Panchakarma means five procedures in Sanskrit. It is one of the most vital practices in Ayurveda which helps in clearing out all the toxins in the body. In Ayurveda it is considered to balance the doshas in our body known as "vata," "pitta," and "kapha." When the doshas are not in balance it means that there is a lot of toxins present in the body. Here Panchakarma plays the role of balancing the doshas by removing the toxins out of the body. Panchakarma not just purifies the body but also rejuvenates and builds up the immune system.
Panchakarma is a five step process. These are Bio cleansing procedures in Ayurveda. By these methods the toxins accumulated in the body are expelled through the natural orifices of the body.
There are two types of Panchakarma
| Vamana( Induced vomit) | Vamana(Induced Vomit) |
| Virechana(Purgation) | Virechana(Purgation) |
| Nasyam(Nasal Application) | Nasyam(Nasal Application) |
| Kashaya Vasti(Medicated Decoction Enema) | Vasti(Enema) |
| Sneha Vasti(Medicated Oil Enema) | Rakta Mokshana(Purification of Blood) |
There is no restriction as such anyone can do the Panchakarma treatment. It is one of the safest treatment which does not have any side effects. It is still safe to get an ayurvedic practitioner’s consultation before going for the treatment.
Just the way how every machine needs servicing, same way our body also needs it servicing. Panchakarma helps in rejuvenating and cleansing the body. Ayurveda recommends that a fit person should be treated at least once a year while it can vary from twice a year to daily for a person with disease.
Our body is fully equipped to handle toxins and other unwanted substances.. Detoxification or detox for short, is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances / metabollic wastes from our body, mainly carried out by the liver. Detox helps the vital organs cleanse themselves of the wastes and enable the liver to function appropriately in excreting them. It helps in preventing toxic overload and thereby major health problems. Ultimate goal of DETOX is resisting diseases by balancing the Tridoshas, promoting vitality and nourishing our Dhatus (tissues) thereby bringing out the best in each one of us, ie, boost up our immunity.
Our body has a sophisticated way of eliminating toxins that involves the liver, kidneys, digestive system, skin and lungs. So by detoxification we are fine tuning these organs for their optimal performance. This is achieved through a well planned custom made Ayurveda treatment protocol along with oral medications and an equally designed food habits and regimen.Detox therapies remove free radicals from our system and improves the anti-oxidant components.
“Vyaadhikshamatva” is the Ayurveda terminology that can be closely correlated to Immunity which literally means "efficiency of the body to resist diseases”. Physical and psychological resistance is of enormous significance in fighting and conquering diseases.The immune system comprising of the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes,macrophages, lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies, is what protects our body from diseases and infections by defending from foreign substances, cells, and tissues.
Immunity concept in Ayurveda has been widely spread under three main headings : (i) Vyadhi Kshamathwa : the concept of resistance to illness development (ii) Ojas : the concept of supreme resilience (iii) Bala : the concept of strength. Immunity should encompass the homeostasis of body, mind and soul.For a truly holistic concept of immunity, we should bring together the understanding of all three concepts mentioned in Ayurveda to maintain this homeostasis and regulate our metabolism.
The influence of mind and emotion on our immunity is a very new system that is being studied in the past four or five decades, known as Psychoneuroimmunology. This studies the effect of the central nervous system on various factors responsible for immune response.This interconnected understanding of digestion, mind, and immunity in Ayurveda helps us develop natural remedies that influence the body-mind-soul positively. Afterall the ability to withstand change can only be developed by maintaining a state of equilibrium of this trio.
Detoxification is a pathway to balanced immunity. This helps our body shed the accumulated toxins, thereby making tissues more receptive to oral medications and food nutrients by the proper digestion, absorption and assimilation of the same.
Ayurveda way of detoxification and immunity boosting comprises of – External Therapies and Internal Medications. The treatment protocol is more or less similar but the medicines used will vary from person to person according to the body constitution (Prakruthi), age, tolerance level (Satwa bala) of the patient and the seasonal variations.
Usually the detox procedure starts with:
These are some of the basic detox and immunity boosting procedures, along with oral medications, well planned and customised diet and yoga practises under the watchful guidance Ayurveda and Yoga experts.