How to Do Ayurvedic Massage on a Newborn: Illustrated Guide

I first came into contact with traditional Ayurvedic medicine in 2016 after suffering from severe joint pain for about six years. Applying simple Ayurvedic principles fixed the problem within months, even though school medicine failed to fix it within years. That made me, a rather logical and highly rational Westerner, gain trust in ancient Indian practices.

How do you give an Ayurvedic massage (abhyanga) to a newborn? (1) Prepare the room and area where you want to perform the baby massage, and (2) prepare all the items you need. (3) Start by undressing your little one, and apply warm oil to all limbs and the torso with your hands. (4) Massage the whole body from head to toe. (5) Finish the massage with a warm bath and wrap your little one in clean, comfortable clothes afterward.

Having experienced so much positive feedback from simple Ayurvedic practices before and during my pregnancy, it was a logical next step for me to research the traditional massage (abhyanga) techniques and apply the incredibly easy steps to my newborn son daily.

(1) Prepare the Place For the Massage

The massage should be relaxing and a winding-down experience for you and your baby, allowing you to spend quality time together and experience intimate bonding.

Turn off Distractions

Turn off distractions like the TV or the radio, and put your phone on silent. You may want to put on some quiet classical music, sing/hum, or just talk to your beloved little one. Make sure no bright lights are directly above the baby, and avoid direct sunlight, as these will be hard on the baby’s still highly sensitive eyes and will make your baby tense.

Choose the Right Surface

Ensure the surface your baby will lie on is neither hard nor cold. A thick towel or woolen blanket works well. Make sure you don’t mind getting oil on it and that it can be washed easily. We always used our diaper-changing pad and put a towel on top to absorb any overabundance of oil or spillage.

Comforting Warmth

Warmth is crucial for newborns. There should be no draft (ventilation, air conditioning, etc.), and the room should be well heated. It may be necessary to use a heat lamp or radiator to ensure your beloved little one is comfortable.

The Right Position

Some parents prefer sitting down on the floor and leaning back against the wall or a couch with their legs outstretched and their little one securely balanced on their thighs. I personally find that position rather uncomfortable. Also, kneeling was hard for the first few weeks after my cesarean, so the easiest position for me was standing, with my son on the diaper-changing pad on the changing table. Whatever you choose, find a position that you can comfortably maintain for about 10–15 minutes, and make sure you have everything you need within easy reach.

(2) Prepare All the Items You Need

You don’t need much for the massage. The most important thing is the oil, your hands, and maybe one or two extra towels or cloths to wipe away any spills or excess oil.

Extra Towels and Cleaning Utensils

Extra towels also come in handy to cover the baby’s genitals when you take off the diaper. In that case, if the little one decides to “let go,” at least don’t have to clean everything within reach – including yourself. Another practical thing to have right next to you is wet wipes or warm water and kitchen paper so you can clean your baby’s bottom quickly.

Most Important: Your Hands

A short word about your hands: If your hands are usually fairly cold, even in the summertime, it’s worth “preheating” them before you start with the massage. You can do so easily by soaking them in hot water (careful: that can make your skin dry) or warming them thoroughly on a cup of tea or on a hot water bottle. A hot water bottle can also be used to preheat the surface where you want to massage your baby or preheat the fresh clothes or towels. Being touched by warm or slightly hot hands is way more comfortable and highly relaxing for the one being massaged.

Long fingernails are beautiful but tend to get in the way when you are massaging. You can see if long nails work for you, but you may have to trim them.

Regarding rough hands, I’d never had such rough hands before I became a mom. Especially during the first few months of my son’s life, my hands were like sandpaper and even had a few cracks so deep they bled. Therefore, massage time was also a deep-breather and great treatment for my tormented hands. When you use oil, your hands soften quickly and your baby won’t feel the roughness, so don’t worry about that and enjoy the massage.

The Right Oil

Choosing the right oil is one of the most common questions young parents are confronted with when looking to massage their baby. There are a lot of different products available, each one with a different focus or effect, such as cooling, warming, quick-absorbing, energizing, or calming oils. Honestly, don’t get too fancy.

I highly recommend organic, non-mineral, fragrance-free oil. If you choose to buy special baby oil or baby lotion, check the ingredient list. If there’s anything in it that you can’t pronounce properly or have never heard of, don’t buy the product.

The only oil we’ve ever used is organic, cold-pressed sesame oil. It has a warming effect, is easily absorbed, and stimulates the metabolism, which especially great for newborns who still have trouble adjusting to their mother’s milk or formula and have pain because of wind.

The sesame oil should be cold-pressed and ripened, meaning that the oil is heated in bathwater to about 212 F (100 °C) and cooled down to room temperature afterward. You can either buy oil that is already ripened or do it yourself.

The only time I do not recommend sesame oil is if your baby sweats easily and excessively or when it’s extremely hot outside. In these cases, use coconut oil instead, as it has a cooling effect. You shouldn’t generally use it for a whole-body massage – only do the head, ears, face, and feet. Otherwise, it may cool your baby down too much.

(3) Prepare Your Little One

Now that the room is nice and comfy and you have all the towels and the oil with the wet wipes/water, fresh clothes, and a fresh diaper just within reach, you can place your little one on their back and start undressing them.

First Steps

Take all your baby’s clothes off and, yes, also the diaper. Diapers are often huge on newborns and cover half the upper body. By taking it off, you’re not only giving their little bum some fresh air, which is great to prevent or heal rashes, but you also can massage in undisturbed motions and strokes. Take time for everything and interact with your little one. Don’t be surprised if they pee or even relieve their bowels: This is a positive sign of relaxation. Just be mentally prepared for it to happen – then you won’t be shocked or surprised if it actually does happen.

(4) The Ayurvedic Massage

First Things First

Start by putting some oil on your hand – about one or two teaspoons is enough to start with. Try less in the beginning, as you can always add more oil later if you need it. Spread the oil on both hands, letting it drip on the baby’s scalp, and generously distribute it onto the upper arms and torso.

Make all your moves deliberately slow but smooth, relax, and slow your breathing. Relax your posture and smile.

Important note: Although Ayurvedic massages are usually done from the top of the body to the bottom (head to toes), it is most important to be sensitive to your beloved little one’s needs. Sometimes they don’t enjoy being massaged at a certain area of their bodies. That is all right, just leave that part, try a different one and come back to the one they didn’t enjoy at the end of the massage. It is more important to have a great bonding time, to relax and enjoy the time together and get to know your little one better.

Head

Gently start massaging the little head. Get the oil into the baby’s hair and onto their sensitive scalp. Be extremely gentle and don’t apply too much pressure. Using the palm of your hand instead of the fingertips is a great way to keep the head warm and evenly apply pressure. Make slow circling motions while always maintaining contact with your little one. The easiest way to reach the back of the head and the neck area is to gently place the head in your hands and just use your fingertips to massage. For the temple and the top of the head, it’s best to place your whole hand around the head, fingers spread, and just gently move your palm. Don’t massage the fontanelles.

Also massage the ears, gently pull and bend the outer ear, and massage the face.

There is a pressure point right between the eyebrows, the bridge of the nose, and the forehead. Use your thumb to apply some pressure and move it up onto the forehead. You can either go straight up onto the forehead or make a “V” shape by finishing the stroke over the eyebrows. This movement is highly relaxing and reduces stress as well as any headaches your little one may have from the fontanelles closing. Generally, a baby’s head grows quickly, just like the rest of the body, which may cause discomfort. Also massage the cheeks and the chin.

Shoulders and Arms

Now move to the shoulders and upper arms. Use long, gentle strokes or take the upper arm in both your hands, place your thumbs next to each other, and make small circles with your thumbs while moving from the shoulder toward the hand.

Massage the whole hand, the palm, and the muscle between the thumb and the index finger. Massage each single finger. The hand has many pressure points that help get the intestines and stomach working properly as well as relieve teething pains. It’s easiest to do massage the hand with the tip of your fingers because just applying pressure with your palm has more of a squeezing effect than actually massaging the muscles.

Torso and Belly

For the torso, use your whole hand again. Make big, circular, clockwise motions. Be extremely gentle if the umbilical cord has not fallen off yet, or just leave the stomach alone until the belly button has completely healed. If your little one enjoys it, you can place a towel on the torso and the arms after you have finished massaging them, as this adds more warmth and helps relax the whole body. But some babies are happy to move their little arms and just play with the towel and try to take it off – that’s fine too.

Legs and Feet

Massage the upper and lower thighs in the same way as the arms. Spend some time making gentle circles with your thumb around the knee, which helps prevent joint pain during the extreme growth period within the first few months. Also, there is another pressure point situated just under the knee on the outer side of the lower thigh that also relieves teething pains and just generally helps relax your baby.

Last but not least, massage the tiny feet. The same principle applies here as with the hands: The fingers are better than the palms for massaging.

Start with the instep, the arched part of the top of the foot. Place the heel in your hand, put your index finger on the Achilles tendon, and use your thumb to gently stretch the little toes toward your pinky finger. Then, use your free hand to rub the instep. Bend the tiny toes gently upwards afterward.

Massage the heel and the arch of the foot. I find that most babies really enjoy some lighter pressure on the arch of their feet. Also, go along the outside where the top of the foot connects with the bottom of the foot. Don’t forget the curves where the toes connect with the foot, and rub the tiny toes as well.

What About the Back?

Thanks for paying attention!

Although my boy was not exactly on the tiny side with his 21.3 inches (54 cm) and 7.793 pounds (3535 grams), I did not feel comfortable turning him onto his tummy and massaging his back. Instead, I would pick him up as if burping him and hold him close with one hand, using the other to rub and massage his back.

Things to NOT Do

Never take your hands away from your little one: By always maintaining contact, even if it’s just one finger, you create a secure and comforting situation for your baby. So, when you’re reaching for something or moving from one part to the next, always leave your hands on their little body. If you need more oil during the massage, make sure you can open the bottle with one hand (or leave the lid off), turn your hand so that the back of the hand is resting on your baby, and then pour more oil into your cupped hand. Think of it this way: They can’t see properly anyway, and when lying on their back, they really can’t see what’s going on with their little bodies. Taking away that warm, gentle hand and then suddenly placing it back may not necessarily scare them, but it’s just a way nicer experience for the baby if the connection is not broken.

Don’t massage your baby if they have a cold or a fever. Usually during times of sickness, the body already has enough to cope with. If you massage too much, it will stimulate the metabolism, and that in turn results in extra work for baby’s body, which does not necessarily help the immune system and the healing process.

Also, don’t start the massage if your little one is in distress or pain. Choose a time when your baby is neither hungry nor has just been fed. A state of tiredness is not the best time for a massage, either. If you get the impression that your baby is in discomfort or doesn’t enjoy your touches, don’t force anything. Change your technique or the amount of pressure you’re using or simply apply some oil and move on to the next part.

(5) After the Massage

A perfect way to end the massage is to bathe your beloved little one. You can find great tips on how to do that in this article I wrote: Bathing Baby in Tub – Enjoyable Step by Step Bath Procedure.

If you don’t want to bathe your now relaxed bundle of joy, just wrap them in clean, warm cotton clothes. Choose something that’s easy to wash in case the oil has not yet been completely absorbed by baby’s skin, as it may leave some stains on the clothes.

Applying Ayurvedic principles like this simple massage has truly enriched and improved my family’s lives.

Massaging my little one and giving him a bath afterward every day to this very day is one of my absolute favorite rituals. My husband also enjoys massaging him, and they have fun spending regular true “men’s quality time” together.

When can I start massaging my newborn?

If your baby was not premature and has no severe medical issues, you can start massaging them right after birth, or soon as you feel comfortable doing it. If the umbilical cord has not fallen off yet, make sure you are extremely gentle with the belly, avoiding the area if you feel insecure or anxious about massaging it. Stop massaging immediately if you have the impression that it’s more stressful than enjoyable for your baby. If your baby is premature, wait until you get the OK from medical staff or until your little one reaches about 32 weeks of gestation.

Can I massage my baby after feeding?

You can massage your baby directly after feeding but avoid a) laying them down and b) applying pressure to the belly or the side of the belly, as these actions might cause your baby to feel uncomfortable or even vomit. Putting your baby in a half-upright position and massaging the head, arms/hands, and legs/feet or just gently rubbing the back is totally fine. Otherwise, wait at least 30 minutes to give the stomach time to digest.

Which oil is best for massaging a newborn baby?

Every oil has its own effect, such as cooling, heating, energizing, or calming oils. Some penetrate the skin layers easier than others. For babies, it’s generally advised to use a calming, relaxing oil that is absorbed easily. It should be fragrance-free, organic, and not mineral-based. Effective and traditionally used Ayurvedic oils are ripened (gently heated before use), cold-pressed sesame oil, or coconut oil for extremely hot climates.