Indian Head Massage

History

The roots of Indian Head Massage (also called Champissage) lay in the ancient Indian system, also known as Ayurveda dating back well over one thousand years ago. It was traditionally performed on women in families to keep their hair strong, lustrous, and in optimum condition. This grooming ritual is passed down from mother to daughter. Men also benefitted from head massages, with their experience coming from barbers or often performed on street corners.

In the early 1970s, Narendra Mehta came to England to study as a physical therapist. To his disappointment, he learned massage in the UK generally did not include the head. After studying here for some time and missing the therapeutic value of work on the head and scalp, he returned to India in 1978 to conduct further research. 

He studied it wherever it was practiced however there was still something missing. Whilst the traditional Indian ritual focused on the head and scalp, the Western massage missed out this element completely.

Further development and formalisation of his techniques saw the fusion of the two elements combine to include massage techniques of the upper back and arms, shoulders, neck, head, and face along with Ayurvedic elements. This included work on the three higher Chakras which allowed the body's energy system to be rebalanced. This fusion is what we now know as the modern-day Indian Head Massage.

Benefits

IHM has many physiological and emotional benefits and has been shown to help with;

• Sinus congestion

• Improved Mood

• May help improve hair loss and thinning due to stimulating the hair follicle

• Relief from muscle tension in the face, neck, shoulder, back, and upper arms

• Promotes deep relaxation

• Improved circulation to the head and neck assisting in the removal of toxins

• Improves Lymphatic Drainage encouraging the removal of waste products

• Helps headaches, insomnia, bruxism, eyestrain