The Origins of Indian Head Massage
Indian Head Massage was formerly introduced as a therapy in 1981, by Narendra Mehta, at the ‘Mind, Body and Spirit’ exhibition at Olympia, England. However, it features in Ayurvedic texts which date back nearly 4000 years. These ancient texts describe that, when used in conjunction with herbs, spices and aromatic oils, massage had an important medical function and could not only “strengthen muscles and firm skin”, but also encourage the body’s innate healing energy.
Head massage has been practised for over a thousand years. The concept was originally developed by women to keep their long hair strong, lustrous and in beautiful condition. However, male clients received a head massage (champi) as part of their appointment at the barbers.
The word ‘shampoo’ comes from the Hindi word 'champi', meaning ‘massage of the head.’