Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical practice focused on balancing the elements in the body to heal illnesses. One Ayurvedic treatment is shirodhara, where warm oil is slowly poured over the forehead for an hour, nourishing the scalp and hair follicles. Shirodhara benefits include relaxation, scalp moisturization, and strengthened hair to reduce hair loss. The document discusses the history of Ayurveda, details of the shirodhara procedure, and how it can help conditions like dandruff, dry scalp, and alopecia.

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Shirodhara
Ayurveda is a medical practice dating back to the Vedic Period in
India. This practice is over 5000 years old and focuses on balancing
the elements to heal ailments in the body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda
works with the basic elements of fire, water, earth, wind and ether
(space/movement). According to ayurveda, these basic elements
combine into body types known as doshas, which form the
constitutions of humans, animals, plants and other beings.
In the healing practice of ayurveda, most of the care is done through
food, diet, and lifestyle management. Some preventative and
treatment care can also be provided through the use of herbs,
plants, roots, tinctures, and other treatments as well. Ayurveda is
not a very invasive practice and typically works with preventative
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care and treatment of ailments before considering surgery, which is
only a small part of ayurvedic practice.
Ayurveda hair treatment
Aside from dietary and lifestyle recommendations as well as herbs
and supplements, there is an area of ayurveda that works with
treatments. Ayurvedic massage is quite common as a treatment to
help balance the doshas, but a less known treatment that is
currently gaining in popularity is the practice of shirodhara.
For those who are unfamiliar with ayurveda, shirodhara can seem
like a strange treatment that is more like a spa treatment than a
healing practice. However, the practice of ayurveda is very subtle
and the use of different oils and temperature in shirodhara can make
it a very deep and potent practice, especially when practiced
regularly to keep the doshas in balance.
What is shirodhara?
Shirodhara is a Sanskrit term that literally translates to ‘head’ and
‘flow’ which refers to the type of treatment in its literal description.
The practice of shirodhara is a treatment that uses a large quantity
of oil that is poured over the patient’s forehead over the course of up
to an hour’s time. Over this time, as the oil is slowly poured over the
forehead, it seeps down into the hairline, covers the scalp and covers
all the hair in a thick coat of oil. Doing so can be strange at first, it
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can tickle the forehead, or even be unpleasant to some individuals
who are more sensitive, but should never be painful or
uncomfortable. In some cases, it can be quite pleasurable to have
the oil drip over the forehead, and some practitioners describe the
shirodara treatment as a type of massage of the mind.
As the oil drips over the forehead and covers the hair and scalp as
well a hairline, it nourishes all the hair follicles, can assist with dry
scalp, dry hair and even hydrate and moisturise the skin of the scalp,
hairline and around the neck and forehead. This can be very
beneficial for the hair, especially when repeated regularly such as on
a monthly basis or more often.
For comfort and ease of treatment and assimilation of the oil into the
body’s tissues, the oil is usually heated before being poured over the
forehead. While the temperature can vary according to the client’s
needs, as well as throughout a treatment, it is generally at an
appropriate temperature to be poured over the skin and is therefore
very safe. The temperature can be adjusted to please the client’s
preferred sensations, or according to the practitioner’s
recommendations in order to balance certain doshas.
Shirodhara ingredients
While most shirodhara are done with a selection of oils, it is also
possible to do the treatment with other things like milk, butter milk
or even a combination including honey. All the ingredients will be
blended by a professional ayurvedic practitioner in order to achieve

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the best results to balance the doshas.
Regardless of the ingredients used, they are always blended for the
individual patient’s constitution and kept warm for assimilation and
pleasant enjoyment of the treatment.
The shirodhara treatment itself is applied to the forehead and affects
mostly the hair and scalp, but it can also have great benefits for the
rest of the body as the treatment’s effects are integrated into the
body and metabolized into their balancing effect for the body’s
constitution, keeping the doshas in balance or balancing any
elements that are out of alignment with the body’s constitution.
Regular treatment can greatly help in terms of preventative care and
treat long standing ailments in a way that diet, supplements and
lifestyle recommendations may not be able to address as swiftly.
Shirodhara benefits
Ayurveda works with the body’s elements, but also with the energy
of the body, mind and spirit. This is why in shirodhara the oil is
specifically poured over the third eye, in order to awaken and
stimulate all of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
components regulated by this chakra.
The treatment itself is meant to induce a state of relaxation for the
body and mind, and is done with the patient lying down on their
back in order to allow the nervous system to repose from any

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stimulation. The environment for a shirodhara treatment will
generally be conducive to this state of relaxation and the awakening
of the third eye through pouring oil over the forehead in this area of
the body can help patients access their intuition and relax the mind,
allowing the spirit to open itself to a deeper level of healing.
Shirodhara benefits for scalp health and hair loss
Shirodhara also has some specific benefits for the health of
scalp and hair, as the oil or milk are applied directly on that area of
the body. The different kinds of oils used all have their own
properties, but all of them will offer the scalp moisture and
nourishment that is directly applied on their surface and are allowed
to integrate directly into the tissues of the body.
Since all the ingredients used in shirodhara head massage are
safe, edible and non­toxic these ingredients are healthy to use
directly on the scalp and will strengthen the tissues of the scalp, as
well as the hair follicles, and also treat the hair strands themselves.
This practice is excellent for anyone suffering from dandruff, dry
scalp, alopecia, dry or brittle hair or specifically from hair loss. It can
be used both as a preventative treatment for those with family
history of these conditions wanting to prevent them, or to treat
existing conditions within the body. While ayurveda cannot reverse
hair loss and promote hair growth in bald spots, it can support those
suffering from hair loss by nourishing the scalp and strengthening
the hair follicles so that the hair is stronger and less prone to falling
out.

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