Indian Head MassageIndian head massage is part of the Ayurveda tradition from India. Head massage (or champi) comes from the Indian tradition of using oils to massage and groom the hair. The roots of the hair connect to nerve fibers, and the oils calm the nervous system as they nourish the hair. The oils used were often blended with essential oils or otherwise medicated to provide additional benefits.
This traditional Ayurveda head massage focuses on balancing the body's energy system by applying pressure to marma points long the nadis (energy lines). Marma points are junctions on the body where two or more types of tissue meet. Of the body's 107 marma points, 37 are located on the face and neck. In Ayurvedic marma therapy, the head is the most important area of the body, and massaging the head can affect the entire body. In the 1970s, Narendra Mehta developed a dry version of champi called Champissage™ that combined massage of the face and ears, chakra balancing using color and sound, and scalp massage. According to Indian Head Massage in Essence You sit, fully clothed, in a comfortable chair, and the massage typically takes about 30 minutes. Some therapists massage the scalp and face before going onto to the shoulders and upper back. Others begin by deeply kneading the neck and shoulder muscles and then work with the scalp, squeezing, rubbing, and gently tapping. More information is available at the London Center of Indian Champissage. Although Champissage is a dry massage, therapists may optionally apply oils at the end of the massage. Different oils have different properties and may be used for specific purposes. The oils traditionally used in Ayurveda include almond, coconut, mustard, and neem oils. Other types of Indian head massage include four traditional Ayurveda approaches:
Used on the scalp, face, neck, shoulders, and upper arms to stimulate or relax the body, Indian head massage helps relieve headaches, eye strain, and joint and muscle tension. For a description of a routine, see Practical Ayurveda: Indian Head Massage and Shirodhara. |
by two of Mehta's students, Mehta studied head massage across all the Indian traditions and concluded that including the face, neck, shoulders, and upper arms and adding chakra balancing greatly enhances the treatment. Mehta introduced Champissage to the United Kingdom in 1981, and its popularity quickly spread around the world.
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