Kansu bowl foot massage

The Kansu bowl massage is a traditional Indian massage.

This is a massage of the soles of the feet using a special small bowl coated with ghee (clarified butter) according to tradition, because it regulates the Pitta dosha (the principle of fire at the heart of our body).

The Kansu bowl originated in northern India, in the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. In the Indian tradition, children learn this massage from the age of four while their parents tell them epics from ancient India.
In this Ayurvedic treatment, the masseur represents the vertical plane (cosmic energies) and the person being massaged, the horizontal plane (knowledge and wisdom).

The benefits of this massage

Calms the inner fire

This massage has the ability to rebalance the Pitta dosha, which governs metabolism, body temperature and digestion on both a physical and symbolic level.

In other words, it helps us to digest not only the food we eat, but also what we experience emotionally.

For those whose Fire is insufficient (tiredness, depression, anxiety, or even lethargy), it will bring back calm and vitality.

For those whose Fire is in excess (anger, nervousness, insomnia, various inflammations) it will reduce it and restore calm to body and mind.
It is particularly beneficial for eye health.

The therapeutic principle is based on the production of heat, which helps to rebalance the doshas.

The benefits of foot massage with the Kansu bowl are very similar to those of foot reflexology, which acts on the reflex points and zones of the foot.

The feet alone contain almost seven thousand nerve endings. You could say that the sole of the foot is the mirror of the body.

The body’s waste products concentrate around certain areas in the form of calcium crystals or uric acid.

By massaging these key points, we touch the whole body, as each point corresponds to a specific organ. Stimulation of the entire arch of the foot improves energy circulation and detoxification occurs naturally..

THE BOWL

The pretty KANSU® bowl I use is traditionally made by craftsmen who specialise in making singing bowls. It is about 7.5 cm in diameter.

The ancient alloy of this bowl is a bronze made from 80% copper, 20% pewter and five metals in very small quantities (zinc, pewter, silver, iron and lead) that are useful for detoxifying the body.

This combination, with its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, also has alkaline properties and the ability to provoke, conduct and absorb excess body heat.

Oxidation of the bowl is normal as metals pass in micro-quantities through the body, interacting with the pH of each individual’s skin.

The Session 

As soon as you are comfortably seated, your feet are cleaned with a towelette. They are then coated with warm ghee or a specific ayurvedic oil up to the top of the ankles. This is followed by a light massage before becoming more intense, to provide the necessary anchoring.

Then, using the round part of the bowl, circles, smoothing and lemniscates are performed, in different directions and with different sliding pressures.

As always, the masseur adapts to the needs of the person being massaged.

A word of Warning

Both children and adults can benefit from this massage, although there are some contraindications, particularly for people who are allergic to one of the metals in the kansu bowl.

Avoid this massage if you have wounds, infections, skin rashes or if you suffer from serious circulatory problems, and also if you are pregnant.

This method is not a substitute for a medical consultation, nor is it intended to establish a diagnosis, but can be considered as a complement to medical treatment.

Pieds nus