You may have come across this sound in some mantras. A brief understanding of this sound means to pour, to request from do it to pour down onto us the blessings that are being invoked.
Shirodhara was the moment I chose to step away from the healing traditions I was brought up with (East Asian Style) and to explore Ayurveda. I knew that if it all went wrong I could step back into what I was familiar with. More on that later!
I will never forget the time I was supposed to submit a paper on Ayurveda and I begged my tutor to allow me an extension.
Ann Baretto, if you’re reading this, I owe you a big one!
Ann looked at me and said ‘Mr Jambo, sometimes you need to blow your nose, wipe your tears, roll your sleeves up and get on with it’ - my goodness do I miss the rawness from the grounded folks up North (UK).
We walked into the classroom and it was Shirodhara Day 1 and this Mr Jambo couldn’t have given half a sh*te for what was going on,
‘Jambo you’re on the bed’ - Ann had all the students practice for the first time pouring oil on my head. Initially I thought she was just trying to be nice to me to soothe my emotions, but not until the next day. I realise she was giving me one of the biggest gifts in my life.
Within just a few minutes when I started to feel the warm softness of sesame oil blended with some other essential oils, filling my senses as the flow of oil was moving in a particular pattern on my forehead. I was following this warm flow, the oil was running over my scalp and I could hear it trickling into a vessel underneath my head. Every space that felt relaxing and focused. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.
In a much better mood, I got off the bed and dived deeper into discussions of this technique. It wasn't until I arrived home that evening and slammed out a 4000 word draft in one sitting that I realised the rejuvenating powers of this therapy.
I travelled to India, and spend some time with a teacher there, diving deeper into the plethora of benefits that this treatment has. I told my teacher that when I went back home, I would be working with individuals experiencing mental health and substance misuse imbalances. I was informed about the traditional treatment was 15 consecutive treatments. I went home and did exactly that on my clients.
You might've heard of Thai Yoga massage, or maybe even Ayurvedic Yoga massage, yoga poses are done to you. Shirodhara is when meditation is done to you.
Type Mind Flow in this traditional therapy, and how it can benefit you and your practice.
