Panchakarma is the ultimate mind-body healing massage for detoxifying the body, strengthening the immune system, and restoring balance and well-being.

Panchakarma is a Sanskrit word that means “five actions” or “five treatments”. Just deciphered, it’s an arrangement of five precise activities utilized for the cleaning of the body. Panchkarma is thought to be the most radical approach to wash down the body, consequently dispensing with all the sickness causing doshas and poisons. Panchakarma treatment differs from person to person. It is specific to individuals and varies according to your dosha imbalances, age, strength, immunity levels, etc. Make sure you get checked by a trained therapist and go through the treatment in the right manner.

Panchakarma is the process in which systematic cleansing of the body takes place without damaging the tissues. In other words, it can be defined as a bio-purification or “detox” of the body. The benefits of Panchakarma are long lasting with some do’s and don’ts which patients have to follow. The lasting effects of Panchakarma are minimum 1-2 years. It may last for more than 2 years if the patient follows the Pathya-pathaya (do’s and dont’s), after treatment.

According to ayurveda, good health depends upon our capability to fully metabolize all aspects of life, assimilating that which nourishes and eliminating the rest. When we can’t completely digest our food, experiences, and emotions, toxins accumulate in our bodily tissues, creating imbalance and – ultimately – disease. Panchakarma is an elegant cleansing process that releases stored toxins and restores the body’s innate healing ability.

Types of Panchakarma

Vamana (therapeutic emesis)

Vamana is a vomiting process; your body is treated to internal and external oleation and fomentation therapies for a few days till the toxins liquefy in your body and gather up to the upper layers.

Virechana (therapeutic purgation)

Virechana is excretion. Here, you eliminate toxins by cleansing your bowels. Here too, you are treated to oleation and fomentation therapies.

Then, you are administered with herbal laxative that enables you to cleanse your bowels of toxins freely. Virechana therapy works best for pitta domination such as jaundice and colitis.

Basti (therapeutic decoction & oil enema)

Basti is unique to Ayurveda. The process involves administering medicated substances such as herbal decoction, oils, milk or ghee into your rectum to cleanse it. Basti works ideally for complex and chronic diseases. It is perfect for vata dominated beings and works well on arthritis, piles, and constipation.

Nasya (therapeutic nasal administration)

Nasya clears your head region. Your body is prepared for Nasya by administering a light massage and fomentation on your head and shoulder areas.

After that, nasal drops are dispensed into your nostrils. Your entire head is cleared with the drops relieving headaches, migraine and hair problems. The nasal drops are medicated oil that cleanses the Kapha toxins in your head and neck region.

Raktamokshana (bloodletting)

Raktamoskshana is blood cleaning. It cures diseases caused by to impure blood. It can be done in a particular area of the body or on the entire body. It works best to treat skin diseases such as eczema and pigmentation. Raktamoskshana must be tried only when necessary due to the risk of infection during the cleansing.

There are many other allied treatments required as pre and pro-procedures to the Panchkarma treatments.

Before Panchakarma, a restricted/light diet is consumed. Often patients shift to green gram soup, which is advised to remove Ama, toxins, from the body and to ignite Agni, the digestive power. Drinking of hot water is advised usually for this purpose. Food which is heavy to digest, not cooked freshly, cold, causes constipation is prohibited.

Moreover, overeating, late nights, excess physical or mental work, strong exposure to sun, wind, and cold weather is also not advisable during Panchakarma. Panchakarma has been used to treat allergies, asthma, arthritis, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, high cholesterol, depression, diabetes, digestive disorders, heart disease, hypertension, immune problems, chronic inflammation, insomnia, nervous disorders, obesity, skin problems, and chronic ulcers.