Panchakarma, the Saknskrit term that denotes the most effective cleansing treatment in Ayurveda, literally translates to ‘five actions’. Panchakarma treatments in Kerala consist of five highly specific Ayurvedic therapies that cleanse your body, mind, and soul and eliminate the accumulated toxins from your body. Panchakarma also restores the delicate doshic balance of your body and is regarded as a complete rejuvenation therapy.
Ayurveda is a holistic medicinal practice that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and continues to thrive to this day. Increasingly busy schedules and extremely polluted circumstances, combined with unhealthy lifestyle choices, take a big toll on our overall health on a daily basis. Panchakarma is a reliable way of bringing some equilibrium to this hectic mess. But what is panchakarma, and how is it administered? In this article, we are going to answer these questions and dive deep into the panchakarma procedures and requirements.
Panchakarma
Panchakarma therapy is a rejuvenation therapy based on Ayurveda’s core principles; it aims to get rid of all the accumulated toxins from your body and bring balance to your mind, soul, and body. Panchakarma strengthens your immune system, reverses the detrimental effects on your body and mind caused by stress, and slows ageing. However, an experienced Ayurvedic physician should examine you to determine if you are truly ready for this intense cleansing treatment. For example, someone who is just recovering from surgery or an intense illness or someone who is very old might not be strong enough to go through panchakarma.
As we already know, panchakarma literally translates to five actions, and as the name suggests, it includes five cleansing treatments. Vamanam, virechanam, vasti, nasyam, and raktamoksham are the five main cleansing therapies administered during the panchakarma treatment. But before the main treatment starts, there are two main preliminary therapies to prepare the patient for the main treatment: oleation and fomentation.
Purvakarma
Purvakarma is the preliminary pre-purification therapy done before you undergo the five main therapies included in the panchakarma procedure. During this process, there is a certain diet you need to follow to achieve the best results.
Oleation: This term refers to the use of oil on the body. A variety of oils derived from natural sources are used in this therapy for external applications, and ghee has numerous applications, including internal applications. This process efficiently transports therapeutic material into each corner of the body and loosens the toxins stored in cells and tissues.
Fomentation: Fomentation is a therapy that generates sweat, and it is usually done right after oleation. The fomentation therapy further loosens the toxins already loosened in the oleation therapy, liquifies them, and improves their movement to the gastrointestinal tract.
Vamanam
The duration of pre-purification therapies can vary from person to person according to their unique constitution. After finishing those treatments, the patient is given herbal Ayurvedic medicines that induce vomiting. This guided therapeutic emesis, which eliminates the accumulated toxins that have loosened up during the pre-purification therapies, is called vamanam. This treatment is particularly good for patients suffering from lung-related conditions such as asthma. It alleviates kapha-dominated conditions and helps with weight gain.
Virechanam
During the virechanam treatment, purgatives are administered to remove toxins from the patient's body via purgation. Oleation and fomentation, the two pre-purification therapies, are also incorporated during this stage of cleansing treatment. From this point onwards, throughout the procedure, the patient will be given natural purgatives to encourage regular cleansing of the intestines. Virechanam primarily deals with pitta-dominated conditions such as jaundice, acne, skin inflammation, chronic fevers, etc.
Vasti
Vasti, or basti, refers to the treatment given through enema, and the medications include oils, ghee, and homegrown decoctions. This treatment has great results against vata-dominated conditions and is known to be really effective for chronic diseases. Our intestine is connected to the rest of our body and provides the nutrition needed for every tissue and organ. An efficient intestine can heal you from the inside and rejuvenate the whole body. The vasti treatment cleanses the colon, improves your bowel movements, and improves the overall health and efficiency of your intestines.
Nasyam
Nasyam is a nasal therapy that is especially effective in cleansing the head area, throat, nose, and sinus. The nasyam treatment begins with a gentle massage and fomentation of the shoulders and head, followed by nasal drops in both nostrils. This treatment is efficient against headaches, sleeping disorders, and hair-related issues, and it also improves memory, concentration, and vision.
Raktamoksham
Raktamoksham is a therapeutic method of blood cleansing to remove any accumulated toxins from the blood that cause illnesses. It can be particularly effective in treating skin conditions and issues with the liver and spleen. Raktamoksham can be done on a specific region of the body or on the entire body, and it gives excellent results while treating pitta-related disorders.
Panchakarma at Rasayana
The foundation of our health and well-being is a well-maintained balance in everything, and panchakarma is a therapy that can restore this equilibrium in your life. We have just gone through the usual procedures followed in Panchakarma treatments in Kerala, but these treatments and procedures can vary slightly based on your specific illness and unique circumstances. Our experienced faculty and high-end amenities make Rasayana Ayurveda Centre the best Panchakarma treatment center in Kerala. Panchakarma treatment can be quite demanding, both physically and mentally, but Rasayana’s atmosphere, amenities, and faculty make it a profound experience for our patients. Connect with us to learn more about our treatment packages and consultation procedures.