Indian Head Massage

INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE

Indian Head Massage has been practised in India for over a thousand years as part of everyday family life as a form of grooming. Indian head massage was brought to the west by Narendra Mehta in the 1970's and the therapy was extended to include the face, ears, neck, shoulders and upper arms.

Indian Head Massage is a complementary therapy based on the ayurvedic system of healing which has been practiced in India for over a thousand years. (Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient form of healing that arose in India and which is still widely used and available on the Indian subcontinent. Literally translated, ayurveda means the ‘science of life’ and, as such, it purports to be a total medical system that can treat mental, physical or emotional conditions). Indian Head Massage provides many Indian families with relaxation and healing on a daily basis, as well as playing a part in rituals such as weddings and births.

Indian Head Massage works on areas affected by mental and emotional stress. In Western culture today we spend much of our time in our heads, so this treatment can really help to calm the mind and is surprisingly deeply relaxing. Working with a firm and gentle rhythm it helps to relieve muscular discomfort and tension as well as calming the spirit and aiding relaxation, it also improves circulation in the head, enhances the senses and promotes clear thinking.

The massage usually begins with the upper back, where a combination of deep massage and pressure points help to relax the muscles and to loosen and melt knots. Moving through the shoulders and upper arms further releases the common spots for holding stress and tension, and then working deeply into the neck where tension accumulates relieves headaches and improves cerebral spinal fluid circulation. Moving up to the scalp, techniques are used that stimulate, relax and revive the whole of the head, increasing circulation and promoting healthy hair. Finally the treatment may include a gentle face massage with techniques that help circulation, skin tone, and sinus and headache problems.

This therapy can be performed without oils with the client sitting and fully clothed, so it is ideally suited to situations where it may not be appropriate to give a full-body hour long massage.

History

Many of us find ourselves in a constant state of hyper-alertness as we try to respond to the stresses of day-to-day living. Massage acts directly on the nervous system, activating the opposite of the "fight or flight syndrome" that we are so familiar with. The aim of Indian Head Massage is to provide relief for mental as well as physical stress that has accumulated in the muscular tissues of the neck, shoulders, scalp and face, thus helping to relax or stimulate the body and help it maintain harmony.

Indian Head Massage is not capable of curing any serious or life-threatening medical disorders but it can provide welcome relief from the symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, tension, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, some migraine, sinusitis, temporo-mandibular joint tension, eye strain, and muscle tension in the neck and shoulders.

It is calming and relaxing, leaving clients feeling energised, revitalised, stimulated and able to concentrate better.

Provides immediate relief from general and specific tension,

Reduces effects of Metal & Emotional stress,

Improves tissue & joint mobility and flexibility in the neck and shoulders,

Fibrous adhesions, knots of muscular tension, particually around the jaw and face are

broken down,

Loosening of the scalp stimulates and improves the scalp circulation & health,

Relaxation of connective tissues induces’ relaxation to the whole body,

Dispersal of toxins & waste products from tense, knotted muscles,

Improves’ blood circulation & therefore increases’ oxygen uptake,

Stimulation and improvement of the circulation of the lymphatic system,

Help in the relief of eyestrain and tension headaches,