Benefit

Ghee in the navel (nabhi): the Ayurvedic ritual explained

Applying a few drops of ghee in the navel at night is a popular Ayurvedic self-care ritual. Here’s what tradition says it does, and how people practise it.

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The short answer

In Ayurveda, the navel (nabhi) is seen as a central point connected to the body. Putting a few drops of pure A2 ghee in the navel at bedtime is a traditional ritual believed to support soft skin, lips and overall nourishment. It’s a wellness practice rooted in tradition — not a clinically proven treatment.

The idea behind it

Why the navel? The Ayurvedic thinking

The practice rests on an old Ayurvedic idea: the navel (nabhi) is treated as a central, sensitive point of the body — a marma — once connected to the whole system before birth. In that traditional view, oiling the navel is a way to nourish the body and settle the mind. It’s worth being clear-eyed, though: this is a tradition and a self-care ritual, not a proven medical treatment, and modern science doesn’t support the idea that oil applied to the navel travels through the body. Enjoy it for what it reliably is — a gentle, grounding bedtime habit — rather than as a cure.

How people do it

The simple bedtime ritual

✓ Lie down comfortably at night.
✓ Put 2–3 drops of pure, lukewarm ghee into the navel.
✓ Gently massage around the navel for a minute.
✓ Leave it overnight. Practised a few times a week.

What tradition claims

Traditional, not medical

Practitioners associate it with softer skin and lips and a sense of nourishment. Evidence is largely traditional, so treat it as a gentle ritual. For any specific health concern, see a doctor. Use only verified pure ghee on the body.

Keep it realistic

A few drops, and a patch test

A little goes a long way: a few drops of pure ghee massaged gently into and around the navel at bedtime is all the tradition asks. What it can plausibly do is moisturise the skin there and make a calming end-of-day ritual; softer skin or lips are commonly reported, though those are traditional observations, not clinical claims. Do a small patch test first, keep the area clean, and stop if you notice any redness or irritation. For any real health concern — digestion, periods, skin conditions — see a doctor rather than relying on navel oiling. And use only genuinely pure ghee on skin.