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