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Pampering the crown

Photo: S.S. KUMAR

Refreshing A successful way to relieve stress

The head is the crown of the body, the epicentre of all thought, action and life. Head massage has always played a pivotal role in Indian life and has been featured in Ayurvedic texts that date back nearly 4,000 years.

A concoction of warm oil and spices massaged in slow strokes over the scalp, accounted for an Indian woman’s long, lustrous hair that brought her much admiration. Even today, in many parts of India this ancient massage technique is still an integral part of a woman’s grooming routine. It is now revered as the therapy of the future, one that can help you effectively battle the rigours of modern living.

In 1973 Narendra Mehta, a certified massage therapist and author of the book “Indian Head Massage”, travelled to England to study physiotherapy. Having grown to appreciate head massage as a way of life in India, he realised how much he missed the soothing sessions administered by the local barber back home. In 1978 he returned to India to research the physiological benefits of head massage and developed a technique that combined massage of the face and ears, scalp with chakra (energy) balancing.

He named it the “Indian champissage” and in 1995 established the London Centre of Indian Champissage International. Today, champissage is one of the most widely practiced complementary therapies for stress relief in UK and is also a concept that is catching on fast in the United States and Canada.

Champissage incorporates simple procedures that anyone can learn and is an effective way to rid our systems of migraines, tension head-aches and toxic build-up. “The skilful placing of the therapist’s hands on the upper three chakras - vishuddha, governing the throat region and its associated organs; ajna, the third-eye point, located on the forehead; and sahasrara, the master chakra associated with the pineal plexus and found at the crown of one’s head, allow a person’s innate healing energy to rebalance and harmony to prevail,” explains Narendra Mehta.

“If you’re feeling a little sluggish mentally, I find that massaging the crown chakra and the third-eye chakra simultaneously makes you alert and releases pent-up emotions.”

Mehta’s champissage treatment begins with massage of the upper back, shoulders, upper arms and neck to melt fatigue. This is followed by a scalp massage, which is a series of integrated techniques. One of these, the windscreen-wiper technique, is designed to stimulate the scalp and improving blood circulation. The therapist places his hand over one ear, with the fingers splayed out over the forehead. Using the ball of the other hand, a light rubbing movement is carried out on that side of the head. It is then repeated on the opposite side.

Another technique is whole-hand friction. When supporting the head with one hand, the therapist applies firm pressure with the fingertips and heel of the other hand, moving the scalp up and down. This nourishes the hair from the roots and drains away tension.

Says Annet King, Director of training and development at the International Dermal Institute, Canada, an educational centre generating awareness about skincare worldwide: “When I first experienced the therapy, I had better mobility in my upper body, a clearer head and brighter, less sensitive eyes. As stress levels are reduced, the natural outcome is glowing skin.”

Champissage in the West is a dry treatment. In India, therapists use warm, medicated oils. With growing awareness, it is being hailed as the best tool in the ongoing battle against stress.

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