What is Panchkarma?

Panchakarma is a holistic Ayurvedic treatment that cleanses the body of toxins and restores balance.
The word Panchkarma has been derived from a Sanskrit word that means five actions or five treatments.Each treatment is divided into Purva karma, Pradhan karma & Paschayt karma.
Purvakarma is the first stage of Panchakarma, an Ayurvedic treatment that involves a series of therapies to remove toxins and revitalize the body.Purvakarma is a preparatory phase that involves a series of actions to loosen toxins and excess doshas in the body. The word Purvakarma comes from the words Purva (foremost) and Karma (action).

How it works

Purvakarma uses a variety of techniques to activate doshas and metabolic waste products in the body. These techniques include:
Pachana: Digestion, which can be improved with ayurvedic formulations
Snehana: Oelation, which can be done internally and externally. Internal snehana involves drinking ayurvedic medicated ghee or oils, while external snehana involves abhyanga /oil massages.
Swedana: Sweat therapy,sudation which involves exposure to heat to induce sweating. Sauna of ayuredic herbs and decoction are given.This can be local to a particular part or for the whole body according to the disease or advise of Ayurvedacharya

Purpose

Purvakarma prepares the body for detoxification and revitalization by loosening toxins and excess doshas. It also helps to increase digestive fire and accumulate toxins in the alimentary canal.

Duration

Purvakarma lasts for three to seven days.

Pradhanakarma

In the actual treatment, Pradhanakarma, a specialized treatment is administered to expel impurities, and revitalize the system.
Pradhana Karma includes vamana, virechana, basti /vasti, nasya, rakta mokshan.

 

 

 

Vaman

Vaman (emesis therapy) is the best treatment for any kaphaj vyadhi (disease of Kapha dosha).Vaman is a ayurvedic treatment where ayurvedic medicines are induced for controlled vomiting. Vamana is mainly used in cases of increased kapha dosha. It is also used when the increased Kapha dosha is mixed with vitiated Pitta dosha. It is mainly used for the elimination of doshas lodged in the upper part of the body.

Virechana

Virechana (purgation therapy) is the first line of treatment for Pitta dosha. Virechana is the administration of purgative substances for the cleansing of pitta through the lower pathways. Patient is made to undergo controlled therapeutic purgation for a specified amount of time.

Basti

Basti (enema therapy) is the prime treatment modality to treat morbid vata dosha. Basti is one of the Shodhana therapy or Panchakarma. It is mainly indicated in Vataja disorders. Basti is defined as the administration of medicine through the anal canal that reaches the entire body and brings the toxins to expel from the body. The other way to define Basti, is the usage of Basti instrument to administer the medicine.

It is quoted that Basti is ‘Chikitsaardha’– that means Basti treatment is half of the treatment. Varsha rutu is the ideal season for Basti therapy as Vata dosha is aggravated. The treatment of Basti is compared with watering of roots of the plants. The way when the roots of the plants are watered and the rest parts of the plant get nourished, in a similar way, Basti administered through the anal canal nourishes the entire body.

Nasya

Nasya (Nasal medication): Medication administration through the nose is called nasya. Nasya treatments are indicated for diseases of the head and neck. Shira (head) is said to be Uttamanga (superior) organ of the body. The nose is the gateway of the head and neck. Nasya is the procedure in which the medicine is administered through the nostrils. This is one of the Panchakarma (five purificatory procedures) explained in Ayurveda. It treats the Urdhwajatrugata roga (disease of the head and neck). Nasya karma cleanses the channels of the head and neck thereby enhancing the functioning of sense organs and preventing and curing diseases related to the head and neck.

Raktamokshana

Raktamokshana (Bloodletting): Raktamokshana or bloodletting is considered one of the panchakarma treatments. It is mainly indicated in the vitiation of blood. It is also done in pittaja diseases. It is said that if the disease is not cured by panchakarma treatment or pacificatory therapy then raktamokshana has to be done.

 

Paschat karma (Post procedures) :

Post procedures will help the person to restore his digestive power (Agni) to normalcy by proper diet. These are the regulated way of administration of food after Vamana and Virechana. The special food preparation from very light to get digested till normal food routine is administered to protect and increase the digestive fire(Agni).This process is also called Samsarjan karma. Rasayana(rejuvenation) treatments are administered after panchakarma treatments to get the maximum benefits