The return of an old Indian massage used in Ayurveda: how to have a DIY potli massage using poultice

These treatments are also popular in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Laos and Thailand. They are simple enough that just about anyone, anywhere can make a poultice bag for DIY stress relief in these testing times.

“Potlis are easy to make, leverage easily available, kitchen-sourced ingredients, and are cheap and effective. What’s not to love?” asks Neha Ahuja, the founder of Kaashi Wellness, a wellness consultancy in the north Indian city of Varanasi.

“Indian grandmothers are famous for running ‘potli pharmacies’ at home, filling muslin cloth poultice bags with Ayurvedic natural herbs, both fresh and dried, and heating them up on griddles or pans or dipping them in hot oil for massages to address localised pains,” she says.

Turmeric, ginger, garlic and more – healing foods and what they do

Local application of potlis helps alleviate toothache, stomach pain, headaches, neck aches and limb stiffness, adds Ahuja. “The bags typically contain ginger powder, methi [fenugreek] powder, neem powder, cloves, cinnamon sticks, garlic powder and a range of other herbs. Potlis are non-invasive, don’t require consumption or application of any chemicals/ingredients that can trigger food or skin allergies. So they’re free of side effects, too.”

Patients with osteoarthritis, arthritis, and spondylitis – inflammation of the spine or pelvis leading to back pain – benefit most, as the therapy improves blood circulation, which reduces inflammation, says Pandit Jaiprakash Awasthi, a New Delhi-based third-generation Ayurvedic practitioner and Vedic scholar.

Potli massages aren’t just for the masses. They were popular among Indian royals too, he says. “Kings and queens hired highly paid masseurs to administer these rubs for rejuvenation as well as treatment. Talented therapists were tipped with pieces of expensive jewellery.”

Each herb in the potli has a unique healing property, the specialist says. For instance, mustard and neem leaves help to detoxify the body and skin; turmeric and ginger help in purification; lemon and mint calm a headache; rice and rosemary boost blood circulation; cardamom and lavender settle the nerves; and aloe vera and onion reduce swelling and inflammation.

Awasthi recommends the use of ashwagandha (withania somnifera), commonly known as “winter cherry” or “Indian ginseng”, in poultices to relieve stress and improve sleep quality.

Rashmi Vaidya, a therapist at an ayurvedic centre in Rishikesh, Uttar Pradesh, describes the two main types of potli massage. The wet (snigdha) massage is administered for spondylosis and frozen shoulder, and the dry (rukshya), which uses hot sand or dry herbal powder, is to ease inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. Prices can vary from US$20 to US$40 for a 30- to 45-minute rub.

“We first massage the patient’s affected areas with warm medicated oil and then apply the poultice for a few minutes. A potli massage’s foundational principles are based on the elements of water and fire. When mingled with herbs, their efficacy goes up manifold. They open up the skin’s pores, and relax strained muscles and limbs,” explains Vaidya.

The selected ingredients are bundled in a muslin cloth and tied up tightly, leaving a knot of cloth at the top by which to hold it. For a dry massage, the potli is dipped in sand or an herbal powder. “For a wet massage, we use a warm medicated oil. The herbs could be dried, fresh or even a blend of both.”

Shanti Bharadwaj, 76, a Delhi-based housewife who has been using potlis for massages and local applications to ease aches and pains among family members, calls them “magical”.

“I make bags of black pepper to ease menstrual cramps, and cloves to relieve toothaches for my grandchildren. My husband used to have terrible migraine attacks but felt considerable relief with potli applications of warm mustard oil on his sinus points – back of the ear, jawline, nasal area and nape of the neck.

“I learned these techniques from a neighbourhood hakim [herbalist] in the 1970s. I must have saved thousands of rupees in medicines and doctors’ fees by using potlis for simple cures at home.”

Awasthi says a simple DIY potli can be made from the five-spice mix powder widely available in Chinese supermarkets. Alternatively, you can make your own five-spice mix by combining star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and fennel seeds. Ginger and garlic powders, with their potent antioxidant, antibiotic and antiviral qualities, can be added to the mix.

“Massage the area to be treated – neck, arms, legs – with warm medicated oil – and apply the poultice (heated on a grill or in a wok) to it for 15 to 20 minutes two or three times a day,” he recommends.

DIY potli treatments should be used only to address simple aches and stiffness, Awasthi stresses. “For complicated medical problems, the patient must visit a doctor.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuaqyxKyrsqSVZLWmrcutn2avlaG5r7HSrGaaqqSesK2xjmxoam9jaIZwvsStrKumXaS5pXnIp5uimZ5iuqK%2F0pqenmWlqLKlecCyrKuulZmubrTOsGShmaaaeqW12A%3D%3D