How to Give a Shirodhara Part 6: Traditional Shirodhara Technique
A Quick Note About Me:
My name is Rhett Hatfield and in addition to being the owner and Director of Education for the Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School I am am indigenous therapies researcher in Asia and South East Asia and normally spend several months there every year. You can read more about me and my travels in the Blog section Body Wisdom Global
Section 6 Overview:
Having covered all the preparations for Shirodhara in sections 1-5 we are now ready to perform the actual technique itself in the traditional way. In truth the proper preparations for giving Shirodhara are just as important if not more important than the actual treatment itself. If you
have not followed these posts up until now you might want to take a few minutes to review the background and preparations that have brought us to where we are now.
Links to sections 1-5
Link to How to Give a Shirodhara Part #1: “Intro.”
Link to How to Give a Shirodhara Part #2: “The Droni (table)”
Link to How to Give a Shirodhara Part #3 “Shirodhara Pot and Stand”
Link to How to Give a Shirodhara Part #4 “Preparations of Medicines”
Link to How to Give a Shirodhara Part #5 “Final Preparations for Treatment”
the universe, nature, and our bodies. Each element is also attributed to a certain personality archetype. Knowing which element(s) predominates our personalities can help further insight into our lives and relationships.

ated as a global spa trainer and indigenous researcher in South East Asia for a few months out of each of the past few years. An up and coming spa treatment which you may not have heard of but is very, very popular in today’s destination spas in both the US and abroad is called Shirodhara. Shirodhara is the pouring of warm oil on the forehead for an extended period of time. Although is may seem quite odd to the uninitiated it is one of the most relaxing experiences that can be had along with a massage or other spa treatment. The purpose of this 7 part series is to report on my documentation of this traditional Ayurvedic treatment during my trips to India and in parts 6 and 7 still to come to describe the traditional approach as well as recommended adaptions of the original for today’s spa community. Part of my work in documenting this treatment is as the current Chair of the Asia Pacific Spa and Wellness Task Force on Indigenous Therapies dedicated to documenting and preserving traditional therapies in South East Asia.