:: September/October 2003 Volume 2/Number 5

Panchakarma

By Felicia M. Tomasko

 

The effects of this cleansing and treatment program cannot be overstated. Yet it is not to be taken lightly as proper preparation and commitment to the process is essential for best results.

Bliss, relaxation and beauty are words commonly used to portray many of the panchakarma treatments in descriptions on brochures, advertisements or web sites. I remember my first experiences with several treatments; some of them were, indeed, blissful. Shirodhara, warm oil bathing the forehead, left me enveloped in a feeling of complete calm and inner quiet.

But panchakarma is more than just the latest spa craze; its practices are an ancient and integral part of Ayurveda. They are described in the oldest written Ayurvedic texts, the Charaka Samhita and the Shusruta Samhita. The therapies they elucidate were not limited to India; similar treatments were in use throughout the ancient world, including Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia and even South America. Although many people now think of panchakarma as a method of detoxification and rejuvenation; for thousands of years, panchakarma has been one of the most important Ayurvedic therapies for the treatment of specific diseases, balancing doshas and returning the body to its natural state of balance.

Panchakarma itself means 'five actions.' Traditionally, there are five shodhana (cleansing) procedures given in a prescribed order. The two major texts vary in their listing of procedures. Charaka records the following five: vamana (therapeutic vomiting), virechana (purgation), niruha (cleansing enema), anuvasana (oil enema) and nasya (herbal nose drops). Shusruta provides a similar list: vamana, virechana and nasya, but both enemas are grouped under vasti and his fifth treatment is raktamoksha (bloodletting).

Not all five procedures are always utilized. Just as Ayurveda has always been a treatment modality based on the needs and circumstances of the individual, so has panchakarma always been an individual process. Therapies are chosen based on a person's innate constitution, strengths and weaknesses, imbalances, emotional state and even the season of the year. The specific therapies undertaken and even the sequence vary widely.

The panchakarmas are intense treatments, done under the supervision of a qualified practitioner and require proper preparation. The poorvakarmas (preparatory practices) include: dietary changes; internal oleation (drinking oil or ghee) to liquefy toxins; abhyanga (oil massage) to mobilize toxins and dislodge excess doshas, calm vata and reduce stress; and svedana (sweating) to remove toxins and prepare the body for deeper cleansing. It is said that if panchakarma is undertaken without poorvakarma, the body breaks like a dry stick when bent. Although consequences are not that literal, panchakarma practiced without appropriate poorvakarma (preparation) can be harmful.

Yet poorvakarmas are not merely preparatory; they are powerful therapeutic techniques in themselves as they remove toxins, pacify the doshas and relieve stress. This is usually what is found at spas now offering "panchakarma": massage techniques, swedana (sweating) or other treatments like shirodhara. Both legitimately and safely practiced on their own are, in fact, valuable and effective treatments.

Some panchakarma practices, such as abhyanga, are safe for almost anyone; others have contraindications. And it is important to remember that in any treatment regime, different people have varying experiences. While some people fly through panchakarma with the greatest of ease, others experience physical, emotional or spiritual challenges because of the toxins which are released. Due to these challenges, when embarking on panchakarma, it is important to take time off from work and everyday life. Although a single massage can be rejuvenating while still leaving one fit for work, it is important to remember that a full day of abhyanga, swedana and shirodhara can create exhaustion from the effort of cleansing and balancing.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that following an individually recommended diet is crucial to the success of panchakarma -before, during and after the process - first to support the cleansing procedures and then to rebuild the body. Since agni, the digestive fire responsible for the breakdown of food, is usually dampened while burning toxins, rejuvenation (paschatakarma), the final step in the panchakarma process, is necessary to rebuild the body's strength and rekindle agni. Just as asana is completed with savasana, shodhana or cleansing is completed with rejuvenation.

Classical Ayurveda recommended a course of panchakarma once or twice a year. But that is an overwhelming commitment in our modern lives. A shorter course of treatment or a supervised dip in the healing waters of poorvakarma can release stress and create essential therapeutic shifts in our lives.

 

Felicia M. Tamasko is a Yoga teacher and Ayurvedic Practitioner and writer based in southern California. She is currently visiting Europe, and can be reached at Ayurvedi_andyouga@yahoo.com