Mindful Pause Series: Body Oiling

The Mindful Pause series aims at offering you simple tools to help you slow things down, connect to yourself again, reset and recharge... Treat it as a mini-retreat during your day, whenever you feel the need to press pause.

This month's Mindful Pause is a powerful self-care practice that has been so supportive for me this fall. Body Oiling, or what Ayurveda calls Abhyanga massage, is a full body self-massage done with warmed oil to help nourish the skin and its microbiome, relieve muscle tension and joint stiffness, soothe the nervous system and increase our overall connection to our body. I love doing this in the morning after dry-brushing, followed by a warm shower which helps the oil get absorbed into the skin. It makes me feel incredibly grounded and ready for the day. I first learned about the Abhyanga massage during my first yoga teacher training back in 2012. I practiced the ritual on and off over the years but I completely fell in love with it this fall, as a way to support adrenals, my lymph and overall health. A wonderful way to stay warm and nourished during these colder months of the year. Find an article on the benefits of Abhyanga massage and a tutorial right here Or listen to this podcast on Herbal Body Oiling. Using herbal-infused oil increases the potency of the practice. But personally, I keep things simple and affordable by using any good quality oil I have on hand (olive oil, sweet almond oil, unrefined sesame oil or jojoba oil).

I cannot tell you enough how wonderful this practice is! Give it a try and let me know how it feels. And pregnant or postpartum mamas would most definitely benefit from this ritual to connect and honour their changing body. Simply beautiful!