In past two decades I have been blessed with vedic knowledge from many guides and teachers: my spiritual master, my parents and Nath Yogi (from Gujarat, India) and Dr. Vasant Lad. 

In addition, I have also found many pearls of wisdom while studying ayurvedic, vedic and other mystical classics like Yajnavalkya Shamita, Ashtanga Hridayam (by Vagbhata, 600 BC), Textbook of Ayurveda (by Dr. Vasant Lad), Yog Vasistha, Shat-Chakra-Nirupana, Sankhya sutra.

I would like to share an overview of "Ayurveda as energy medicine" and a commonly practiced version of Abhyanga or Ayurvedic Massage based on my personal experience and understanding.

Ayurveda  - an energy medicine

“Prana vidya maha vidya” - Upanishad  
[Knowledge of prana is the great wisdom.]  

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old wisdom of life and healing from India. The word “Ayurveda” means ‘wisdom of life’. Ayur means “life” or “living”, and Veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom”. The Ayurveda says that physical body is a manifestation of three energy fields, prana (life-energy), mind, and soul interlaced as one whole system. Soul or atman is the innermost energy field, the Doer and the Perceiver. Soul is also the witness in the field of the Consciousness.

Mind energy is the second field and it has two poles, the idea field (the thought nature) and the form field (the material nature). In vedic philosophy the thought of an object (or an act) and the object or an activity itself are considered the two poles of the same field - Mind energy. 

Mind energy has three inherent action-qualities or gunas called Sattva (light, or truth), Rajas (passion or desire), and Tamas (indifference or darkness). The highest of the three is Sattva. It is pure. It brings about happiness, wisdom and also illumination. The second guna of Rajas gives rise to passion manifested by intense attachment and greed. It causes sorrow and suffering. The third, termed Tamas arises due to ignorance and results in darkness, lethargy and delusion. All of the three gunas are required for this universe and life to function. The problem arises when tamas or rajas dominates the mentality during the waking state of a person.

An important secret of vedic wisdom is the Prana. There are thousands of hymns and praises in Vedas for different types of Pranas. In fact the Ayurvedic medicine is the science of prana. Prana is both manifested and un-manifested energy of this universe. Chinese refer to this energy as Chi. In order for body to be alive and conscious it requires two forces: soul and prana. Soul is the "knower" and prana is the power of nature used by the soul to become "consciousness". Without prana, soul is forced to leave the body. In India the death is also referred to the state of a physical being whose pranas (not the soul) have left the body. Ancient yogis and sages have developed elaborate methods of "pranayama" to retain the pranas in the body to enhance the longevity. The life-energy or prana connects the two poles of Mind and soul. The Prana is neutral pole and originates from "chit-aakash" or "Mind-Space".

Prana and mind energy combine to manifests as five elements or tattwas: Space, wind, Fire, Water and Earth. The five elements are not like those found in the Periodic Table. Earth does not equate to the literal meaning of Earth, but to the force behind the solidity, cohesion and support. Likewise, Water equates to force that keeps matter in liquid or flowing form. Fire is simply the power to change or transmute the state of any substance. Wind relates to power behind and movement. And Space is the field that is simultaneously the source of all matter and the space in which it exists. 

There is an elaborate energetic network of chakras and nadis (energy centers and meridians) through which interlaced soul, mind and pranik energies step down to manifest and sustain the living being and life.

The five tattwas relate to five senses, earth is related to smell, fire to sight, water to taste, wind to touch and space to hearing. 

The Five tattwas give rise to the three biological doshas (dosha literally means "one which causes imbalance": vatta (combination of aakash and wind pranas), pitta (combination of fire and water pranas) and kapha (combination of water and earth pranas). 

Every human is born with a unique combination of doshas which is referred as his/her Prakurti (or the ayurvedic constitutional). Any deviation or change in the prakurti of a person is called vikruti. There are numerous reasons for vikruti (or the imbalance of doshas) to manifest but the root-cause of all dis-ease is over indulgence of senses or ignorance and in most cases it leads to Vatta imbalance. Abhyanga or Ayurvedic massage is one of the key therapies used not only for restoring dosha imbalance but also for enhancing well-being and longevity. It is effective on all the doshic imbalances but is very effective on vatta imbalances.

Abhyanga is an energy bodywork which means therapist's state of being is very important part of the therapy. It is important for therapist to learn methods to touch and perceive the pranik or energy body. It is also important for therapist to learn vedic methods to refine their internal state and be in touch with cosmic nature using focused attention and intention. The key to abhyanga is to remain centered and follow the movement of pranas. There are five main types of pranas: Prana Vayu, Udana Vayu, Vayna Vayu Samana Vayu and Apana Vayu. The Ashtanga Hridayam (by Vagbhata, 600 BC) describes the location and function of each vayu as:

Prana Vayu is located in the head and moves in the chest and throat; supports the mind, heart, sense organs and intelligence, attends to expectoration, sneezing, belching, inspiration and swallowing of the food.

Udana Vayu is located in upper chest, it moves in the nose, umbilicus and throat; its functions are initiation of speech, effort, enthusiasm, strength (capacity of work), color (complexion) and memory (awareness).

Vayna Vayu is located in the heart; moves all over the body in great speed, attends to the functions such as walking, flexion and extension of major muscle groups, circulation of the blood and other fluids, opening and closing of the eyes etc. generally related to all the voluntary and involuntary movements within and with the body.

Samana Vayu is located near the agani (digestive fire), moves in the gastrointestinal track, withholds the food in the alimentary canal, separates the essence from waste and eliminates the waste. 

Apana Vayu is located in the colon, moves in the waist, bladder, genitals and thighs and attends to the functions such as elimination of semen, menstrual fluid, feces, urine and fetus. 

Once therapist has learn to perceive the movement of pranas then next step is to customize the treatment to incorporate the client's state and needs. 

In Vedic science the word for health is "svasthaya", and it is made of two words "sva" meaning "self or ego" and "sthaya" means "to dwell or establish". "Self or ego" is also called "ahankar". Ego here should not be confused with Freudian concept of "Ego", but ego here is referred to our "I-ness", the power which makes me "me" and separates me from others. It is the power behind our identity. It is the power in us which forces us to see "my body", "my home", "my wife", "my son", "my car", etc. Health in vedic philosophy means the "dwelling of the self". This implies that dis-ease and healing happens at the level of individual whole self, not at the level of parts. In other words the focus of therapy is the person and not the specific parts (lung, liver, back etc). This is where science becomes an art because  for healing to manifest therapist must learn to assess each individual every time and customize the treatment accordingly.

Ayurvedic customization is based on the various assessment techniques: pulse and tongue analysis, assessments of senses, waste analysis, observation and understanding of client's physical and mental prakurti, and understanding of seasons. According to Vagbhata: those who wish to have health and happiness should massage the body and use oils according to the seasons. There are specific oils and herbs for different constitutions and seasons, e.g., coconut oil will be beneficial in summer for a person with pitta prakurti. Sesame oil blended with essential oil of juniper is beneficial for kapha prakurti. (To know more about bodywork customization please read, " introduction to the art of customizing bodywork.")

Tamasic touch: This is deep strong and penetrating touch. It breaks up the congestion and integrates the isolated or frozen segments. Pain is neither required nor necessary in abhyanga. This touch is rarely used and if needed then it is accompanied along with the rajasic touch.

Rajasic Touch: This is a firm but not deep, strong but not painful and stirs up the tissues to expand and integrate with the whole. It produces heat and movement. It provides stimulating and cleansing experience. It is done with steady rhythm.

Sattvic Touch: It is gentle and light touch. It goes deeper and stimulates energetic fabric. It is loving, harmonious and intuitive touch. It provides peaceful, relaxing and rejuvenating experience to the client.