I love this practice dearly, and many people underestimate how effective it truly is. I often suggest it to the people I work with – in groups or individually – as something to build into daily life.
Here we are speaking about gentle oiling, not vigorous rubbing or anti-cellulite techniques. Those forceful approaches often become ways of discharging inner tension. What matters here are calm, stroking movements.
Why gentle massage, calm stroking movements, and warm oil?
Skin cells and nervous system cells develop from the same embryonic layer, the ectoderm, so by acting on the skin we influence the state of the nervous system. Right now this method of self-restoration is both timely and effective.
Oil self-massage brings to the surface tensions that have accumulated within us. When pain, stress, or emotional burden become too great, a person often dissociates from the body and stops truly inhabiting it. At first, the touches of self-massage may feel mechanical and barely perceptible. Even so, the practice is worth continuing. Attention returns gradually.
Day by day you awaken vitality, feel the body more clearly, and begin to feel through the body. Anger or irritation may arise at times; the important thing is to accept what comes and continue gently. In this way, an ordinary ritual of self-massage can become a powerful practice of somatic awareness.
Regular oil self-massage benefits all constitutional types and supports restoration and the prolonging of youthfulness. It is best done in the morning before bathing or in the evening before sleep, not immediately after eating, using warm oil in a warm room.