Nasya Oil: The Oils Used in Nasal Therapy

Nasya oil is the medicated oil given in Nasya, the nasal therapy of Ayurveda: chiefly sesame-based preparations such as Anu Taila and Shadbindu Taila, chosen either to nourish or to clear the region above the collarbone. The choice of oil is one of the ways the tradition fits Nasya to the person, and for the fuller forms it is a matter for a practitioner.

Why sesame is the classical base

Most Nasya oils rest on a base of sesame oil, and the reason is a classical judgement about sesame itself. Of all the oils, the texts hold sesame to be the most penetrating and the most nourishing for the deeper tissues, and the most reliably settling for Vata (the dosha of movement). Since Nasya aims to reach and steady the tissues of the head by way of the nose, a base with exactly these qualities suits the purpose, which is why sesame serves as the foundation not only for the famous nasal oils but for so many classical medicated oils besides. Into that base the tradition processes herbs by the method of sneha paka, the slow cooking of oil with herbal decoctions and paste so that the qualities of the plants pass into the oil.

Anu Taila, the oil of daily care

Anu Taila is the preparation the classical texts name first for regular nasal care, and Vagbhata gives it particular prominence. It is a many-herbed sesame oil, built by folding a long company of herbs, one decoction after another, into the base, and its reputation rests on that completeness. Because sesame is deeply Vata-settling and the added herbs lend their own steadying and gently clearing qualities, Anu Taila is classed among the nourishing nasal oils, belonging chiefly to the oleating and building forms of Nasya. It is neither so warming as to disturb Pitta nor so heavy as to clog the passages, which is why the tradition trusts it for use over a lifetime and pairs it most often with the gentle daily practice of Pratimarsha Nasya.

Shadbindu Taila, the oil of clearing

Beside Anu Taila stands the other renowned nasal oil, Shadbindu Taila, the oil of six drops, named for the small measure in which it is given. The two are companions in the tradition and are often mentioned together, but they lean in slightly different directions. Where Anu Taila is weighted toward nourishing and maintaining, Shadbindu Taila is reached for more particularly where clearing is wanted, in the setting of congestion and heaviness of the head. A physician chooses between them according to whether the aim is to nourish and maintain or to open and relieve, and according to the dosha and constitution before them. Because it leans toward the stronger, clearing action, it is the more a matter for a practitioner’s judgement.

Medicated ghee and other preparations

Oil is not the only medium of Nasya. Where a cooler, gentler nourishment is wanted, the tradition uses a medicated ghee in place of oil, ghee being prized for its cooling, nourishing quality and its affinity for Pitta. For the stronger clearing forms, medicated powders and other preparations are used rather than oils, since their action is different in kind. This article keeps chiefly to the oils, since they are what most people mean by Nasya oil, but it is worth knowing that the tradition draws on a range of media and matches the medium, like the herbs, to the aim of the treatment and the state of the person.

Nourishing oils and clearing oils

The most useful way to sort Nasya oils is by their aim. The nourishing, oleating oils, to which Anu Taila belongs, feed and steady the region above the collarbone and settle Vata; they suit dryness, roughness and the wish to maintain the head over time. The clearing preparations, toward which Shadbindu Taila leans, are reached for where congestion, heaviness and blockage call for opening. Many of the classical oils, being compounded of a broad company of herbs, sit gently between the two, nourishing while retaining a mild clearing edge. This sorting by aim, nourish or clear, is the frame within which a practitioner chooses, and it explains why no one oil is right for every case.

Choosing an oil, and its limits

For the gentle daily practice of Pratimarsha Nasya, a mild nourishing oil such as Anu Taila, or plain warmed sesame oil, is the classical choice and suits most healthy people without supervision. For the fuller therapeutic Nasya, the oil is chosen and given by a qualified practitioner according to the person, the dosha and the aim, and the stronger clearing oils in particular are theirs to direct. No article can tell a reader which oil their constitution needs for a therapeutic treatment, since that judgement rests on assessment. Anyone unsure which oil suits them, or drawn to a clearing oil for a particular concern, should ask a practitioner rather than choose unguided.

This article describes classical Ayurvedic tradition and is offered for education, not as a substitute for professional medical advice. Nourishing nasal oils suit the gentle daily Pratimarsha practice; the fuller therapeutic Nasya, and its stronger oils, are given by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, not at home.