The royal treatment: Ayurveda's anointing oils; Julia Mader shares the nurturing and healing power of Pizhichil.

Oils in Ayurveda play a central role in the practice of rasayana or rejuvenation. They are prepared as medicines to be assimilated into the bloodstream through the skin, our largest organ of absorption. From the blood, all the tissues of the body are nourished by the properties of the herbs in these oils. It is in Kerala, South India that the preparation and application of these oils has achieved a degree of excellence through thousands of years of research by Ayurvedic physicians. The qualities and effects of these herbs are well documented in the classical texts of Ayurveda.

In the language of Kerala the process of oiling is the same word as the one to describe "love"--the nurturing of a mother. It is an oily sounding word: snehana. It is by this process of snehana that we are moved in the deepest part of our being just as we are deeply moved by love.

There are several specialized methods of applying the oils. One is Shirodhara which is becoming known in America. Shiro means head and dhara means a continuous flow. Another method, called "the royal treatment" because it originated as a healing ritual to preserve the vitality of the royal families, is Sarvangadhara, an oiling over the entire body, called Pizhichil in Kerala. (The "zh" is pronounced with the tongue in the cerebral portion of the mouth, something like our "r", thus Pirichil.) Pizhichil is a ritual of anointing the body with healing oils. It requires a special wooden table, an oil heater, and about five liters of oil per treatment. The oil is simultaneously recycled and reheated as the treatment progresses. The treatment begins with the client in a seated posture feeling the warm oil flowing over the shoulders and down the length of the back. There are two to four therapists who apply the oil on both sides of the recipient's body. Then the treatment continues with the recipient lying on his/her back, then on each side, then again on the back, and finally in a seated position. This is to allow the flow of oil to reach all parts of the body, soaking into each and every joint and muscle.

The treatment focuses on oil, and Kerala provides many different oils depending on the constitution of the individual and their presenting health needs. While we in America generally regard a treatment as a one time experience, in this tradition it is regarded as a daily procedure having increasingly deeper effects. Hence, it is customarily offered as a seven day treatment, corresponding to the seven levels of tissue assimilation. The benefits of Pizhichil are wide-ranging: the greatest one is the fullness of the feeling of receiving--continuously receiving warmth, comfort, and caring love. More technically, the treatment is a powerful way to reduce Vata dosha. a marvelous benefit, since Vata is generally on the increase in our fast-moving culture. Due to increased Vata, pains in the joints and greater sensitivity to cold are experienced. Vata causes increased restlessness and anxiety in the mind, insomnia, indigestion, and constipation. In chronic conditions, Vata can lead to auto-immune illnesses and debilitating nervous diseases.

Also, reducing Vata by oiling invites a deeper feeling of quiet--an inner assurance of the sweetness of life. This feeling is very deep and enduring. After the seven days of flowing oil, the recipient is like a butterfly ready to emerge from its cocoon. The recipient's skin is bathed with water and a herbal paste of sandalwood, jasmine, and rose. Then at home the individual continues a routine of rubbing oil onto their skin each day before bathing. Ayurveda refers to this as Abhyanga, an anointing of the oils as a daily routine.

In my own experience, having trained in India and received this treatment on an annual basis since 1991, I recognize the profound spiritual journey that occurs. Thoughts slow, worries melt away, and breathing deepens to join the rhythmic ebb and flow of nature. I feel my unity with the eternal. This is renewed each day after the treatment with abhyanga. Perhaps the spiritual power of Pizhichil may be best expressed by the words of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a 19th century saint from Bengal: "In meditation, the mind becomes like a continuous flow of oil." Pizhichil gives a renewed sense of self in physical well-being and spiritual empowerment. It is indeed the "royal treatment" of the world of therapeutic massage.

Julia Mader lived and studied Ayurveda in India and is co-founder with her husband, Dinesh, of the first Ayurvedic residential and nature retreat in the U.S. View their retreat, Rasayana Cove, at www.ayurvedicretreat.com; email:rasayana@ cyberstreet.com, or telephone [phone].