by Anay Abreu, Ayurvedic Specialist
Pada Abhyanga is a well-known Ayurvedic foot massage that combines the knowledge of ancient herbal oils with expert massage techniques to rejuvenate the entire body through the feet.
In Ayurveda, as in other Eastern modalities, the feet are seen as more than a part of your body. They serve as a gateway to your overall wellness. In Pada Abhyanga, the feet are understood to be directly connected to various body organs and systems. Reflexology has its origin in this science.
Our entire body can be accessed through the feet.
The practice of foot massage increases blood flow, particularly to the lower body, thereby reducing the risk of vascular and muscular complications. This massage is usually used to relieve pain in the foot area and other parts of the body. To reduce inflammation in the body. It assists with digestive issues and boosts your immune system.
Pada Abhyanga reduces anxiety and stress. It also improves sleep and enhances mental clarity.
Incorporate this massage in your daily routine. I always begin my body massage with the feet.
Abhyanga is more than a foot massage; it’s a time-honored, integrative Ayurvedic body treatment for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Below are some important points to consider located at the bottom of our feet. Also, a clear illustration of where the areas of our body are reflected on the feet.
A more in-depth analysis of the importance of massaging your feet and applying warmth to them:
The sympathetic nervous system consists of ganglia and nerves, running from the brain down either side of the spinal cord to its base; 12 pairs of the dorsal ganglia are connected to the lungs and digestive system, 4 pairs of the lumbar ganglia are also connected to the solar plexus
The nerves that innervate the feet are branches of the sciatic nerve in the lumber region.
The sympathetic nervous system controls the mechanism of digestion, respiration, circulation and excretion their occur without our conscious knowledge.
The brain cannot act directly on the internal organs; however, its orders have to be transmitted through the sympathetic system.
Close link between psychic and physical states. When we are sad for instance, our condition acts on the sympathetic system and triggers the vasoconstrictor function which contract the arteries. The result one feels abandoned, isolated and sad, it might not be true but it’s the impression we have. So, the contraction cause by sadness prevents the blood from circulating properly and consequently affects one digestion and breathing.
There is a link between the feet and solar plexus. If you have cold feet for instance, you may have been aware of a tenseness in the solar plexus and if you ate with your feet like that you will probably have an indigestion, whereas if you have a foot bath or a foot massageyou will feel the plexus relaxing which gives you warmth.
When you have to face a painful situation or meet someone you dislike, your solar plexus tightens up.
Obviously not everyone feels these reactions or not everyone is aware of them. Disciples of spiritual teachings must become more and more sensitive to what’s going on inside.
Solar plexus should become a guide since it can provide much information. People sometimes speak about the sixth sense: that sixth sense is the solar plexus.
The solar plexus is an extremely important center for us and we must avoid whatever makes it tense because it leads to the contraction of the blood vessels and other channels in the body.
When the blood and other fluids cannot circulate properly, waste products are deposited on the walls of the vessels leading to imbalances that later become disease.
The things that most disturb our plexus and consequently our internal organs are fear, anger, worry, doubt and lack of love. Chaotic thought and emotions destroy the harmony of the solar plexus and as it is the reservoir of life forces, the result of this disharmony is a total loss of all one’s magnetic force. When you have a shock, you find yourself without strength, your legs feel weak, your hands tremble and your mind become paralyzed. This means the solar plexus has been drained of all its strength.
Illness is the result of our thoughts, feelings and actions which indirectly affect our sympathetic nervous system.
Since our feet represent the physical, most material plane. To massage and wash our feet means the ultimate purification.
