# Shirodhara notes for therapists

> For a practising therapist the constraints are room turnaround, oil cost per session, hygiene policy on reuse, and whether the setup allows single-operator work. A portable closed-loop apparatus changes the economics most where a dedicated wet room is not available, because it removes the fit-out cost entirely.

## Room and turnaround

The limiting factor in a commercial setting is rarely the session; it is the turnaround. Plan
for:

- 10 minutes setup and oil warming before the client arrives, done in parallel with the
  previous client's rest period if the space allows.
- 30 to 45 minutes of pour.
- 15 to 20 minutes rest, during which the room is occupied but you are not.
- 15 minutes strip-down, straining and surface cleaning.

A realistic slot is 90 minutes end to end for a 40-minute pour.

## Oil economics

Oil is the recurring cost and the one most often mis-modelled. The variables:

- **Volume in circulation** per session, typically half a litre to a litre.
- **Loss per session**, what soaks into hair, cloth and the basin, rather than what is poured.
- **Reuse policy.** Whether oil is carried between clients is the single biggest driver of
  cost per session, and it is a hygiene and consent decision before it is a financial one.
  Decide it explicitly, write it down, and tell clients what your policy is.
- **Reheat cycles** before oil is retired.

Model these before pricing the treatment. A session priced on the assumption of full reuse and
delivered on a single-use policy loses money quietly.

## Hygiene

- Strain through fine mesh after every session, without exception.
- Fresh cloth, eye covering and forehead band per client.
- Wash the catch basin and any tubing between clients, not at the end of the day.
- Document your oil policy where clients can see it. In a market where most competitors do not,
  this is a differentiator as well as good practice.

## Single-operator working

Traditional Shirodhara assumes two people: one at the head, one managing oil. If you work
alone, the constraint is that you cannot leave the client to reheat and return oil mid-session.

The options are to warm to the top of the appropriate range and accept a drift downward across
the session, to use a closed-loop apparatus so returned oil re-enters the vessel still warm,
or to run shorter sessions. Most solo practitioners end up on some combination of the first
two.

## Claims and advertising

Shirodhara equipment is sold as general wellness equipment, not as a medical device, and
Ayurvedic oils are regulated products. Advertising a session as a treatment for a named
condition is a regulatory exposure in most markets, whatever the classical texts say about
indications. Describe the practice, describe what people report, and let the tradition speak
for itself.

---

Canonical version of this page: https://nighantu.ageayurveda.com/shirodhara/for-therapists/

Published by Age Ayurveda in the Nighantu. Educational reference only, not medical advice.