Panchakarma is the magical methodology in Ayurveda that solves many ailments – after the onset as well as even before the disease surfaces. It also promotes good health. It can be said that Panchakarma has promotive benefits, preventive benefits and curative power. It is a boon especially for those with chronic conditions, which cannot be managed with just medicines and diet.
Today’s world troubles the human mind and body. A busy schedule and plenty challenges to face daily (at work front and home front), cause high levels of stress, anxiety and a plentitude of worries. Panchakarma weaves magic in these cases. It sorts out all the health issues caused by stress, like indigestion, sleeplessness, tiredness, etc. It indirectly helps to declutter the mind by correcting the issues with the body.
Stress is an unavoidable part of life today. One has to learn to manage it or reduce its impact before it harms the physical and mental being completely.
Stress causes increased level of toxins in the human body which in turn is the cause for diseases. Toxins are poisonous and they need to be eliminated from the body. If this is done, the body can heal and restore itself efficiently.
Stress levels that build up continuously, can disturb the body’s organs and their functioning will be messed up. Stress can affect the Musculoskeletal System, Respiratory System, Cardiovascular System, Endocrinal glands, Gastrointestinal system, Nervous System, Reproductive System.
Panchakarma is the magic wand of Ayurveda – oldest methodology and highly effective. It detoxifies and assists in healing of the body.
Panchakarma works on the principle of Ayurveda called – “Shodhana Chikitsa”.
Shodhana Chikitsa focuses on maintaining an ideal level and a balance between the three Prakriti Doshas of the human body. The Prakriti paradigm consists of
An imbalance in the levels of these doshas is what causes various illnesses. Panchakarma corrects the imbalance in the doshas and restores harmony in the functioning of the human body.
Panchakarma means 5 therapeutic procedures. These procedures/ therapies are:
These five procedures are recommended to be administered for every healthy person to completely detoxify the body and retard the degeneration of the body tissues.
A detailed insight of the Panchakarma therapies
Vamana is induced vomiting. It might sound a little frightening, but this therapy works towards decongesting the respiratory tract. This therapy removes the excess of the doshas, especially kapha and pitta, from the upper part of the body through induced vomiting. This is the first therapy administered in the Panchakarma process.
With kapha and pitta doshas imbalance corrected through Vamana, those with the following ailments will benefit immensely.
Virechana is induced bowel movement. Although it sounds like an unpleasant and tiring therapy, the benefits greatly outweigh this. Virechana is the second therapy in Panchakarma. This therapy aims to stimulate the doshas from the intestines, liver and gall bladder, and force them to the gastro-intestinal tract for excretion.
This therapy will correct the imbalance in Pitta dosha, from the pitta pockets of the body, and the blood. Owing to this purifying of the blood, all the tissues and organs feel rejuvenated. The skin will start glowing and the immunity level will be boosted greatly.
The persons with the following ailments will be greatly benefitted from Virechana therapy.
This therapy involves administering medicated enema. It aims at cleansing the entire body of all accumulated toxins. It is not just an enema. It involves administering herbal decoctions and herbal oils into the colon. This is done through the rectum as a medium to carry the medicated oils and decoctions to the colon.
This therapy will correct the imbalance in the Vata dosha. The ailments that can get addressed through Vasti are
It involves nasal insufflation. It aims at cleansing the accumulated kapha around the neck and head region. There are medicated oils, medicated ghee, and fresh juices of herbs that are administered through the nasal passages, which will pass through the head, eyes, ears, and throat and flush out the impurities. This looks like an uncomfortable process that will be administered. But the benefits are great and will ease out the following ailments.
It is removal of impure blood from the body. Raktamokshana therapy aims at cleansing the body by removing the impure blood and restoring fresh pure blood in the body.
As mentioned earlier, Panchakarma aims at detoxifying the human body completely by eliminating the toxins by administering the five Ayurvedic therapies. The rejuvenation of the body is very spectacular.
Panchakarma is a lengthy process yes. It requires preparation before and some precaution after. Each of the therapies – karmas of Panchakarma have three phases:
All the three phases will include internal medicines and external procedures, like massage, steam bath.
In Ayurveda, all health supplements are made from natural ingredients. This could be in the form of kashayams (concoctions). These concoctions might be bitter, or sour, or sweet. All the same the palatability factor might not be high.
Making the medicines in the prescribed way is also a challenge. All this makes Ayurveda seem tedious. But, one cannot overlook the fact that Ayurveda always addresses the root cause and treats the ailment in the holistic way. The medicines are made from natural ingredients and have a high level of efficacy. There are no side effects as well.
Ayurveda uses a huge variety of medicinal herbs as part of the treatments. All these herbs used not only work towards the ailment in question, but also directly or indirectly addresses the other ailments in thebody. Panchakarma also works in totality, to drain the body, mind of all the toxins and disease causing imperfections of the organs. As mentioned above, none of these medications have any adverse effect on the body. Positive effects that they have on the body are innumerous.
As Ayurveda is synonymous with oil massage and dharas, it is a common misconception about Panchakarma as well. Panchakarma is not just this. Panchakarma has many benefits that are unique and can be achieved only through Panchakarma.
Panchakarma is not only for treating few diseases. It can correct a variety of ailments very effectively. Panchakarma improves the health and promotes self-healing quotient of the body. It fine tunes the efficient functioning of all the body’s organs.
The therapies are highly effective and all the effort taken will seem small, in proportion to the benefits that the person undertaking Panchakarma will reap.
