Ayurvedic Breast Massage - Why, Benefits & Self Care
Not all cultures view breasts with the same sense of fascination and conflicted sensibilities and childishness as we do in the US in particular. Breasts are simultaneously elevated and shunned. It is an odd duality, again seemingly leftover from the the arrival of the puritans. We are still living with their ghosts. I am certain somewhere out there I will be criticized for even writing this post, however I was asked to create a small post on the importance of breast massage and since it is so difficult to find, some self care suggestions.
The breasts have been used in symbolism since time immemorial. They have represented love and fertility, as well as sex and pleasure. But dream interpretation theories show that in the deep recesses of our minds, for men and women alike, breasts symbolize something even more integral--our primal need for motherly love, support, security, care, and nourishment, because their function as an organ is to give just that.
The breasts serve not only physical needs of sexual intimacy and breastfeeding but also energetic needs. Likewise, the state of breasts and changes in them can be clues as to what emotions are being processed or need processing. In this way, caring for your breasts is caring for your soul. A beautiful statement by Susun Weed in her book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! sums up this idea: “We cannot nurture others fully or well unless we also nurture ourselves.”
In terms of the mind/body connection - never have I seen an area of the body correlate so well with what is manifesting within a person’s heart and mind. Both men and women often go to their doctors with a feeling of discomfort in the chest, without any cause found after numerous tests and scans. But the discomfort is real—the causes are often too subtle for Western instruments to detect. Ayurveda can recognize these subtle sensations as signs of imbalance.
Ayurveda ( a 5000-year-old healing wisdom tradition from India, teaches in order to maintain a state of balance, the whole person must be addressed—no part of the body or energy is excluded) relies on massage as preventative medicine, and traditional ayurvedic massage doesn’t overlook the breasts as in the West.
Jennifer Johnson, spa director of the Chopra Center writes "Over years of work, we found that many women work through complicated issues with their breasts, confusion from oversexualizing, and shame carried through various belief systems, and also that women very rarely touch their breasts," says Johnson. "We also saw women confronting complicated emotions after recovery from breast surgeries—everything from biopsies, lumpectomies mastectomies, reconstruction, and augmentations. I have written on this topic before here and if you are interested please go over and read my prior post. But for now, back to the self care. Here is a basic 10 15 minute ritual that will help you get connected to your body, and can be practiced with frequency.
A Simple Breast Massage Ritual
Frequency:
Practice breast massage frequently, taking special care to notice the health and condition of your breasts and note fluctuations around your monthly cycles. Daily, weekly, whatever you can do. Not only is this ritual good for your physical health, it is grounding and could be a key to your emotional well being..
Massage oil:
Ayurvedic medicine favors Sesame as a nourishing and neutralizing base oil. One oil I use daily is cold pressed almond oil. Add essential oils if you are comfortable with them or simply use as is.
Technique:
Stand or sit in front of a mirror.
Begin by opening and placing your hands over your heart and breasts. Your hands have tremendous healing potential. Through your hands, feel.....connect.....Breathe
Give yourself permission to let go. Observe without judgment what thoughts and emotions naturally come up.
Cup your breast from underneath with one hand while you massage with the other hand, working in gentle but firm strokes from from the outer breast toward the nipple. Make your thumb and middle fingers into a “V” shape and press from the outside edges to the center, systematically massaging the entire breast. It is not necessary to massage directly on the nipple or areola.
Using two finger pads, begin massaging one breast in a circular motion spiraling from the nipple outward toward the outside of the breast.
Massage the armpit and the outermost quadrant of the breast tissue extending to the shoulder joint. This is an area where lymph nodes are very concentrated.
Massage above and behind your collarbone from the shoulder in toward your neck in long strokes.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Cover your breastbone with your hands, sending and receiving love, peace, and forgiveness.
Observe. Breathe.
That's all there is to it. Pleas let me know your thoughts on this article, if you found it helpful, and feel free to share it.
~ with Aloha
Further Reading
Breast massage therapy, although uncommon in many massage practices, and sometimes controversial on the health front, should be a higher priority for women and their physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.
How Ayurvedic Breast Massages Can Help Promote Lymphatic Flow
Why Your Breasts Need To Be Massaged