Shirodhara: Heavenly Head Massage
By Naomi Serviss

Shirodhara, an element of Ayurvedic medicine, has been used for 5,000 years in India but has only recently been "discovered" by Western massage therapists eager to expand their knowledge and client base. Fittingly, shirodhara today combines ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern health-and-beauty techniques in a winning spa combination.

The word shirodhara breaks down into two ideas: “shiro,” meaning head, and “dhara,” which means flow. Together they form a concept that aims to bring physical and emotional balance by rejuvenating the spirit and preserving health. This is achieved through a relaxing technique in which warmed oil is poured over a client’s forehead, followed by head and shoulder massage and a warming body wrap to seal in moisture.

Other elements of shirodhara include identifying the client’s body type, or dosha, and using specific oils, herbs and teas for that type; and combining the treatment with other kinds of bodywork, such as massage, body scrubs or reflexology.

At Tej Ayurvedic Skin Clinic in Manhattan, founded by leading Ayurvedic skin-care expert Pratima Raichur, a typical shirodhara session might look something like this: Following an Ayurvedic facial and an herbal body scrub, the client lies prone on a warmed massage table. Her head is tipped back, slightly lower than her body, and extends a little over the table's edge, while cushions support her neck. Soft music drifts into the dimly lit room, while the scent of warm oil fills the air. In this calm sanctuary shirodhara is about to begin.

The oil has been chosen according to the client’s dosha. In this case, sesame oil is used. (Other combinations could include sesame oil and ginger tea, and coconut oil mixed with coconut milk and rosewater.) The oil is poured slowly in a steady stream from a freestanding or hand-held vessel directly above her forehead. For 15-20 minutes, she is lulled into a tranquil state of well-being and peaceful meditation, as the oil caresses her skin and hair as it wends its way down and into another vessel below her head.

When the bottom vessel is full, the therapist takes this oil and uses it to gently massage the client’s head, hair, scalp, neck and shoulders. A plastic cap is then placed over her hair to sustain the warmth, allowing the oil to continue to nourish the skin and hair.

"The oils gently nourish the skin and naturally replenish the oils that are lost throughout the day," says Raichur, a naturopath, aesthetician and chemist, and the author of Absolute Beauty: Secret to Radiant Skin and Inner Vitality Through the Art and Science of Ayurveda (HarperCollins, 1997).

The client is then raised into a seated position and heated, moist towels are placed on her back. Lying back down, another warm, moist towel is placed over her chest. Then she is wrapped in a foil sheet, sealing in the warmth. The therapist performs a gentle facial massage of the marma points (also known as energy, meridian or shiatsu points) for another 10 minutes.

The final step in a shirodhara treatment is the slow unwrapping of the foil sheet. The client is dried with warm towels, and offered an herbal tea specific to her dosha. After 20 minutes of rest, she emerges, relaxed and glowing.

Blending Old and New
Ayurveda, an ancient medical system, is finding a receptive audience among Westerners eager to learn more about skin care and massage techniques that can help them feel—and look—better. It has become so well-known that it is even spoofed on prime-time television: Raichur recalls watching an episode of the hit NBC show Frasier in which brothers Fraiser and Niles go to a spa and discuss their doshas and shirodhara.
Practitioners believe that shirodhara can purify, nourish and strengthen your body on a deep, cellular level. “Our therapies work to open blocked energy channels, enhance circulation, relieve tensions, and promote detoxification,” states the Web site of Raichur’s Pratima Ayurvedic Skin Care.

The treatment begins by having clients fill out a short questionnaire, which analyzes hair, skin, appetite, temperament and sleep habits. This information determines their primary dosha, though people are usually a combination of two. The doshas, which are based on the elements of air, fire, water and earth, are: vata, someone who is generally thin, tall, physically active with variable appetite, and with dry skin and hair; pitta, someone who is well-proportioned, moderately active or athletic, and who has oily skin and hair; and kapha, someone who is heavy, less active, is prone to acne and has shiny hair.

The dosha determines what oil will be used during the session, and afterwards, what tea will be served. It will also help influence recommendations for skin and body care for the client to use at home.

Although modern equipment is available, Raichur uses traditional copper bowls to apply oil directly onto the client’s forehead.

She also recommends using only pure herbal products for teas and formulating skin-care products. "We use pure herbal products from India, and everything we use is safe enough to eat," she says.

An Ayurvedic Calling
Dawn Chinchen, a massage therapist at the Emerson Inn & Spa in upstate New York, is a Scotland native who has found her calling in shirodhara.

Chinchen recently returned from India for an intensive training in Ayurvedic philosophy and massage techniques. "Ayurvedic training is an on-going learning experience for those who practice it," she says.

"The goal of the treatment is to stimulate circulation and rid impurities out of the body," she says. "Oils are very important in order to keep the skin soft and lubricated. The treatments here are based on cleansing, detoxification and purification adapted to the spa environment."

Lynne Vertrees, spa director at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas, added shirodhara to the spa’s menu after using it successfully in California. The Star of India treatment combines shirodhara with other Ayurvedic body treatments.

"It begins like a continuous flow of warm herbal oil massaged into the scalp and head. Then we massage those areas, which brings a state of deep relaxation, almost like a botanical glow, Vertrees says. “We create an herbal paste and apply it to the skin. It becomes a detoxification technique that lasts about 30 minutes.”

"You don't have to be a master of it to learn the proper technique, either," she adds. "Any massage therapist can learn this technique."

Benefits of Shirodhara
The shirodhara ritual is especially beneficial for stressed-out clients, according to Mita Nathwani, 29, an Ayurvedic therapist from Gujarat, India. "It helps balance the mind, increases memory and helps strengthen hair," she says.

During a treatment, she covers the client's eyes with a warm, wet cloth doused with the scent of rosewater. "This is good for the eyes without having too much heat accumulate," she says. "We want to keep the eyes closed to help maintain the client's equilibrium. The rosewater is slightly cool and very nourishing."

Janet Chase, R.N., treatment supervisor at the Mii amo Resort and Destination Spa in Sedona, Arizona, trained at the Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa.

"Shirodhara is a very simple, yet profound, treatment that can be learned in a couple of weeks," she says. "It just takes the right equipment and plenty of practice in mind/body coordination."

Chase's nursing training has given her ample opportunity to put her diagnostic skills to work training the many therapists at the spa, as well as rigorously maintaining her own expertise.

"I've seen this treatment make a huge difference in clients’ lives, because it encourages balance and harmony and provides the tools to help restore these things," she says. "I know clients with multiple sclerosis who have come here when physicians have given them no hope of recovery, and after several treatments most have felt an increase in balance and well-being."

And what is the downside to shirodhara? When the treatment ends.

Naomi Serviss is a New York-based free-lance writer (and combination vata/pitta).