# Shirodhara questions > Common questions about Shirodhara: what it feels like, how often to have it, which oil to use, whether it can be done at home, how much oil a session needs, and what to do afterwards. Answers below are the practical, non-clinical version. The answers above are the short versions. The longer treatment of each is in the rest of this guide: [choosing the oil](../choosing-the-oil/), [temperature and duration](../temperature-and-duration/), [the session protocol](../session-protocol/), [cautions](../cautions/), and [doing it at home](../at-home-or-clinic/). ## Common questions ### What is Shirodhara? Shirodhara is a classical Ayurvedic external practice in which a warm liquid, usually a medicated sesame-based oil, is poured in an unbroken stream onto the forehead for a set period. The name joins shiras, meaning head, and dhara, meaning stream. It belongs to the murdha taila group of head-oleation procedures described in the Ashtanga Hridaya. ### What does Shirodhara feel like? Most people describe drifting into a state between waking and sleeping, sometimes with a distorted sense of how much time has passed. Some fall asleep. The first minute or two can feel strange as the stream settles, after which people usually stop noticing it as a sensation. ### How often should you have Shirodhara? Traditionally as a course rather than a one-off: commonly 7 to 14 consecutive daily sessions in a Panchakarma setting. As general practice, weekly or fortnightly is a common pattern. A single session is the least representative version of the practice. ### Which oil is used for Shirodhara? A medicated sesame-based taila is the default. The specific formulation is matched to the presentation: warming and unctuous for a Vata-predominant picture, cooling and in a lighter base for Pitta, warming and penetrating with lekhana herbs for Kapha. Buttermilk, milk and decoctions are used in place of oil in some classical variants. ### How much oil does a Shirodhara session use? Half a litre to a litre in circulation. Almost all of it is recovered and reused within the session; what is genuinely consumed is what soaks into hair, cloth and the catch basin. ### Can you do Shirodhara alone, without an assistant? Yes, with the right equipment. The obstacle is that oil cools while it runs and traditionally an assistant reheats and returns it. A closed-loop apparatus that catches the run-off and feeds it back keeps the returned oil warm, which is what makes single-operator sessions practical. ### Do you wash your hair after Shirodhara? Not immediately. The oil is left in the hair and the head is wrapped warm. Washing is done some hours later or the next morning, with a mild cleanser. ### Is Shirodhara the same as a head massage? No. Head massage, shiro abhyanga, is oil worked in by hand. Shirodhara is a continuous poured stream with no hands on the head during the pour. Both belong to the murdha taila group, and a short abhyanga usually precedes a shirodhara session. ### What should you do after a Shirodhara session? Rest for 10 to 20 minutes before sitting up, and sit for a minute or two before standing. Keep the head warm and covered, avoid cold wind and cold showers, eat something light and warm, and keep the rest of the day quiet. --- Canonical version of this page: https://nighantu.ageayurveda.com/shirodhara/faq/ Published by Age Ayurveda in the Nighantu. Educational reference only, not medical advice.