Shirodhara

Overview

Shirodhara is one of the best-known of the Ayurvedic therapies. The name joins shiras, the head, and dhara, a stream, and that is just what it is: a steady, unbroken thread of warm liquid poured onto the forehead from a vessel hung above. The liquid is usually a medicated oil, though buttermilk, milk or a herbal decoction may be used in its place. The stream is most often played over the brow, across the region between the eyebrows.

In modern wellness settings shirodhara is met mostly as a deeply relaxing treatment, and it is that. In the classical texts it is also a considered therapy with its own indications and rules, set within a wider family of treatments of the head.

A treatment of the head

The classical authors group shirodhara under murdha taila, the oiling of the head, and describe four forms of it in order of intensity. The lightest is shiro abhyanga, plain massage of the head with oil. Next is shiro seka, the pouring of a stream, which is shirodhara itself. Then comes shiro pichu, a cloth soaked in oil and laid on the crown. The most intensive is shiro basti, in which a reservoir of warm oil is held on the head within a snug dam. Shirodhara sits in the middle of this range, gentler than shiro basti and fuller than simple massage.

Forms by medium

The texts vary the therapy by the liquid used, choosing it to suit the person and the state being addressed.

• Taila dhara, a stream of medicated oil, is the most common form, used for vata states and for settling the mind. Oils such as Ksheerabala, Brahmi, Chandanadi and Dhanwantaram are traditional choices.
• Takra dhara, a stream of medicated buttermilk, is chosen for pitta states, the buttermilk first prepared with cooling herbs.
• Ksheera dhara, a stream of medicated milk, is a nourishing form suited to mixed pitta and vata states.
• Kwatha dhara, a stream of herbal decoction, and jala dhara, a stream of plain or medicated water, are used in particular cases as the presentation calls for.

The classical procedure

The texts set the therapy out in three parts. In the preparation, or purvakarma, the person receives a gentle abhyanga, at least of the head and scalp, the right medium is chosen by assessment, and the pouring vessel is made ready, hung a few finger-widths above the brow.

In the main procedure, or pradhanakarma, the person lies on their back on the droni, the treatment table, with the eyes covered by a soft cloth. The warm liquid, held at a comfortable, gently warm temperature, is poured in a continuous stream that swings slowly from one temple to the other across the brow. A session commonly runs from thirty to forty-five minutes, and the texts describe longer sittings for fuller treatment. The liquid is gathered as it runs off, warmed again and returned to the pouring vessel through the session.

In the close, or paschatkarma, the excess oil is wiped gently from the brow rather than rubbed, and the person rests a while in a warm, quiet place before taking light, warm food. The texts advise keeping away from cold, wind and noise for some hours afterward.

When it is used and when it is not

Classically shirodhara is described as a support for restful sleep, for steadiness of mind and mood, for ease of the head, and for the health of the hair and scalp. It is spoken of as nourishing to the senses and as a help to clarity and memory. These are traditional framings of its use, not claims of cure.

The texts also set limits. Shirodhara is avoided in acute fever, after a recent injury to the head or neck, in heavy kapha states with congestion, where there is a strong aversion to oil, and on a full stomach, so it is done before a meal or well after one. Some forms are modified where there is a cold or blocked nose. A course may run over a set span of days for fuller treatment, while a single session serves for general ease, the length and number being a matter for the practitioner’s judgement.

Frequently asked

What liquid is used in Shirodhara? Most often a warm medicated oil, which is why the oil form, taila dhara, is the one usually pictured. But the classical texts also use buttermilk, milk, a herbal decoction or water, choosing the medium to suit the person, with the cooler choices such as buttermilk favoured for pitta states.

Is Shirodhara only for relaxation? It is genuinely soothing, and that is part of its traditional purpose. In the classical texts, though, it is a considered therapy of the head with its own indications, its own preparation and aftercare, and its own list of situations in which it should not be done. It is best received from, or under the guidance of, a qualified practitioner.