PANCHAKARMA

Panchakarma literally translates as “five actions” and is a complete cleansing and rejuvenation process that involves all systems of the body, mind and spirit. Why is it so important and considered a major part of ayurvedic medicine? Our bodies are remarkably intelligent and incredibly hard working.  Every day of our lives, we are inundated with a constant stream of input that the body has to determine how to deal with-in a sense “digesting” everything we come into contact with-and keeping what we need and eliminating what we don’t.  These days especially, we are faced with a lot of stressors from the environment, our food, emotional and psychological factors, to name a few.  Inevitably, we begin to accumulate some degree of toxicity in our tissues during the processing of all of life’s events.  Over time, this toxicity builds up and collects deep in the tissues, weakens our systems, and eventually leads to chronic and degenerative disease conditions.

Ayurvedic cleansing and panchakarma practices can help to reverse this process by giving the body a break and allowing it time to reset, recuperate and repair itself.   Simply put, ayurvedic cleansing involves a series of diet modifications and other practices that one does over a specified period of time in order to cleanse all tissues of the body and prepare them to receive deep nourishment and rejuvenation.  Please note that there are many approaches to ayurvedic cleansing and many can be done on your own, at home.  However, panchakarma is an involved process that must be supervised by an ayurvedic practitioner.

The length of your panchakarma is entirely up to you, but please consider the time required to complete all of the different phases – affording each of them equal value and importance. In general, the longer your cleanse, the deeper your detox will be. A longer cleanse will also result in a more delicate digestive system for some time, requiring an increased dedication to the reintroduction phase of the process. It is critically important that you are able to complete the entire process for the best results and to avoid complications. It is generally best to not be travelling immediately following your cleanse as it is more difficult to make good food choices and get the relaxation you need while on the road.

As noted above, you may choose to do a cleanse ranging anywhere from 3-21 days. It is most important to know that you will need to take time off and limit your activities during the “active cleansing” phase of your panchakarma. This is necessary because when you are not busy with preparatory treatments and purification practices, you should be resting as much as possible. This avoids driving toxins deeper into the system and ensures the best possible results. Generally, a 7 day cleanse is ideal and still do-able for most people. As always, however, the plan can be tailored to meet specific needs.

Because this panchakarma is based on a mono-diet, it is much less provoking than many other forms of cleansing (such as fasting) and is generally safer for a diverse range of constitutions and imbalances. That said, panchakarma tends to move long-standing imbalances into circulation so that they can be eliminated. This is how our bodies repair themselves when we afford them the opportunity. As a result, panchakarma can be exhausting, emotionally taxing, and physically uncomfortable. Most people do not experience a great deal of discomfort, however, it is better to be prepared for some ups and downs than to expect to feel fabulous throughout the process. You should begin to experience the deeper benefits of panchakarma within a few days to a week after completing it, if not sooner. For menstruating women, the first cycle following panchakarma is an important part of the process, and can deliver a meaningful sense of completion. As a result, the fullest expression of positive change may not be experienced until one or two menstrual cycles after the panchakarma has ended.

This process can also stir up unresolved emotions as well as physical toxins so it is important to also be prepared for some emotional cleansing. It is quite common to have unexpected and somewhat unexplainable emotions crop up during the process. Ideally, we would simply witness these states as they arise, creating space to honor, move, and release our feelings in a healthy way. The emotional aspects of panchakarma can make it especially important to enlist a loving support team for your cleansing process.

• Keep your activities as quiet and mindful as possible.
• Surround yourself with supportive people and things that you find uplifting and nourishing.
• Minimize stress and exposure to frantic or disturbing environments.
• If intense emotions arise during or after your cleanse, greet your emotions with compassion, observe them with detached awareness, and allow them simply to move through – honoring yourself in the process.
• REST as much as possible. You can ensure that the bulk of your energy is devoted to cleansing by minimizing the number of resources that your body allocates elsewhere.

Remember that your food will absorb the energy of your mindset and state of being while you are cooking. You can assist your healing process by bringing good intentions and a sense of presence to your kitchen.