Loving Your Muscles & Joints with Mahanarayan Oil 

As we go through life, our muscles and joints support our every movement, decision, and action. They provide the physical infrastructure for our bodies that supports and uplifts every other area of our lives, allowing us to move and act without limitation or restraint.

The more we can do on a daily basis to nourish and strengthen these tissues, the more we’re able to enjoy each and every phase of life with enthusiasm, vigor, and physical ease.

Through the ages, the ancient healers of Ayurveda have used Mahanarayan Oil, a traditional Ayurvedic massage oil, to bring nourishing strength and lubrication to the joints and muscles. For those seeking to support an active lifestyle and maintain the ability to move, dance, and play their way comfortably through life, this powerful herbal oil rises to the occasion!

Mahanarayan Oil blends dozens of deeply rejuvenating herbs into a base of warm, grounding sesame oil. This beloved blend offers an uncanny ability to travel deeply into the tissue layers, soothing and rejuvenating the physical body and providing a sense of comfort and relief.

To understand how this oil works, let's take a look at the joints and muscles from an Ayurvedic perspective.

Offering Deep Nourishment to the Joints and Muscles

Ayurveda views the entire body as interconnected and interdependent.

This concept can be illustrated by how intimately connected the joints are to the bone tissue (asthi dhatu), the nervous system (majja dhatu), and even the fatty tissues (meda dhatu), which provide the joints with a protective layer of lubrication and cushioning. Then, of course, there is the muscle tissue (mamsa dhatu), which attaches to the bones and joints, giving us the gift of mobility and the freedom to move.

Each tissue layer serves such an important role in physically supporting the structure and function of our body, and the way that we care for them can make all the difference in how comfortable and at ease we feel from day-to-day.

In Ayurvedic terms, the joints are considered a site of vata dosha. Because they are made up largely of empty space, they are vulnerable to the elements of air and ether, which can easily accumulate and cause a state of vata imbalance.

It can be greatly beneficial to nurture and lubricate the joints and muscles directly, working from the outside-in to provide extra strength and support. Enter Mahanarayan Oil!

Benefits of Mahanarayan Oil

Mahanarayan Oil acts as a powerful ally to support the health and longevity of the joints and muscles so that we can enjoy a long, full, and active life. Incorporating this powerful oil into your daily routine will support your overall well-being by providing the following benefits:

• Comforts the physical body: Packed with deeply rejuvenating herbs, Mahanarayan Oil brings a soothing sense of relief to the muscles and joints.
• Assists with post-workout recovery: When massaged into muscles after a workout, this oil can help relieve achiness and expedite the natural recovery process.
• Promotes joint health: Sesame oil carries this powerful blend of herbs deep into the joints where the natural process of aging often causes wear and tear, replenishing and hydrating the synovial fluid and promoting joint health. Massaging joints increases circulation and facilitates the removal of natural toxins, while simultaneously delivering oxygen and healing nutrients.
• Promotes muscle relaxation: Rich in warm, penetrating herbs, this oil can be massaged directly onto areas of discomfort to leave the body feeling relaxed and renewed.
• Balances all doshas: The warming and nourishing qualities of this oil promote balance for all doshas, especially vata.

A Look at the Ingredients

Banyan Botanicals’ Mahanarayan Oil is based on an ancient recipe, but with some important differences.

The ancient recipe calls for a long list of herbs, some of which are not readily available. Jatamansi, a part of the original formula, is a good example: this herb is endangered and under a special CITES protection, and as an herb that needs particular growing environments, sustainable cultivation is incredibly difficult.¹

We only use ingredients that can be sustainably cultivated in a way that respects our earth’s natural resources. This is a core value of Banyan and one reason why our oil may differ from other Mahanarayan formulas.

In addition, our Mahanarayan Oil is 99 percent organic. The remaining 1 percent is camphor oil—while organic camphor oil is not consistently available in the volume we need, it is an essential ingredient that we couldn’t bear to leave out. We use a high-quality non-organic camphor oil.

The end result is an oil that is thoughtfully formulated and lovingly made in small batches in our warehouse, according to traditional Ayurvedic methods.

Let's a look at some of the key players in Mahanarayan Oil:

• Organic sesame oil: provides a nourishing and lubricating base oil to carry the herbs deep into the tissues.
• Shatavari and ashwagandha: These grounding and strengthening herbs help calm and rejuvenate vata.
• Camphor, manjistha, and musta: Provide warmth, increase circulation, and ease discomfort.
• Ginger, calamus, and clove: Support the cleansing and elimination of natural toxins.
• Turmeric and guduchi: Promote the health and comfortable movement of the joints.
• Punarnava, licorice, and fennel: Assist in moving lymph and natural toxins so that they do not stagnate in the tissues of the muscles and joints.

And that’s just a start! The remaining herbs work synergistically with these to provide a well-rounded and potent oil that your body will absolutely love.

How to Use Mahanarayan Oil

We can all use Mahanarayan Oil’s support for our muscles and joints from time to time, whether it’s after a good, long workout, in preparation for a long and active day, or for some additional support in our golden years. Here are a few ways to begin:

1. Self-massage: When used as an abhyanga oil for self-massage, its many powerful qualities provide a massage oil that warms, soothes, and brings relief to the muscles and joints, making it a favorite especially for those with an active lifestyle or who tend to hold stress and tension in their physical body.

2. Target specific areas: If you don’t have enough time to massage your whole body, you can focus on the specific areas that are asking for attention and care. Use your Mahanarayan Oil for massaging muscle knots, targeting any areas of tension, and working the herbal benefits deep into your joints.
   
   For further relief to certain areas, you can even apply extra heat by using a hot water bottle after you have applied your oil. This will drive the benefits of the oil even deeper into the tissues and help soothe any areas of discomfort.²

3. Before or after working out: If you know you are gearing up for a period of long or strenuous activity, try using Mahanarayan Oil beforehand as a supportive measure. Alternatively, you may use the oil after a workout or other demanding activity to relieve any natural discomforts that may arise.

No matter how you prefer to use your Mahanarayan Oil, we hope that its beautiful ruby color, luxurious texture, rich aroma, and many powerful benefits penetrate your life in the most soothing and satisfying ways!