CHAPTER
22

Panchakarma

In This Chapter

Panchakarma is one of the most well-known parts about Ayurveda. It is a five-step, total mind-body rejuvenation experience complete with herbalized oil massages, steam therapies, enemas, a cleansing kitchari diet, and other toxin-purifying practices.

Panchakarma helps eliminate toxins from your body, rebalance your Doshas, heal countless ailments, and give you a renewed sense of clarity and inner peace. It is an immersive experience that requires the participant to stay in a Panchakarma facility for between 3 and 21 days for the full treatment. The average Panchakarma is 5 days. However, it isn’t like a normal spa holiday with poolside massages and green juices. It is a mind-body experience that will remove toxins from every part of your body.

The Panchakarma Experience

I remember my first Panchakarma experience in India. I was lying on a wooden massage table as two women rubbed a thick layer of pungent herbalized sesame oil into every square inch of my body—a scent I’ll never forget.

As I lay there in a state of bliss, I suddenly jumped up with a nose full of oil. I didn’t realize at the time, but the ladies had squirted oil up my nose as part of nasya, or nasal irrigation.

The day continued with ghee—lots of ghee. This clarified butter made its way into almost every facet of the experience, from the cupfuls I drank on an empty stomach every morning to my undereyes to enemas.

Not only were the treatments extremely detoxifying, but also no mental stimulation was permitted so we could really be present in the experience. Technology was not allowed, and the center where I was, overlooking the Indian Ocean, did not even have electricity in the bamboo huts we stayed in. We were in bed by sunset and up to the sounds of the chickens at sunrise, ready for our oil-filled treatments.

They say Panchakarma is not for the faint of heart, and I have to agree. It pushes your mind, body, and spirit to a level you may have never experienced before, purging out the old and stale from your colon, stomach, and mind. However, you walk away from it a renewed person, open to the possibilities of life.

About Panchakarma

Panchakarma means “five therapies” in Sanskrit. These five therapies are the most detoxifying treatments in Ayurvedic medicine, cleansing all channels of your body and removing toxins that may later cause illness. It basically takes an imbalanced body, lathers it up with oil, and brings it back into balance.

The five traditional therapies of Panchakarma are basti (herbalized oil enemas), nasya (nasal irrigation), vamana (therapeutic vomiting), virechana (purging), and raktamokshana (bloodletting). However, most of these treatments are no longer practiced today and have been replaced with milder, more relaxing treatments such as oil massages and gentle therapies.

Panchakarma is internationally known for its ability to cure almost any ailment, from eczema to diabetes to heart disease. It’s one of the most purifying things you can do for yourself and causes you to become so much more aware of the toxins you are holding onto, physically as well as emotionally.

Panchakarma is recommended not only to treat ailments but also to prevent diseases caused by seasonal changes. As the seasons shift, toxins accumulate in your system. This is why Panchakarma is recommended every seasonal shift to keep your Doshas in balance.

Panchakarma is serious work, even though you aren’t physically doing anything. In fact, for many, that’s what makes it so difficult. Your body is releasing years of stored toxins, and even though you’re sitting still the entire day, you end up exhausted by the time your daily treatments are over.

Wisdom of the Ages

The purpose of Panchakarma is sodhana, purification. According to the Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda’s oldest text, if a disease is treated with sodhana, it does not reoccur. Panchakarma is the ultimate way to heal and rebalance the body.

The Benefits of Panchakarma

Panchakarma’s many benefits include the following:

  • Cleared toxins from your entire system
  • Balanced Doshas
  • Healed digestive system
  • Enhanced immunity
  • Decreased stress
  • Antiaging
  • Improved skin luster
  • Weight loss (if overweight)
  • Deep relaxation
  • Meditative outlook in life
  • Enhanced mindfulness

Pre-Panchakarma

Before Panchakarma, it’s recommended that you cleanse your body in a process called oleation. You’re encouraged to only eat kitchari, lentils and rice in healing spices, or at least simple, vegetarian cooked meals for at least a week before your Panchakarma experience. You also should take ghee or castor oil to help cleanse your bowels and loosen toxins before beginning the program. You also should refrain from eating meat, excess travel, anger, stress, and other unbalancing foods and experiences.

A Typical Day of Panchakarma

Each person will have his or her own Panchakarma experience because it is personalized for the individual, but in this section, I want to give you an idea of what a day in Panchakarma might look like.

The first thing you do is meet with the Ayurvedic doctor who will check your tongue; assess your pulse; and have you fill out forms about your digestive patterns, cravings, health goals, medical history, mental characteristics, skin, metabolism, dreams, and much more. It’s a very detailed questionnaire that assesses all facets of your body and disposition.

With that information, the doctor will prescribe your Panchakarma experience unique to your specific needs.

A typical day may look like this:

Wake up with sunrise and practice yoga and meditation.

Drink a cup of ghee with specific herbs for your imbalances. (The ghee helps the herbs better absorb in your system.)

Begin your first treatment of the day, such as an oil massage or enema.

Spend time in the steam bath to release toxins.

Eat a detoxifying lunch of kitchari.

Walk around in nature, or sit and meditate.

Undergo another treatment, such as shirodhara, third eye therapy.

Consume a light dinner of more kitchari or cooked vegetables and rice.

Read, meditate, and head to bed to rest up for another healing day.

The Panchakarma Diet

What makes Panchakarma so effective is the diet you follow while on the program. You’re on a strict diet of just kitchari, which is basmati rice and lentils slow cooked in medicinal spices and herbs.

You cannot drink alcohol, coffee, or anything besides tea. You also cannot eat salads or smoothies because they are too cooling and light for the system. Meat, bread, and sugar are also off the list because they are too heating and heavy for the system.

Your diet is completely sattvic, pure and evoking positivity, to evoke ojas, well-being. If you continue eating sandwiches, pizza, and processed foods, the Panchakarma therapies will have no effect. Cleansing begins within, and the kitchari diet is a crucial part of the Panchakarma experience.

In the process of Panchakarma, you become extremely aware of your own food addictions, such as something sweet after meals, a crunchy snack, or piece of chocolate in the afternoon. Everything is soupy, well cooked, and simple. Some Panchakarma centers offer an assortment of Ayurvedic foods and even fruit, while more traditional ones only serve kitchari.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is considered liquid gold in Ayurveda and is the superstar of the Panchakarma experience, making its way into almost every treatment and meal.

Herb-infused oils are used abundantly as well, both in cooking and therapies. These oils help release deep-seated toxins from your system for total purification.

Panchakarma Therapies

Most Panchakarma facilities today focus on the relaxing and nourishing treatments, such as massages, rather than the more intensive therapies, such as purgation. Let’s look at some of the more popular Panchakarma therapies.

Shirodhara (Third Eye Therapy)

Shirodhara is one of the most recognized treatments in Ayurveda because of its uniqueness. In this divine treatment, a steady flow of warm oil is poured onto your third eye center, on your forehead between your eyebrows, to awaken your intuitive self. The word shiro means “head,” and dhara means “continuous flow of liquid.”

Benefits of shirodhara include the following:

  • Activated third eye center
  • Headache and migraine relief
  • Reduced anxiety, stress, and depression
  • Relaxed nervous system
  • Balanced excess Vata
  • Improved sleep
  • Heightened senses
  • Softened wrinkles
  • Improved cognition

Abhyanga (Oil Massage)

I spoke about abhyanga self-oil massage in Chapter 11, but this treatment also can be performed by a professional Ayurvedic massage therapist or two for even deeper benefits. During this massage, the practitioner(s) warm the oil, infuse it with herbs specialized for your Dosha, and apply it along your body’s energy channels using a specific method to increase your Prana life force.

This massage stimulates your lymphatic drainage, removes toxins, and reduces stress. Your head, stomach, feet, hands, legs, back, neck, and shoulders are all massaged during a session that usually lasts 2 hours.

Afterward, you sit in a steam bath to help remove stored cellular waste. You are not permitted to shower afterward so the oil can sit on your skin for at least 24 hours.

Many facilities have two-person massages during which two practitioners massage your body at the same time for double the bliss.

Benefits of abhyanga include the following:

Karna Purana (Ear Therapy)

Karna purana, or ear therapy, is recommended for those with hearing or ear problems. In this treatment, your neck and head are massaged with oil, followed by a warm ear steaming. Your ears are then massaged and covered with a hot towel. Herbalized oil is poured into your ears until your ear cavity is full of oil, and you sit up to allow the oil to completely enter your ear crevice. This treatment is especially recommended for those who spend a lot of time on their phones or in loud areas.

Benefits of karna purana include the following:

  • Improved hearing
  • Reduced ear wax, mucus, and yeast
  • Cleared sinuses
  • Reduced ear ringing
  • Decreased jaw and facial tension

Nabhi Basti (Digestion Therapy)

Nabhi basti is an interesting treatment performed to improve digestion and release stored emotions. In this treatment, your abdomen is gently massaged with herbalized oil to remove toxins and enhance digestion and elimination. Then, a dam is created out of dough around your belly button. The circle is filled with warm herbalized oil, and you relax with the oil pooled on you for 30 minutes. This treatment is great for those with low digestive fires, irritable bowel syndrome, or other gastrointestinal issues.

Benefits of nahbi basti include the following:

  • Improved digestion
  • Released deep-seated emotions
  • Enhanced elimination
  • Decreased constipation, bloating, gas, and indigestion

Netra Basti (Eye Rejuvenation Therapy)

Netra basti is a treatment especially for your eyes. It’s similar to nabhi basti, in that a dam is created out of dough and filled with oil. This time, the dam is around your eye socket. You close your eyes, the dough dam is placed above your closed eye, and it’s filled with warm herbalized ghee. (If some ghee gets in your eyes, it won’t hurt, and it’s actually recommended to enhance your vision.) You rest with the oil above your eyes for 30 minutes.

Benefits of netra basti include the following:

Hrid Basti (Heart Opening Therapy)

In hrid basti, the heart is the center. Oil is massaged over your heart to open your heart chakra and increase love, warmness, strength, and nourishment. This therapy is effective for treating respiratory issues, heart disease, stress, and asthma as well. All you need is love!

Benefits of hrid basti include the following:

  • Increased feelings of love, union, connection, and joy
  • Opened heart chakra
  • Decreased stress
  • Improved breathing
  • Strengthened heart muscle
  • Decreased cardiac risk

Udvartanam (Dry Powder Massage)

Udvartanam is one of the only Ayurvedic treatments performed without oil. In this therapy, dry herbal powder is rubbed on your body to stimulate your lymphs and balance your Kapha Dosha. The treatment helps break down fatty deposits, treating obesity and cellulite. It increases circulation, stimulates metabolism, and removes toxins, all while exfoliating your skin.

Benefits of udvartanam include the following:

  • Weight loss
  • Detoxification
  • Softened skin
  • Lymphatic drainage
  • Increased blood flow

Shiro Abhyanga (Head Massage)

Shiro abhyanga is all about the head. In this massage, your marma (energy) points are gently massaged to relieve tension, clear your mind, and even promote hair growth. Sesame oil infused with brahmi, a specific herb for hair health, is massaged into your head, leaving you in a state of bliss.

Benefits of shiro abhyanga include the following:

  • Reduced headaches
  • Improved hair quality and growth
  • Enhanced sleep
  • Cleared mind
  • Increased mental peace and alertness
  • Decreased depression, anxiety, and anger

At-Home Panchakarma

Anyone can benefit from a detox because your body is constantly creating toxins. Even if you lived in a perfect world with all organic food, clean air, and no stress, your body still would produce toxins. So it’s important to cleanse regularly.

Wisdom of the Ages

Do you have a thick layer of coating on your tongue? Are you tired throughout the day, especially after meals? Do you have body aches and pains? Do you have uncontrollable cravings? Is your mind foggy? Do you have bad-smelling breath, body odor, or flatulence? Do you have constipation or diarrhea? These are all signs you need to detox.

However, detoxification does not necessarily have to be at a Panchakarma facility. You can perform many Ayurvedic detoxification therapies yourself, at home, such as abhyanga self-oil massage, nasya nasal irrigation, a cleansing kitchari diet, herbal laxatives, an oil enema, a technology detox, daily yoga, meditation, and sleeping and waking early.

Here’s an example of what your at-home Panchakarma day might look like:

Wake up at sunrise.

Tongue scrape and oil pull.

Drink hot water with ginger, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom.

Practice meditation and yoga.

Eat a cleansing breakfast of kitchari.

Massage your body with warm sesame oil.

Take a hot shower, and rest in the steam.

Read or relax while drinking more tea.

Eat a cleansing lunch of kitchari.

Massage oil into your scalp, naval, or heart.

Rest or take a walk in nature.

Meditate and practice gentle yoga.

Dry brush your body, and apply more oil.

Drink tea with triphala (a cleansing Ayurvedic herb)

Get to sleep by sunset.

Now here’s a great kitchari recipe you can try.

Healing Tridoshic Kitchari

Kitchari is the ultimate healing recipe for all Doshas. It’s warming, easy to digest, and extremely healing for the agni. It promotes ojas, good health, and longevity and is totally sattvic, enhancing positivity, clarity, and joy. It’s full of prana life force and gives your overused digestive system a chance to rest so your body can heal. Kitchari is simple, delicious, and well balanced with the six tastes. It makes the perfect Panchakarma meal, but you can enjoy it anytime you feel like you need a detox.

3 TB. sesame oil, coconut oil, or ghee

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

1 (2-in.) piece ginger, peeled and grated (2 TB.)

1⁄2 tsp. turmeric

2 pinches asafetida (optional)

1⁄2 tsp. sea salt

1 cup basmati rice, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed

1 cup yellow split mung beans, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed

1 or 2 pieces kombu (optional)

8 cups water

Juice of 1⁄2 lime (optional)

 1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat sesame oil. Add mustard seeds, and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until you hear a popping sound. (This means mustard seeds are activated.)

 2. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, ginger, turmeric, asafetida (if using), and sea salt, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

 3. Add basmati rice, mung beans, and kombu (if using), and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to meld flavors.

 4. Add water, and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour or until water is mostly absorbed and mixture has a creamy consistency similar to risotto. (You could add the mixture to a rice cooker at this point and cook for 30 minutes.)

 5. Remove from heat, add lime juice (if using), and serve.