Indian Head Massage

Massage has always played an important part in Indian life, featuring in the earliest Ayurvedic texts which date back over 4000 years. Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine, the word means ‘science of life’. This system includes the knowledge to bring about physical, mental and spiritual health based upon diet and massage performed with aromatic and herbal oils.

Indian Head Massage, otherwise known as Champi, springs from a rich family tradition. The techniques were originally developed by women who used different oils to keep their hair strong, thick and lustrous.

In India, head massage has been performed as an integral part of treatment given by barbers and masseurs. It became a normal custom so that people from the king down would have someone tend to them.

Treatments would differ from the massages performed by women, in that they were mainly invigorating scalp massages designed to stimulate and refresh the individual and not as part of a beauty treatment. These skills have evolved through the ages and have been handed down from barber father to barber son. The females in the family have also kept the tradition of hair massage and grooming by passing it down from mother to daughter.

Indian Head Massage, as practised in the West, was brought to England by a physiotherapist, Narendra Mehta during the 1970’s. He recognised the additional benefits of incorporating massage to the upper back, neck, shoulders, arms and face to relieve tension in the whole body. It is the perfect stress buster – deeply relaxing and nurturing and yet wonder fully invigorating.

During the treatment, the client sits fully clothed in a chair whilst the therapist uses a range of massage movements. Working with a firm but gentle rhythm to unknot blockages and to relieve the build up of muscular tension.

So why not treat yourself to this ancient form of treatment?