What happens
You lie on a treatment couch with your eyes covered. A vessel suspended above your head releases a steady stream of warm oil, usually sesame-based and often infused with herbs, onto the centre of the forehead, moving slowly from side to side. The therapist maintains the temperature and flow throughout. Sessions last 30 to 45 minutes and are often preceded by a short head, neck and shoulder massage. Afterwards you rest, and the oil is left in the hair for a while before washing.
What it feels like
Within minutes most people feel their thoughts slow and their body settle, and many drift into a state between waking and sleep. The effect is often described as the deepest relaxation they have experienced.
What it is used for
Stress, anxiety, insomnia and disturbed sleep, tension headaches, mental fatigue and burnout, and as part of Panchakarma programmes. In Ayurvedic terms it calms Vata, the dosha associated with an overactive nervous system.
Evidence
Small clinical studies have reported reduced anxiety scores, improved sleep and changes in heart rate variability consistent with a shift towards a calmer nervous system state. The research is limited in size, so it is best described as promising rather than proven. As a low-risk, deeply relaxing therapy for stress, it has a reasonable claim.
Practicalities
Wear old clothes or bring a change; the hair will be oily. Do not plan anything demanding afterwards. It is not given during acute illness, with a head injury, or in the first trimester of pregnancy.
At Omnia
Shirodhara at our Chiswick clinic is prescribed by our Ayurvedic doctors as part of a plan, with the oil chosen for your constitution. It is often combined with Abhyanga. Fees are on our Ayurveda page.