# The Shirodhara session, step by step

> A session runs in four parts: a short head and shoulder abhyanga to warm the tissue, the pour itself with the person supine and the stream falling on the forehead, a rest period with the oil left in the hair, and a delayed wash. The pour is the shortest part to describe and the longest to do well.

## Before

The room is warm and draught-free. Cold air on oiled skin defeats the purpose. Phones off,
lighting low, no conversation once the stream starts.

The person lies supine on a table with the head at the end, supported so the neck is neutral
and the forehead is level. A rolled towel under the neck and a folded one under the knees is
the usual arrangement. Hair is loose. A thin cloth band is placed just above the eyebrows to
stop oil running into the eyes, and cotton pads or a light cloth cover the eyes and ears.

A short *shiro abhyanga*, three to five minutes of head, neck and shoulder oleation by hand,
warms the tissue and settles the person before the stream begins.

## The pour

The vessel is suspended so the orifice sits roughly four finger-widths, about ten to twelve
centimetres, above the forehead. Too high and the stream stings; too low and it pools rather
than flows.

The stream starts on the forehead at the point between the eyebrows. Some schools hold it
there for the whole session. Others move it slowly side to side across the forehead in a
gentle oscillation, returning to centre. Both are taught; consistency within a session matters
more than which is chosen.

Throughout, the oil that runs off is caught in a basin below the head, strained, rewarmed and
returned to the vessel. In a two-person setup an assistant does this continuously. In a
one-person setup a closed-loop apparatus does it mechanically.

## After

The stream stops. The oil is left in the hair. The person rests, still covered and still warm,
for ten to twenty minutes before sitting up, and sits for a further minute or two before
standing. Standing up straight after a long session is the most common way people come to
grief.

The head is wrapped in a warm cloth. Traditionally the hair is washed with a mild herbal
cleanser some hours later, or the next morning, rather than immediately.

The rest of the day is kept quiet. No cold showers, no cold wind on the head, no strenuous
work, no screens if it can be helped. A light, warm meal.

## What people report during a session

Most people describe a drift into a state between waking and sleep, sometimes with a sense of
time distortion. Some fall asleep. Some feel emotional. Some feel nothing much on a first
session and more on a third. A brief chill or a mild headache afterwards usually points to
oil that was too cool, a room that was too cold, or standing up too fast.

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Canonical version of this page: https://nighantu.ageayurveda.com/shirodhara/session-protocol/

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