Abhyanga, the application of warm medicated oil to the body through firm, sustained massage, is prescribed in the classical Sanskrit medical treatises, the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita foremost among them, as a foundational element of dinacharya, Ayurveda's recommended daily routine, positioned there not as an occasional indulgence but as ordinary preventive self care intended to be practised regularly, ideally daily, by anyone wishing to maintain balance among the doshas, the three constitutional principles, vata, pitta and kapha, whose equilibrium classical Ayurvedic theory treats as the basis of health.
The specific oil used is chosen according to Ayurvedic diagnostic reasoning about the individual's constitution and current state of balance, sesame oil serving as a common general base, with other oils and added herbal preparations selected to address particular constitutional tendencies or seasonal conditions, a personalisation that distinguishes classical Ayurvedic abhyanga from a generic oil massage applied identically to every recipient. Strokes are traditionally directed along specific patterns understood to follow the body's energy flow and joint structure, and particular attention is given to the head, ears and feet, sites classical texts single out as especially significant for the practice's calming and grounding effects on the nervous system as Ayurvedic physiology understands it.