This article was featured in the March 2010 issue of New Mexico's Natural Awakenings magazine.

Indian Head Massage: From the Commonplace to the Extraordinary

                 Written by Laurie English

In daily living, many things vie for attention.  But what kind of attention is given?  Rushed, worried, disturbed or happy, expectant, joyful? There are two ways to think about anything.  One way adds vitality; the other way drains energy. Indian Head Massage increases vitality and quiets the mind through specifically designed techniques which harmonize the mind and body with feelings of clarity, connection and bliss.

In a milieu of “no pain, no gain” it’s often difficult to understand the power of feeling good. In Messages from Water, Dr. Masaru Emoto documented his discovery that water is deeply connected to our individual and collective consciousness. He exposed water to images, sounds, and written text. “Positive” input created more cohesive cellular structure in water whereas “negative” input actually broke it down.

As the human body is composed of 65% to 80% water (variances due to sex, age, and weight), it too is influenced by “positive” or “negative” input.  Many disciplines are now providing data showing that one’s emotional state directly affects what’s observed – one’s environment and one’s self. By instilling those feel-good feelings, Indian Head Massage is a “positive” input that transforms as well.

Indian Head Massage was developed to soothe, refresh and enliven. Addressing the upper body (back, shoulders, arm, neck and head), head massage as practiced in India, has been featured in Ayurvedic texts dating back 4,000 years. It’s a familial tradition.  From grandmother to mother to daughter, lustrous and thick hair is promoted through weekly head massage using aromatic oils.  From father to son, Indian barbers have passed their knowledge down, sharing this craft with their clients during the weekly shave.

Could it be that its purpose is more akin to the experience of chocolate – for the sheer sensory joy and delight of it?

George Leonard, author of Mastery, says:

            Zen practice is ostensibly organized around periods of sitting in meditation and chanting.  Yet every Zen master will tell you that building a stone wall or washing dishes is essentially no different than formal meditation.  The quality of a Zen student’s practice is defined just as much by how he or she sweeps the courtyard as by how he or she sits in meditation.

There’s a quality of touch and instinct that is cultivated by the practice of Indian Head Massage that makes it not just a meditation for the receiver, but for the giver as well.

Working on the head, in particular, elicits a range of emotion.  Stroking the head imparts a timeless nurturing feeling evidenced by the receiver’s gentle sway as if lulled on the oceans current. Ruffling and hair tugging techniques evoke a light, carefree even playful attitude. Head compressions instill a deep listening and opening up to more spaciousness. And chakra balancing -- feeling the vibrant colors and sounds related to the swirling energy centers at the top of the head, forehead and throat – help to cap the meditative journey.

What’s so fascinating about Indian Head Massage is that by taking the client on a rich emotional journey through the vehicle of chocolate-y touch, physical issues transform themselves.

In fact, because of its attention to bliss, connection and vitality, Indian Head Massage is a conduit from the commonplace to the extraordinary. 

 Copyright by Laurie English

Laurie English is a national Indian Head Massage trainer. She teaches one-day and three-day classes appropriate for both therapists and the general public. For class schedule, appointments and to read her blog about her trip to India, visit  www.spanomad.com.  Or, call Laurie English, LMT, RPP, LCICI, NCBTMB at  505-490-0591.