I started practicing yoga in 1987. I was 17, and yoga was still considered to be a fringe practice, that was the equivalent of tofu, sprouts and patchouli oil. It started off as a bit of teenage rebellion-look how different I am, suburbia-and it wound up transforming my life. My first teacher had studied on an ashram in India, and many practices she learned there were introduced to us as part of our class. I learned about meditation, neti pots, body brushing, oil cleansing and the ashtanga Saturday practice. I was an early adopter of a lot of these practices, then stopped them when I was around people who didn’t always agree. Peer pressure reigned until I hit my 40’s, discovering that much of my freaky practices were becoming mainstream.
One of my favorites has always been the Saturday practice. Basically, you oil yourself up, relax and then take a hot shower. It’s like spa time at home. And a lot less expensive.
You use castor oil on your body, starting at the top of your head, and massage it into your skin and hair, and then lie in corpse pose from anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Then you take a very warm shower and wash it off. Afterwards, make sure you are well hydrated and able to relax. I usually do it after I go to the gym and run my errands on Saturdays (sometimes I do my Saturday practice on Sundays or another day during the week because of scheduling) and I am like a jellyfish blob afterwards.
Castor oil is derived from the castor bean plant, which is native to India. The bean itself is toxic (the poison ricin is derived from it), but the oil has been used in healing practices going back to antiquity. Today, most Americans are familiar with castor oil as a remedy for constipation.
Some immediate benefits I have noticed from doing it include muscle pain disappearing, a deeper sense of relaxation, glowing skin, as well as feeling more flexible. According to ayurvedic tradition, the oil bath dissolves ama or toxins, so it’s a super cheap detox.
Some lessons I have learned from this practice include:
Being careful and not slip on an oily floor
Wash the shower out afterwards so no one else (like your husband) slips on your leftover mess
Don’t decide to exercise really hard the next day. Let’s just say I learned that lesson the hard way
Start off with 5-10 minutes and gradually work your way up to an hour, gradually. Add 5 minutes more each week (as long as you feel comfortable). Don’t go for an hour out of the gate
Don’t spend the day in the sun afterwards. Otherwise you will look like a lobster. Seriously.
The Sanskrit word for oil is sneha, which also can be translated as love. When I do my Saturday practice, I am practicing love.
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