Indian Head Massage | Champissage
Indian Head Massage is a seated massage based on the ancient ayurvedic system of healing. If it is your first time with Jennifer, the treatment will last for 45 minutes and currently costs £35. The session includes a brief consultation (5 - 10 minutes) to ensure the treatment is tailored to your needs.
A variety of pressures and techniques are used to relieve stress and tension in the upper back, shoulders, neck, upper arms and scalp, finishing with gentle stimulation of pressure points on the face. Oils are not used during a standard treatment but can be applied on request.
Follow up sessions cost £25 for 30 minutes, and can either form part of a complete treatment plan or be stand-alone for relaxation and balance.
All treatments include energy balancing with Reiki.
"The massage itself was incredible, calming and completely relaxing my entire body. Thoughts and feelings washed over me effortlessly like waves and for a while I had very little sense of time and place, just a deep comforting and securing feeling that is quite difficult to put into words. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and felt lighter both emotionally and physically for several hours afterwards. Although the focus is on the head and shoulders, my whole body and mind benefited". LG
Why Indian Head Massage?
Ayurveda teaches that mind, body and spirit are one in truth, so affecting one affects them all. A therapy treatment is deeply relaxing, easing strains from the upper body and removing stagnant energies that have accumulated around the major energy centres.
Indian Head Massage is ideal for everyday stress relief and the alleviation of neck and shoulder tension by inducing a sense of deep relaxation. Case studies have widely documented the powerful affect of the treatment including relief of headaches, migraines and sinus problems as a result of the variety and combination of techniques used.
Some benefits of Indian Head Massage
- Relieves tension and headaches, neck and back pain
- Alleviates stress
- Promotes relaxation
- Releases muscular knots and tension that has accumulated in the tissues
- Stimulates lymphatic drainage, helping to remove toxins and boost the immune system
- Improves circulation which lifts energy and improves concentration
- Increases joint mobility and flexibility in the neck and shoulders
- Chakra balancing and improved energy flow
- Promotes hair growth
What to Expect
A typical Indian Head Massage starts with the upper back and neck working deeply over the muscles and pressure points to encourage the muscles to relax, and freeing up the energy flow around the head. The practitioner then moves into scalp massage, where further massage techniques are used to revive this whole area, improving circulation and the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The effect of this increases energy flow, helps stimulate hair growth and improves concentration.
The treatment finishes with a soothing face massage and mini chakra balancing treatment, including drainage techniques to alleviate any tendency towards headaches and sinus problems.
"I was quite sceptical at first but was amazed at the feelings I experienced during my first session; relaxation, which I definitely needed that day after a very difficult day at work, warmth, emotional relief, and an overall sense of calm but to name a few." TB
Learn more about Jennifer's approach to well-being and book a session today.
History of Indian Champissage
Massage has always played an important part in Indian culture, featuring in early ayurvedic texts dating back as far as 4000 years ago. The wisdom in these texts describe that indian head masssage, especially when used in conjunction with herbs, spices and aromatic oils, had an important medicinal function, encouraging the the innate healing energy within the body to restore balance on all levels.
Indian head massage has been practised for over a thousand years, originally developed by women who used different oils according to the season (coconut, sesame, almond, olive oil, herbal oils, buttermilk, mustard oil and henna) to keep their long hair strong, lustrous and in beautiful condition.
Barbers practised many of the same skills with their male clients. They used to visit individual homes, cutting hair and often offering "champi" as part of the treatment. It was customary for most people from the king down to have someone attend to them in this manner.
Narendra Mehta, the founder of the Indian Champissage school, grew up with head massage as an integral part of his daily life, something he automatically experienced every time he visited an indian barber. However, when he came to England in the 1973 to train as a Physical Therapist, he was dismayed to find that head massage was not generally available and he was disappointed to discover that the head seemed to be completely neglected even in a full body massage.
Narendra began to miss the therapeutic value of regular head massage and in 1978 he decided to return to India to research the ancient art of head massage. He studied it wherever it was practised and synthesised what he was experiencing, applying his heightened sensitivity as a blind person to discover which part of his body reacted most positively to specific moves.
He quickly realised that the therapy would benefit by being extended to include the face, neck, upper arms and shoulders, all areas that accumulate high levels of stress and tension from daily challenges, and also introduced energy balancing through sound. Focusing primarily on the three higher chakras (Visuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara), the body's entire energy system could be quickly rebalanced.
Narendra found he had a powerful holistic therapy which could be used effectively to treat the whole person and "Indian Champissage" was developed from an ancient practice to become an excellent contemporary therapy.
This "new" therapy was introduced at the 1981 Mind, Body and Spirit exhibition at Olympia, England, where a total of 179 clients came to Narendra's stand suffering from headaches and many other stress-related symptoms. They left recharged and relaxed. Exposure to these and countless other clients during the next few years at his clinic and at various exhibitions allowed Narendra to study the effects of his techniques in depth and to revise and expand them.
Indian Head Massage and Indian Champissage in particular has received a lot of positive exposure through numerous articles, magazine features, and radio and television interviews since its introduction in the UK. This, together with the obvious efficacy of the treatment, has undoubtedly led to its current popularity amongst health practitioners and the general public as one of the leading complementary therapies in the UK.
The future of healing in the twenty-first century is an exciting one.