Body Oiling For Greater Wellness

Body oiling is a powerful & meditative ritual that invites us to hold ourselves with reverence, care, compassion, & joy. It is a practice that can be found across the world where women cover their babies in the fats of the Earth/Animal Kingdom in order to protect their skin from the elements, pests, and infection. 

For me body oiling is a personal medicine. A daily practice that nourishes the nervous system, hydrates the skin, improves immune health by moving & encouraging flow of the lymphatic system, and deeply relaxes me both mind & body. The benefits are increased when using a botanically infused oil allowing the oil to bring the power and properties of herbs into the skin, bloodstream, & nervous system.

In Ayurveda, body oiling is known as abhyanga and performed before showering. Gently warmed oil (fat) is applied topically to skin beginning with feet, slowly with gentle but firm strokes. Moving upward toward the scalp applying more oil as needed. Taking care to focus on deep and intentional breathing- oil is used to nourish the abundance of nerve endings found just beneath the skin (fat is the nervous systems number one favorite food *win*). 

After completing the process of oiling the body you would rinse/shower off (carefully because slippery!!) you would complete the process by patting dry and dressing as usual. 

 I most often oil after bathing rather than before and find the benefits to my mood & my skin to be numerous. As a mom I've found it is a helpful tool to diffuse tension in the mind & body. 

Because body oiling is a medicinal self care practice you want to use as quality of an oil as you are able to obtain. 

Witches Brew Oil is my oil of choice for body oiling. Infused with Jojoba Oil and the medicinal qualities of Frankincense, lymph loving calendula flowers, & the ethereal mugwort. Witches Brew Oil i deeply nourishing to the skin holding medicinal quality; inviting a sense of calm & spiritual insight, coupled with the daily practice of body oiling- it is a great body oil to help the mind enter a state of ease and to help diffuse stress.