Therapies

The therapy collection.

A closer look at the materials, preparation and rhythm of six Ayurveda traditions. Descriptions for this fictional practice, with no claims about treatment outcomes.

A shallow metal bowl of golden oil beside folded cotton on a wooden bench. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Abhyanga

Warm, herb-infused oil applied over the whole body in long strokes along the limbs and circular strokes at the joints. Performed on a wooden table, usually by two therapists working in time with one another.

Materials: A sesame or coconut base, infused with herbs and warmed to a little above skin temperature.
Duration: Sixty minutes on the table, then a rest and a warm wash.
Room: Treatment room with a tiled floor laid to drain. The oil is warmed in the room rather than carried to it.

A copper vessel suspended from a wooden frame above an empty bench. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Shirodhara

A continuous thread of warm liquid poured onto the forehead from a vessel suspended above the table. The stream is kept moving slowly across the brow for the length of the session, and the vessel is refilled without interrupting it.

Materials: Oil, milk or a herbal decoction, according to what the written description calls for.
Duration: Forty-five minutes, preceded by a short application of oil to the scalp.
Room: A table fitted with a collection channel. The vessel hangs from an adjustable frame above it.

Milled grain heaped in a shallow ceramic bowl on linen. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Udvartana

A dry or semi-dry paste of milled grain and herbs, worked over the body in upward strokes, against the lie of the hair. The pressure is firmer than in an oil application and the direction is consistent throughout.

Materials: Milled barley, chickpea or horse gram, used dry or worked into a paste.
Duration: Forty-five minutes, followed by a warm wash.
Room: The same drained treatment room. The floor is swept between sessions rather than mopped.

A clear bottle of golden oil and a glass dropper resting on folded cotton. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Nasya

Preparations administered through the nostrils, preceded by steam and a short massage of the face, neck and shoulders. The head is positioned lower than the shoulders for the administration itself.

Materials: A medicated oil or a powder, given in measured drops.
Duration: Thirty minutes in total, of which the administration is a few minutes.
Room: A reclining table with an adjustable headrest, and a steam unit at the head of it.

Four tied cotton bundles on a dark round tray with scattered herbs. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Kizhi

Cloth boluses packed with herbs, rice or warmed sand, pressed and drawn across the body in a set rhythm. The boluses are returned to the heat and exchanged as the session goes on, so the temperature stays even. Also called pinda sweda.

Materials: Cotton cloth, tied at the neck. Contents vary — herb leaves, cooked rice, or clean sand.
Duration: Forty-five to sixty minutes.
Room: Treatment room with a heat source at the side of the table for re-warming.

Folded cotton and small corked jars of dried botanicals on a wooden shelf. — AI-generated illustration. Not an actual clinic or treatment result.

Panchakarma

A sequence of five procedures undertaken over a set number of days, with a preparatory period before it and a regulated diet after. It is a programme rather than a single appointment, and it is described separately.

Duration: Between seven and twenty-one days, depending on which procedures are included.
Scope: Of the classical five, this clinic performs three. The other two are described for completeness.

Read the full description of Panchakarma

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