PANCHKARMA

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! But where can we find that ounce of potion for immortality?

Our goal in life is to be healthy, enjoy life and stay away from pain and suffering. However, in reality many of us are far away from that goal. A vast majority of people suffer from heart problems, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, skin problems such as Psoriasis and Eczema or some other chronic disorder. Our environment has much to do with these problems.

Effect of Toxins– Regardless of our lifestyle, profession, eating habits or geographic location, toxins accumulate in our body everyday because they are present everywhere in our environment.  Chemicals in our food and water worsen the problem. They build up over time, like a snowball rolling down a hill. While you cannot make a snowball from a single snowflake, accumulation of snowflakes becomes a snowball and it gets bigger and bigger with each additional snow flake. Same things happens with toxins in our body.

Many of these toxins or chemicals mimic hormones in our body and interfere with our endocrine system. Once absorbed by the body, they attack cells, distort the cell’s proper functioning, and refuse to get out of our system. Recently new methods have been developed to remove these toxins but they in-turn introduce other fat-soluble compounds into the system. Many times, these compounds themselves become toxic or cause serious adverse effects.

Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old practice of health has a rejuvenation procedure – Panchakarma that subtly removes the toxins from the mind and body. These procedures are designed to function synergistically to maximize the removal of toxins while maintaining the harmony of natural body functions. The purifying and eliminating actions of Panchakarma first dislodge the toxins from the cells and then flush them out through the organs of elimination—the sweat glands, colon and urinary tract.

Panchakarma procedures are being used successfully around the world and even show promising results in clinical trials. Many studies show increase in energy, appetite, and mental tranquility and decrease in diastolic blood pressure, blood cholesterol as well as chronic pain and stress.

WHAT IS Panchkarma?– The Detoxification Process in AYURVEDA

The word Panchkarma comes from classical Ayurvedic texts and means literally “five actions”. Subtly harmonising purification procedures dissolve metabolic waste products and environmental toxins from the body’s tissues in a gentle and effective way and eliminate them from the physiology. These extremely pleasant relaxing treatments enliven the bodies own self-healing powers bringing about a profound and lasting rejuvenation.

Panchkarma can be taken for as few as seven consecutive days to a more common fourteen days treatment and as many as thirty days and more.

“Healthy tissues bestow happiness and vitality.
Polluted tissues bring misery and disease.”

                                                                                  – The Kashyapa Samhita Classical Ayurveda Text

Ayurveda basically emphasizes two types of therapy i.e.
(i) Eliminatory and (ii) Pacificatory. Panchakarma comes under the Eliminatory therapy.

The five fold purification therapy that seeks to correct the imbalance of the body’s doshas or bio-energies (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) in order to maintain their inherent equilibrium. The Panchakarma therapy of Ayurveda comprises of five types of advanced treatment for elimination of vitiated Dosha (toxic materials) from the body.

Charak’s Classification:

·         Vamana Karma (Emesis Therapy)

·         Virechana Karma (Purification Therapy)

·         Anuvasana Vasthi (Unctous enema Therapy)

·         Nirooha Vasthi (Decoction Enema Therapy)

·         Nasya Karma (Errhine Therapy)

Ayurveda is followed in a well-defined therapeutic structure, as preventive and curative methods, in order to deal with various ailments.

• Shodanam or cleansing,
• Samanam or palliation,
• Rasayanam or rejuvenation and
• Satvajaya or mental hygiene.

Shodanam (elimination)aims to remove excess Dosha (toxins) from the body. Shodanam includes Purvakarma (initial treatment) and Pradhanakarma known as Panchakarma (the main treatment comprising of five distinctive methods) and Paschathkarma (post treatment).

Samanam (alleviation) is a group of milder methods to remove toxins from the body of those who are not strong enough to undergo shodanam.

Rasayanam the rejuvenation therapy is aimed to restore the tissues through herbs and minerals. Rasayanam helps restore the vitality and leads to longevity and slowing or stopping of aging process. It compensates for wear and tear due to age and diseases. Rasayana chikitsa follows detoxification of the body through Panchakarma procedures. It presents youthfulness, energy, enhances memory and brilliance, nourishes the senses and ensures longevity.

Satvajaya (Mental Hygiene/Mental Healing) There are different categories to Satvajaya, that includes mantra (sounds), Yantra (physical devices), Tantra (directing energies of the body), meditation, gems and crystals etc. to bring equilibrium in the body and mind.

Panchakarma– Methods and benefits

Vamanam– Emesis (Therapeutic Vomiting). When the congestion in lungs leads to bronchitis or asthma, therapeutic vomiting or Vamanam is administered to eliminate the Kapha causing excess mucus. Once the mucus is released, the congestion, wheezing and breathlessness comes down and the patient becomes comfortable. Vamanam is also suggested in the treatment of chronic asthma, cold, diabetes, congestion, indigestion and oedema.

Virechanam (Therapeutic Purgation) When excess Pitta (bile) is secreted and accumulated in the gal bladder, liver and small intestine, it results in rashes, skin inflammation, acne, and chronic fever, biliary vomiting, nausea and jaundice. Ayurveda suggests administration of therapeutic purgation or therapeutic laxative in such cases.

Nasyam (Nasal administration of medicine) Nose is the doorway to brain and it is also the doorway to consciousness. The excess of bodily humours accumulated in the sinus, throat, and nose or head area is eliminated by application of medicines through nose. Nasyam is indicated for prana disorders, sinus congestion, migraine, headache, convulsions and certain eye and ear problems. Nasyam helps to improve breathing also.

Vasti (Therapeutic Enema) Vasthy involves introduction of herbal oil or herbal concoctions into the rectum. It is the most effective treatment for Vatha disorders. Any medication given rectally goes into the deeper tissues of the body. Vasthy relieves constipation, distensions, and chronic fever, cold, sexual disorders, kidney stone, heart pain, backache, sciatica and pain in the joints. Many other Vata disorders such as arthritis, rheumatism, gout, muscle spasm etc. also are effectively treated thru Vasthy.

Raktamoksham-Blood letting (Detoxification of blood) is the method of extracting a small amount of blood from the vein to relieve the tension created by Pittagenic toxins in the blood. Toxins present in the gastro –intestinal tracts are absorbed into the blood and circulated through the body. Bloodletting also stimulates the spleen to produce antitoxic substances and helps to stimulate the immune system.

	BEHAVIORAL PROGRAM DURING PANCHKARMA
	Enjoy a minimum of mental and physical activity during the treatment period.Ayurveda bedtime is between 9 and 10 p.m. wakes up at 6 am, go for walk and complete your TM program before treatment begins.Take meals in a settled atmosphere.Avoid exciting entertainment, TV, etc. especially before retiring at night.Take a light regular diet during Panchkarma.Do not take dry foods. Avoid spicy foods.Only hot water to be used for drinking, gargling, bathing, cleaning etc.Observe celibacy, in thought and action, for the duration of the treatment.Avoid sleeping during the day. (Except if you fall asleep during a rest period after treatment).Go to bed early and don’t keep awake at night.Do not suppress natural urges like urination, etc.Avoid physical exercises, loud and excessive speech, etc.Avoid riding jerky vehicles, horse riding, etc.Avoid exposure to cold, sun, wind, or rain. Avoid too much air-conditioning especially at night & do not heat your room too much in winter.Avoid becoming angry, anxious, worry, irritable.Avoid excessive walking or sitting. Do not sit or lie down for more than one hour at a stretch.Do not consume cold items.When climbing or descending steps, walk slowly one step at a time.Eat only wholesome fresh foods. Eat when you are hungry.You should be empty stomach before all Panchkarma procedures except Matra Basti.Follow any other guidelines given to you by the physician.

How Panchakarma ACTS

If in our body, due to faulty diet and lifestyle habits, dosha (vitiated biological humours) and mala (toxic excretable metabolites) get accumulated in the srota (Physiological channels) and block them, the condition threatens to cause disease. Hence the different srotas must be clear so as to produce and carry the biological entities. Panchakarma therapy eliminates these vitiated dosa and mala from the srotas and cures the disease. There is hardly any chance of recurrence of the disease treated by Panchakarma therapy as the therapy strikes at the root cause and eliminates it. This is an important advantage of Panchakarma therapy.

Do“Healthy Persons need Panchakarma therapy”?

This is the commonest question; people curious about Ayurveda have in their mind. The answer is –’Yes’; healthy persons do need Panchakarma therapy at regular intervals in order to eliminate harmful toxins from the body, which accumulate in the body due to faulty diet and lifestyle habits. Panchakarma therapy is not only used to treat diseases but also plays an important role in rejuvenating the body and mind. It improves metabolism and hence strengthens both body and mind. All of us have experienced the immediate comfort and relaxation after a gentle oil massage. If only a small and preparatory part of the Panchakarma therapy can provide such wonderful results, the beneficial effects of the total therapy is simply unquestionable.

There are five therapies for elimination of excessive doshas; these treatments purify all 3 doshas and subtle channels in the body. Each person receives a unique combination of these 5 processes – according to your specific health needs. Before Panchkarma begins, the precise health condition of each person is diagnosed by checking the pulse. Your Panchkarma is tailor-made using potent specific herbs and herbal oils to cleanse your body. All of these treatments are deeply transforming – so much so that you emerge from Panchkarma a new person! You experience complete and guaranteed rejuvenation from the inside out. Your body, mind and emotions are renewed! Systematically, toxins from each and every cell are dislodged and flushed from the body. The result is sensational! You are closely supervised and guided during your five-week program by our qualified team of vaidyas and dedicated treatment staff. Coming for Panchkarma is a health retreat of the highest order! It is a once in a lifetime experience.

It’s recommended that you do come for the full authentic 5-week Panchkarma treatment, if possible. However if your schedule does not permit such a long stay, you can come to AROGYAM HEALTH RESORT for Panchkarma of a shorter duration.

PLEASE NOTE: Panchkarma is a curative plan for all diseases that are not amenable to palliative management.

 Read more why one should go for PANCHKARMA TREATMENT : http://www.ayurvedahimachal.com/index.php?page=completearticle&&id=84

So, For What You Are Waiting For ?

Schedule an Ayurvedic Consultation and let us create a custom PanchaKarma (rejuvenation) program to address your specific health needs and restore vitality.

Book your dates At AROGYAM HEALTH RESORT: http://www.ayurvedahimachal.com/index.php?page=home

The following therapies are not included in the five main purification therapies of Panchakarma, but are given as accessory therapies. These therapies also help to create balance in Body and Mind and also help in external purification of Body tissues. However these therapies are most popular and are widely believed and known as the real Panchakarma therapies!Accessory Panchakarma Therapies

Treatments	Benefits
Body massage + Steam	Relaxation and body pain, increase circulation and glowing skin
Shirodhara	Relaxation, High Blood pressure, Anxiety, Depression and insomania
Heart Dhara	Cardiac Problems, Stress, Anxiety and depression
Shirobasti	Paralysis, Hypertension, Headaches and hair problem
Virechan	Acidity, anxiety, inflamed skin disorders, jaundice, chronic & relapsing fever, body cleaning and rejuvenation.
Nasaya	Sinus , Cold for better eye sight, vata related disorders like paralysis, hair loss, more focused mind, enhanced memory and more alertness.
Kidney Dhara	Swelling of kidneys, Shrinking of Kidneys and for better kidney functioning.
Netra Basti	Retina Problems, Burning pain, vision and number problems and cataract .
Pindswed	Increase circulation by stimulating aim, reduces swelling and water retention, relives joint and muscular pain
Nadiswed	Legs pain, sciatica and stiffness
Vaman	Bronchitis, Asthma, Acidity, Skin Disorders, Obesity, Chronic rhinitis removes stomach toxins.
Basti	Chronic Constipation, Low Back pain. Asthma, Vata related disorder, paralysis, muscular pain, joint pain, arthritis and rejuvenating the tissues
Kati Basti	Muscular and bone atrophies, Spondylsis ands sclerosis.
Spinal Dhara	Imbalances, Back pain, slip disc and degenerative changes in the spine.