What is Ayurvedic massage?
Ayurvedic massage comes from India and pairs warm, oil-rich deep tissue work with yoga-inspired stretches. The standard form is Abhyanga, a full body oil massage traditionally done daily. Sessions usually work the whole body in long rhythmic strokes, often taking in the head and scalp as well.
Firm
4 out of 5Sustained deep pressure, adjusted as you give feedback.
- Abhyanga
- Ayurveda massage
- Indian massage
We come to you, anywhere in London. Your home, your hotel room or your workplace.
What people say about our Ayurvedic massage therapists
I booked Mahe recently for the first time and she did a combination of ayurvedic and classic. It was really relaxing and I was glad I'd booked her. She used some interesting techniques I'd not had before too. She has only been with TMR for few weeks, she seemed to have a lot more experience. She was confident and calming, she made me feel at ease. I would highly recommend her. Thanks Mahe. 🙂
Just had an incredible massage from Mahe who used her Ayurvedic techniques to relax me into a near coma! Repeat bookings to follow!! 😄 😴
Just had an Ayurvedic massage with Vera and it was a fantastic, almost transcendental experience. I found it a healing and rejuvenating session, she is clearly very talented and is also a lovely person. 👏
Ayurveda Yoga is a 5 star massage, completely different from any other massage that I tried before. Best massage ever, by far... I've found my personal massage therapist 🙂 thanks Vera, you're amazing (very good energies)
Tang was really professional but also just easy going. No awkwardness at all, just a genuinely good treatment. Felt so much better afterwards. Thank you!
Rated Outstanding
Average 4.97/5 from 12,012 reviews
How Ayurvedic massage feels
Warmer and oilier than a Western massage, and a good deal more thorough than the word traditional tends to suggest.
- Generous warm oil, usually cold-pressed sesame or almond, and plenty of it
- Long rhythmic strokes over the whole body rather than area by area
- Firm pressure, closer to deep tissue than to Swedish
- Yoga-inspired stretches folded in, so you are moved as well as worked on
- Head and scalp towards the end, where it shades into Indian head massage
Our therapists keep to the stretching and breathing side of the tradition rather than the poured warm oil version, snehadhara, which is wonderful in a clinic in Kerala and leaves a London flat needing redecorating.
Who Ayurvedic massage suits
Worth booking if
- You want firm work but with more warmth and flow than deep tissue
- Your joints feel stiff and you would like the stretching that goes with it
- You are drawn to the traditional side of it rather than the clinical
- Dry skin, poor sleep and general depletion are the pattern
- You want something you could sensibly repeat regularly rather than as a treat
Mention it when you book if
- You would rather not be stretched, since that is a real part of this one
- You have a skin condition or react to nut and seed oils
- You have joint problems, osteoporosis or a recent injury
- You are pregnant, at any stage, so we can send a pregnancy therapist
- You are unwell today, or running a temperature
What happens during Ayurvedic massage
Below is how a typical 90 minute session pans out. A 60 or a two hour booking follows the same shape, with more or less of the middle.
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Before she arrives
A firm surface, and old towels
The floor or a firm mattress works better than a soft bed, because of the stretching. Use old towels and old sheets, this treatment uses a lot of oil.
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First 5 minutes
Warming the oil in
Long, unhurried strokes spreading warm oil over the whole body while everything softens. Nothing deep yet, and the warmth does a good deal of the work.
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Next hour and 20
Rhythmic and firm
Firm rhythmic strokes over the whole body, with stretches through the hips, shoulders and spine between them. Steady rather than sharp.
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Final 5 minutes
Head and scalp
Finishing at the head, neck and scalp, usually with oil. Plan a shower afterwards, and leave the oil on for a while first if you can, your skin will thank you.
Never had a massage before? Our guide to what to expect at your first massage walks through the whole thing, from preparing the room to how you will feel afterwards.
Why have it at home rather than at a spa?
Because the traditional setup wants floor space and a firm surface so the therapist can stretch you with proper support, and your own front room does that better than a treatment couch does.
The other reason is repetition. Abhyanga was designed as something you do regularly, not once a year as a treat. That only works if it comes to you.
How Ayurvedic massage differs from the alternatives
Most people land here torn between two. Here is the short version.
| Ayurvedic Massage | Deep Tissue Massage | Indian Head Massage | Thai Massage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure | Firm, warm and rhythmic | Firm and slow, into specific areas | Light, on head and shoulders | Firm, through stretching |
| Oil | A great deal, warm | A normal amount | Optional | None, unless you ask |
| Stretching | Yes, yoga-inspired | A little at the end | None | Yes, the main event |
| Covers | Whole body, head included | Whole body, focused where tight | Scalp, neck and shoulders | The whole body |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
If Ayurvedic massage is not quite what you had in mind
These are what people pick instead. Not sure? Ask your therapist when she gets there, she will tell you straight.
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Wherever you are, someone covers it. Seven days a week, 7am until 11pm.
Common questions about Ayurvedic massage
The standard form of Ayurvedic massage: a full body warm oil massage, traditionally done daily as part of an ordinary routine rather than as an occasional treat. It is what most people mean when they book Ayurvedic massage with us, and one of several Asian massage styles our mobile therapists offer.
The pressure is comparable but everything around it differs. Ayurvedic uses far more warm oil, works the whole body in long rhythmic strokes rather than settling on one knot, and includes stretching and usually the scalp.
Yes, honestly. It uses more oil than any other treatment we offer and that is not incidental, it is the treatment. Old towels, old sheets, and a shower afterwards. Traditionally you leave it on the skin a while first.
They overlap and share a root, but no. Indian head massage stays on the scalp, face, neck and shoulders. Ayurvedic covers the whole body and adds stretching, usually taking in the head towards the end.
The tradition says daily, which is not a realistic recommendation for London. Monthly gives you the benefit, and the effects are cumulative in the way yoga is rather than dramatic in the way one deep tissue session can be. There is more in what you should know about Ayurvedic massage.
Ninety minutes at least. Warming the oil in, working the whole body and then the stretches takes time, and an hour means dropping one of the three. Two hours is not excessive for this one if you have the evening free.
£59 for 60 minutes, £80 for 90 minutes and £110 for two hours, the same as every other treatment we offer. Some outer London areas carry a small travel charge, which you see before you pay. We have written up what a massage costs in London and how we compare.
Whatever you are comfortable in when she arrives. During the massage you undress as far as you want to and stay covered by a towel throughout, with only the part being worked on uncovered. If that is the bit you were worried about, what to wear during a massage goes through it properly.
Often within the hour, though it depends on who is free near you at the time. Put your postcode into the box on this page and you will see the therapists covering your area and the times they have left today. We work seven days a week, from 7am until 11pm.
Somewhere to lie down, either your own bed or a mat on the floor, and your own towels. Your therapist brings the oil and the music. We ask you to use your own towels for hygiene, because a therapist working in homes all day cannot launder between visits the way a spa can, and yours will always be cleaner. Old ones are best, since oil stains.
Across more than 200 London neighbourhoods, wherever you are staying or living. Your therapist comes to your home, your hotel room or your workplace. Enter your postcode above to see who covers your address, or look through every area we cover.
Medically and professionally reviewed by Katarzyna Piatkowska, ITEC qualified massage therapist, August 2025.