Health & Wellness

What is the Pechoti Method in Ayurveda? The Incredible Benefits of Belly Button Oiling

Here are the secrets of the pechoti method or belly button oiling- where the power of Ayurveda meets the goodness of essential oils, giving you the ultimate healing experience.


Written by Manal Yahya

On Jan 2, 2023 – 7 minutes read

Truth About Belly Button Oiling

If you’re inclined towards Ayurveda, you’ve likely considered trying belly button oiling at some point. The process exudes a sense of relaxation and comfort akin to a massage session. However, what about its multitude of assertions regarding curing ailments and enhancing health through belly button oiling?

The navel therapy or the pechoti method is, according to Ayurveda, a holistic healing practice whose powerful healing effects manifest in the entire body.

What is Pechoti?

Belly button oiling (‘Nabhipooran’ in Ayurveda) is an Ayurvedic practice, also referred to as Pechoti method. In Ayurveda, your belly button or navel that is said to have the ability to absorb nutrients into your body from substances such as essential oils. The method of absorbing substances through your belly button is popularly known as the Pechoti method or the Pechoti intake method.

What are the Benefits of Belly Button Oiling

While some practitioners assert the existence of a gland capable of absorbing these nutrients, modern science does not recognize such a gland. However, within Ayurveda, this is considered one of the vital points in the body known as marmas. Exploring Ayurvedic practices further, you may encounter references to a belly button oil chart, which outlines various oils and their purported benefits when applied to the belly button.

The belly button presents an abundance of blood vessels and pathways to the body’s extremities. It is considered the “reset button” and “focal point” which serves as the center of balance and where the energy center resides.

After all, it is the first part of the body created after conception and later joined to the mother’s placenta through the umbilical cord. It is the place of first nourishment. The navel is the scar tissue resulting from the detachment of the umbilical cord after birth.

Moreover, the belly button is situated over many of our vital organs such as the intestines, kidneys, spleen, and more specifically the gut.

Now, what exactly is belly button oiling?

What is the Pechoti Ritual?

Pechoti ritual or simply belly button oiling is an Ayurvedic practice involving navel oil therapy.

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian holistic healing system, is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on the right balance between the mind, spirit, and body. The Pechoti intake method is believed to detoxify, nourish, and treat various ailments in the body.

How To Do Belly Button Oiling?

In the practice of belly button oiling, warm oil is poured over your belly button.

benefits of putting oil in belly button

So, here is how to do the pechoti method:

  • Clean your belly button area and dry it out with a cotton cloth.
  • Find out a comfortable place to lie down and let your body relax.
  • Warm up the oil by rubbing it between your hands or by direct application of heat and apply it when lukewarm. For best results use lukewarm sesame oil (unless you are allergic to it).
  • Softly press down the belly button area with the fingers one by one and all at once.
  • Follow a clockwise direction as you stroke the stomach gently.
  • Your comfort is key, so do it slowly but firmly at your own pace.

Note: It is extremely important to know whether you are allergic to the essential oil. Before oiling, make sure to dilute it with a carrier oil.

What are the Benefits of Belly Button Oiling?

Applying oil in the navel is believed to heal the dryness of the eyes, poor view, chapped lips, dry skin, and the pancreas. Also, it keeps the hair healthier, and the face bright, for knee pain, lethargy, and pain in the joints.

olive oil in belly button benefits

Other benefits of belly button oiling are:

Makes your skin glow

Aging, acne, pimples, and also face pigmentation, and lip pigmentation are a major concern for woman who loves to cherish their skin. Pechoti method helps in anti-aging and treats acne and pimple scars gently. Neem oil works great for acne. So bring back your skin care goals on track with pechoti method.

Soothes cramps

Cramps are a terrible add-on to the menstrual cycle. Pechoti method is a lifesaver for women as it soothes period cramps really well. One of the easiest methods to naturally calm the cramps that swing your mood. Castor oil packs are handy for a happy period. So next time get one and share this tip with your friend.

Boosts the gut health

Belly button oiling leads to the pacification of vata dosha, thereby relieving bloating, constipation, gas, etc.

The generation that loves junk food has to deal with the consequences as well be it indigestion, food poisoning, bloating, infections, and ulcers. Massaging peppermint oil can improve your gut health and reduce the chances of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Improves fertility

The belly button is the focal point of giving oxygen and nutrients to the embryo from the mother. Hence, massaging daily with due care enhances your fertility. There are also unproven claims that it improves sperm count in men. Try out the method with coconut oil for results.

Which Oil is Best for Belly Button Oiling?

Modern practitioners advocate the use of different essential oils for specific results. Using the oil that has the properties you are looking for is said to provide targeted results.

Neem oil

For skin and hair health. Belly button oiling with neem oil will help you get rid of stubborn acne and pimples that never leave. 

Almond oil

To achieve glowing skin

Mustard oil

To get rid of dry and chapped lips, dry skin, lethargy, or joint pains, and keep your intestines moving by keeping the good bacteria and removing harmful bacteria. It works as a detoxifying oil.

Coconut oil or olive oil

To improve fertility.

Ginger oil

For inflammation and nausea.

Tea tree oil

For inflammation and skin irritation. 

Peppermint oil

For relief from gut pain and nausea. 

CBD oil

To relieve tension or pain and relax your body muscles. It can also help with stomach problems such as indigestion and bloating. 

Sesame oil

For all kinds of joint pain in your body in addition to strengthening bones. 

Mustard oil and ginger oil mixture

For bloating, upset stomach, nausea, and digestive problems.

Castor oil

For knee pains.

Thyme oil

Thyme oil is antispasmodic and can relax your arteries and veins, strengthen your heart muscles, and lower blood pressure. As an expectorant, it may help your body remove mucus from your lungs and airways. As a diuretic, it may help with weight loss, digestion, and blood pressure, and remove toxins from your body.
(Imp: since thyme oil is a powerful compound, it should not be used directly on your skin. Use only after diluting with any carrier oil.)

Ghee

Warm ghee in your belly button can improve blood flow to the nervous system, enhance the immune system, cure constipation, build a strong digestive system, and give relief from joint pain. 

Belly Button Oil Myth or Fact?

As the benefits of navel therapy have not been scientifically established, critics are skeptical about the effectiveness of this practice.

The umbilical cord contains three vessels– two arteries and one vein. Once the umbilical cord is severed, those vessels close up. The flow of blood and fluids through the cord gradually stops once you leave the womb. After your birth, all that’s left behind on your navel are skin tissues and ligaments and there is no real ‘gland’ left there to absorb anything.

Clinical herbalist David Harder says,

“The belly button is a sealed orifice. Right after birth when the umbilical cord is severed, then you have open tissue. When this belly button matures, it’s not a whole lot different, in my opinion, than applying (oils) to the forearm, the back of the knee, the elbow, or anything like that.

Though the practice has been criticized for lack of scientific evidence, it has nevertheless been rising in popularity.

What Happens When You Apply Oil To Belly Button?

Although you cannot absorb essential oils through your belly button, the scents of those oils can be effective. Essential oils are known to relieve ailments such as muscular pain, depression, respiratory problems, indigestion, insomnia, skin conditions, and more.

side effects of applying castor oil in belly button

In the process of aromatherapy, you are made to smell essential oils that stimulate olfactory receptors in the brain that in turn set off reactions in the body like increased oxygen and blood circulation, muscle relaxation, and boosted immune system, as mentioned by Therapy Directory. 

There are many benefits to essential oils and no possible harm in putting some oil on your belly button. You can try the oiling practice at home. The supporters of this Ayurvedic practice claim that there are several benefits to the use of different oils. 

The Verdict

The scientific community has been reluctant to accept many natural therapies due lack of sufficient scientific studies. However, there is no reason to believe that this is evidence of it being ineffective.

Pechoti method originated from Ayurveda, it’s natural and guaranteed to be harmless. Therefore, give it a shot and add on to your self-care treatments at home. Everything is worth a try, isn’t it?

  1. Wikipedia. (n.d). Aromatherapy. [Online] Available at:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy
  2. Springer. (n.d). Bridging Ayurveda with evidence-based scientific approaches in medicine. [Online] Available at:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230501/
  3. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. (2020). Endocannabinoids in the Gut. [Online] Available at:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4940133/
  4. Memiah Limited. (2020). Aromatherapy. [Online] Available at:

    https://www.therapy-directory.org.uk/articles/aromatherapy.html#whatisaromatherapy

Subscribe to Newsletter

Elevate your routine, stay on trend, and embrace a personalized beauty journey with our curated insights.


Manal

Manal is a lifestyle influencer who has spent years delving into the world of beauty, fashion, and wellness- a pro when it comes to anything woman.

Reviewer name


Reviewer bio

Write a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *