (season is on in Italy) and buy the other two. There are many ways to infuse oil, I do sun infusions and I learned a method that really pulls out so much from the herbs from Kami McBride.

I hope you’ll join me Monday evening for Yoga Nidra for Sensitives, link is below or catch up on the last gathering here.

With love,

Nalini X