Panchakarma: An Ayurvedic Cleansing Method
What is a Panchakarma?
The panchakarma is the crown jewel in Ayurveda’s treasure house. Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine, with roots in Hinduism, that emphasizes preventative and healing therapies along with various purification techniques. In Ayurveda, the five basic elements — ether, air, fire, water and earth — are manifested in the body as three different predominant constitutions, or doshas. Each person has one dosha that dominates, except in the extremely rare case that the three doshas — vata, pitta, and kapha — are in equal balance.
The best metaphor for a panchakarma detox is that it’s like getting an oil change — for your body. It’s kondo-ing your diet, pruning it down to only the most nourishing foods — kitcheree and ghee. It’s detox on “steroids,” combining a restrictive diet with specific massage treatments, rest, yoga, meditation, enemas, and herbs. Think total reboot plus system upgrade.
The idea behind a panchakarma, also called PK, is to bring the body back to its natural order and restore doshic balance. Typically, if one’s predominant dosha is given free reign and its preferences allowed to dominate (in Ayruveda this is known as doshic derangement), it disturbs the harmony of one’s whole being. Consciousness, digestion, and elimination all become impacted, and a mild protest starts to foment in the body, laying the groundwork for chronic disease and ill health.
Slowly, toxins accumulate while digestion weakens, creating a perfect storm for toxin retention — ence the tenacity and thoroughness of the PK protocol. You channel your inner Macbeth to wage war on your deranged doshas and declare “out, damned [toxins].”
Why would people undertake such a project? Because despite the rigors, you feel so good, during and after. Imagine no flatulence. Not a single belch. No indigestion, period. You start to experience your body with relish, as if it’s a well-oiled machine, which it is. You can practically hear your digestion purr.
But lest you be tempted to do some version of a panchakarma at home, most experts recommend doing your PK at a professional center, especially for the first time. Panchakarma is tuned individually with constitution and specific disorders in mind. It’s a process that requires close observation and supervision.
When is a good time to do a PK? Often designed to correspond with the change of seasons, according to Ayurveda expert John Douillard, “I always feel the best time to detox or do Panchakarma is when you have the time to really rest and retreat yourself.”
PK is a lot more drastic than a mild cleanse that involves a lot of fresh pressed juices and the occasional sauna. For a PK, you will be asked to drink ghee, submit your tummy to daily kneading (abhyanga), take special herbs to induce vomiting and elimination, and unplug from the world at large (renouncing phones, screens, and even books) to the best of your ability. And the mainstay of your diet will be kitcheree, a perfectly balanced blend of rice and pulses, lightly spiced and cooked to a fragrant mush, designed to be the easiest thing to digest.
In sum, it’s not for the faint of heart, nor the physically weak. And even for those robust enough to take it on, because of its extremity, it needs to be eased into with a pre-PK diet (mainly kitcheree, vegetables and ghee), that primes the body for the detox ahead.
Finally, although panchakarma is often thought of as the entire procedure, it really is only one part of a group of therapies belonging to a whole cohort of cleansing procedures. Pancha means five and refers to five favored purification techniques that take place during the cleanse. Here’s a brief version of what you will encounter on your PK journey:
Vamana
Also known as therapeutic vomiting, vamana is a way to get rid of excess mucous (kapha). According to Vasant Lad, a renown Ayurvedic author and doctor, “this also releases repressed emotions that have been held in the kapha areas of the lungs and stomach along with the accumulated dosha.”
The rewards: A lightness in the chest, unobstructed breathing, clear thinking, clear voice, good appetite.
Virechana
Administered towards the end of your PK, after the doshas have had a chance to soften, the toxins loosened by copious amounts of ingested ghee, and prodigious amounts of oil rubbed into every crevice of your body, the final push so to speak, is virechana (therapeutic laxatives) day. No breakfast is eaten that day and a bitter tasting laxative is mixed with juice in an attempt to mask its taste. The laxative, which induces bowel movements cleanses the body of excess pitta accumulation, purifying blood and clearing toxins. The laxative targets the toxins accumulated in the liver and gallbladder, thus completely cleansing the gastrointestinal tract.
The rewards: Virechana is like a weapon of mass destruction for any lingering accumulated toxins. It gets at the motherlode of bile—excess pitta—that makes its home in the small intestine. After virechana, the overall effect is one of lightness, clarity, and strength.
Basti
Therapeutic enemas, made from sesame oil and herbal blends, are administered during a PK, or self-administered afterwards, at home. The idea of basti is that it gets at the root of vata related diseases, such as constipation, distention, chronic fever, cold, sexual disorders, kidney stones, heart pain, backache, sciatica and other pains in the joints. Vata is thought to reside in the bone tissue, therefore the enema delivery system means that treatment goes into the deeper tissues, like the bones, and corrects vata disorders.
The rewards: Basti can be used for a variety of reasons, including bowel regularity, joint support, excess vata causing gas, nervous system support, and healthy sleep patterns. Basti promotes overall vitality, which begins with a healthy and supple colon that in turn sets the foundation for well-being, a graceful aging process, luster and a healthy glow.
Nasya
Not applicable for everyone, nasya is a nasal therapy (massaging the inner walls of the nose with ghee) that is indicated for prana disorders, sinus congestion, migraine headaches, convulsions and certain eye and ear problems.
The rewards:A clear respiratory tract, plus a major side benefit: It is believed in Ayurveda that the nose is the pathway to the brain. Nasya is thought to improve intelligence and memory.
Rakta Moksha
Therapeutic bloodletting is not allowed in U.S. PK clinics due to obvious liabilities. But in India such treatments do exist, with the purpose of curing many blood-borne disorders.
The rewards: It is good for patients suffering from chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo and eczema, non-healing ulcers, and varicose veins.
In general, think of PK as more than the sum of its karmas. It has an impressive synergistic effect, bestowing a born-again sense of embodied wellness. Your body will feel new, as tender as a baby’s, with a new urge to protect your health. It’s hard to not come out of a PK feeling transformed on a cellular level, as if each atom of your body had been loved.
Indeed oil, which is used for most PK massage treatments, also means “love” in Sanskrit. PK’s thoroughness, while at times draining, is equal parts invigorating: Imagine feeling like Dante, who ends his Purgatorio with this beautiful stanza: “I came back, from the most sacred waves, remade, as fresh plants are, refreshed, with fresh leaves: pure, and ready to climb to the stars.”
About the Author
Yoga For Your Doshas: Vata
Being in the middle of the cold Vata season of the year, it is no coincidence that low energy is a common thread among many. If you suffer from low energy and lack of motivation you may know just what I’m referring to.
What does it mean?
For those of us who are aware of our inner and outer surroundings, it’s important to realize that we don’t all function the same way. We are all very different; not just in the way we look and feel, but on an entirely molecular and functional level as well. The ancient sister science to yoga, Ayurveda, has realized the need to not apply one cure to all, but to differentiate between different body mind types, the Doshas.
Each Dosha has unique qualities and challenges. To get the best results in any kind of lifestyle choice–be that food, exercise, even yoga and meditation–it is helpful to know which predominant Dosha you are and how to make adjustments that are sustainable based on this knowledge.
The Ayurvedic Doshas are assigned to elements found in nature; Vata is associated with air and space, Pitta with fire and water, and Kapha with water and earth. These elements lend each Dosha their characteristics.
Pitta tends to be a strong-willed and hot-headed type; Kapha is sturdy, grounded and easy going; and Vata is changeable and variable in many ways, be that emotions, career, health regimes and energy levels.
In part one of this series, I want to introduce to you the Vata Dosha.
In general, Vata is happiest when warm, be that living in a warmer climate or bundling up with layers of sweaters and blankets when the colder seasons hit. Ayurvedic warm oil massages, such as Abhayangha, are very beneficial for keeping muscles and joints well lubricated and nourished and for preventing the skin from drying out and cracking. Steam therapy or saunas are also beneficial.
Vata is most aggravated in the fall and early winter. This is a good time to stay inside, reflect and nurture yourself with plenty of rest, nourishing and warm foods, gentle yoga and light activity.
Vata and Food
The characteristics of Vata are dry, cold, rough, subtle, light and mobile. The flavors that enhance Vata and increase these qualities are bitter, pungent and astringent. So naturally, to balance Vata we want to avoid foods with these qualities. Vata will benefit from foods that naturally have sweet, salty, and sour flavors, and are heavy in quality. Sweet potatoes, seawater fish, sweet and sour fruit, and root vegetables are great choices for the Vata person. It is also important for Vata to get plenty of good quality oils and fats in their diet to counter the inherent dryness of Vata. Lightly cooked and steamed foods with plenty of spices are easy to digest and will help warm up this cold type.
Vata and Exercise
Vata tends to have bursts of energy throughout the day. We often see Vata types involved in high intensity activity such as running, cycling or triathlons. Vata people love extreme sports and they can be adrenaline junkies. Yet to balance Vata, all these kinds of activities, though fun, are not the most beneficial. Movements that require focus, increase core heat, challenge balance and are multi-functional make best use of Vata’s energy. The plank hold is a classic example of an exercise perfect for the Vata type. It requires focus, increases core temperature, uses Vata’s variable energy wisely without overexerting the adrenal system, and the plank can be made more challenging if performed one legged, one armed, or with arms or feet resting on a Bosu Ball.
The Vata Mind: Meditation
Vata has a very busy mind. When you think of the monkey mind, think Vata. This person’s thoughts will be all over the place and may jump back and forth between last night’s dreams, shopping lists, and conversations had or to be had. If you find yourself to be a Vata type, you might consider a form of meditation that will keep your mind busy, focused on one object. Counting your breath or Japa Anusthana (Mantra meditation using a Mala or Rosary) will work best for you as it gives your mind a steady focal point.
The Vata Yogi
Similar to other exercise, the Vata person will do well with a style of yoga that allows for longer holds that don’t tax the adrenal system. Try some challenging poses, balances and styles that engage the mind. If you are a Vata person, you may enjoy a traditional Hatha Yoga practice or a practice that will involve your mind and spirit, such as Jivamukti Yoga. You will also greatly benefit from Restorative Yoga that gives your nervous system a break.
Poses that are particularly beneficial for Vata are asanas that stimulate energy flow while taking a load off the lower back, floor poses and spinal flexion, such as Urdhva Danurasana (floor bow pose), Bhujangasana (cobra pose) and Urdhva Mukha Savasana (upward facing dog pose).
You can see that knowing which Dosha type you are can help you live a more balanced, healthier and fulfilled life.
Stay tuned for part two and three of this series to learn about Pitta and Kapha Dosha.
