What's with All the Oils in Ayurveda? [video]

Key Takeaways

Ayurvedic Oils: In Ayurveda, sneha (oil) is like love; topical oil massage mimics skin’s natural layer, moisturizes, balances, and helps carry herbal constituents into tissues.
Self Massage: If considering snehana or internal oil use within panchakarma, seek a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner for personalized guidance rather than attempting complex cleansing practices alone.
Ayurvedic Digestion Support: Ayurveda compares digestion to fire; small, practitioner-guided internal oil (snehana) is traditionally used to gently support digestive function rather than overwhelm digestive 'fire'.

December 11, 2019

Welcome to our AskBanyan series, where we answer the most popular questions about living an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Well the Sanskrit word for oil is the same word for love—sneha. When you compare these side-by-side—sneha, love, oil—you start to understand why self-massage is so important in Ayurveda and is even revered.

Oil most closely mimics the natural layer of your outer skin, which makes it a superior moisturizer. That also means that it helps bring balance and draw out impurities.

Oil acts as a carrier, or an anupan, so in herbal oils, the oil is what helps carry the herbs deeper into the tissues. Your skin is porous so whatever you apply externally can be absorbed into the body.

Another use for oil is known as snehana. If you're even thinking about considering this practice we really recommend working with a practitioner.

In the traditional Ayurvedic cleanse, panchakarma, snehana involves drinking oil. It's really important to think about comparing your digestion to a fire—so if you pour oil on a fire, a ton of it, you're going to put that fire out. But by drinking it in small amounts it's meant to boost your digestion. Again we really recommend working with a practitioner.

Do you have a question for us? Feel free to Ask Banyan! You can do this below in the comments or use the #AskBanyan tag on social media.

About the Author

Kendra Brown

Kendra is an Ayurvedic Chef and lifestyle teacher. She has studied with Myra Lewin of Hale Pule, Dr. Claudia Welch, Dr. Robert Svoboda, John Immel of Joyful Belly, and Hawthorn Institute. She is most passionate about inspiring others to cultivate a balanced life through Ayurvedic diet and practices. Ayurveda entered her life in 2013 through her personal studies of herbalism, meditation, and yoga. She joined Banyan Botanicals in 2019, and in her free time she loves growing vegetables and herbs, hiking with her dog, and developing wholesome recipes.

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