A Simple Description of Panchakarma Purification & Rejuvenation

An Introduction to Panchakarma

How can Ayurveda help you?

It improves and encourages a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle, relieves stress and anxiety

Improves perception, intuition and more of an understanding of your own healing energy and its connections to the natural world and self-healing methods.

Ayurveda helps you to maintain a state of balance for your body to function at its optimum during both daytime and seasonal changes.

Ayurveda provides a deeper meaning to the secrets of mind, soul, and body.

Ayurveda teaches you to know your own unique body type and how the elements and season can affect your health.

Ayurveda provides a complete system of effective management for total body awareness, healing, and wellbeing.

Two Health Approaches

There are two approaches to health and wellbeing according to Ayurveda and below is an introduction and short explanation of these treatments. All of these are offered by strict appointment at our clinic in Cheshire. UK.  All our herbs and spices are mixed and prepared on the day of your treatment and made with organic ingredients where possible

The two ways that Ayurveda treats ‘dis-ease’ and cares for the body are: Purification Therapies followed by Rejuvenation Therapies

Purification Therapy

Panchakarma is a powerful and fundamental treatment for deep-rooted diseases and attention must be paid to before and aftercare. Panchakarma treatment according to Ayurveda is said to eradicate or eliminate the disease in the affected Dosha’s and acts as the body’s MOT requiring a once a year ‘service’ that keeps the body in optimum health. Purification and cleansing the body internally is more than a Detox of the body as this treatment removes ‘ama’ which is a deep putrid toxin that remains in the cells of the body.

Purification is the process of neutralising and eliminating toxins and disease in the body. A certain amount of toxic build up in a person’s body is virtually unavoidable in a world full of pollutants, in the air, or in the food that we eat. But when dis-ease takes a hold we use Panchakarma treatments that go directly to the core of the body and remove the cause of the disease. By purifying the body, a person can enjoy a state of revitalisation, reduced blood pressure and blood fats and many common and difficult ailments can be relieved.

Rejuvenation Therapies

Gentle yet profound and carried out by the administration of herbs and spices used for healing, alleviating and rejuvenating the body. Rejuvenation therapies are carried out on a regular basis to help maintain a balanced Dosha during a busy lifestyle. These therapies are nurturing, caring and given with love and attention. Blissfully relaxing, rejuvenating and healing. There involves a series of internal and external cleansing and detoxifying practices that encourage the body to be clearer, fresher and vitalised and providing a deep and stimulating effect.

These rejuvenating therapies involve Ayurvedic massages for different parts of the body, oiling and steam therapies and the use of herbs and spices, oils and potions that are mixed on the day of your treatment and administered to provide the optimum results. In some treatments fruits and vegetables combined with oils, spices and herbs are used to offer active and potent natural enzymes to the treatments.

Svedana - Overview

Svedana is designed to induce heat and sweating through the skin by way of the hair follicles and through the fat tissues of the body, also paying attention to the lymph.

According to Ayurveda Svedhana/Pinda Sveda is used to help awaken the cellular healing memory of the body.

 As result, the body’s temperature increases and ‘Agni’ (fire) is stimulated and encourages ‘Ama’ (toxins to be released from the body. Many benefits arise from this therapy, appetite, taste internal organs are vitalised. Svedana helps to liquefy the aggravated dosha that causes disease in the body. Svedana helps to relieve stiffness, heaviness, and cold in the body and helps to increase circulation. Excellent for rheumatism, arthritis and Kapha lethargy. Svedana is also a relaxing and balancing therapy for mainly Vata and Kapha types.

Ama

According to Ayurveda, our bodies are generally naturally healthy. However, we are ingesting toxins on a regular basis whether it’s our food, air, water and our day to day activities (both mental and emotional). The toxicity in our bodies is further exacerbated by negative relationships, stressful jobs, unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of spiritual orientation. All of these factors increase the formation of ama.

Ama is classified as toxins, blemishes, by-products of undigested matter in our bodies that lodges in our tissues (Dhatus) that eventually become the cause and the breeding ground for many diseases.

Panchakarma is a unique, natural, holistic, health-giving series of therapeutic treatments that cleanse toxins from the body’s deep tissues, open the subtle channels, brings life-enhancing energy, and thereby increases vitality, inner peace, confidence and overall well-being.

Panchakarma uses a broad set of five cleansing therapies that are combined as a detoxification program. The program is a personalized detoxification and rejuvenation process to eliminate accumulated ama or toxins. Each program is designed according to an individual's dosha and imbalanced state of mind and body.

What you gain from Ayurveda treatments -

• ELIMINATE toxins and toxic conditions from your body and mind
• RESTORE your constitutional balance improving health and wellness
• STRENGTHEN your immune system
• REVERSE the negative effects of stress on your body and mind
• PROMOTES longevity, self-reliance, strength, energy, vitality, mental clarity
• INDUCES deep relaxation and sense of well-being

Panchakarma Treatment includes:

• mild herbal purgation
• enemas
• nasal therapy
• eye treatments
• back/neck therapy
• healing movement
• pre and post care
• personalised herbs and diet
• lifestyle counseling
• therapeutic massages
• therapeutic sweating
• meditation
• understanding energy
• synesthesia/the union of the senses

Herbs 

Ayurveda uses nature’s herbs and plants to help eliminate the excess waste and ama in the body. It considers the broader energetic effects of the herbs on overall metabolic processes. According to Ayurveda, properties of herbs are measured by their taste, elemental makeup (space, air, water, fire, earth), the heating or cooling effects, their post-digestive effects, as well as their potency and unique properties.

This is a simple overview and I will be adding more on Ayurveda treatments.