My connection to Panchakarma

I’m no longer a novice to Panchakarma.


Here is my condensed blog on my experiences with Panchakarma.


I’ll start with some history.

I have been practising and teaching Hatha yoga for over 25 years, teaching kundalini yoga for the past 16 years.
My partner and I backpacked throughout India in the year 2000. We moved around this amazing country for 6 months. India opened our hearts and minds to this organised chaotic realm of existence. We also spent time in Nepal where the energy was more peaceful being closer to the Himalayas perhaps.


It took 11 years before I returned to India, on my own and a little nervous. I travelled to Rishikesh for the 11/11 (November 11, 2011) Kundalini yoga festival. Three of my yoga students shared the experience with me.
It was amazing. So much divine healing, since then I have been travelling yearly to India.
Ayurvedic lifestyle gained a lot of curiosity (note lifestyle) within me when I started my Kundalini yoga experience. Information became more and more available through the Kundalini yoga modality.


Whilst in India, I would have Ayurvedic treatments as they were available practically everywhere that I would visit. The treatments always agreed with me, and I always looked forward to more.
I would always start small, call it caution if you want.
Everything in life is gradual, too much at once can throw us off course, so I can safely say I’ve been training for these Panchakarma treatments for years.


I started reading about Panchakarma with a different mindset. I didn’t feel ready to commit to a full-on detox, (when I would detox at home, I would get pretty sick) however I kept being drawn to the word. Probably the ‘karma’ part of the word (funny about that!) so I started looking for Ayurvedic Panchakarma centres. I became more confused, so many to choose from.


Well, the Divine guided me into a Health food store at my local shopping centre. I was at the right place at the right moment to connect to an Indian woman who was in the store doing her shopping and we began talking. The conversation shifted very quickly about India and Ayurvedic medicine.


It was an amazing conversation, we had heaps in common and she gave me information on Poolmully.
This for me was a sign of an invitation that I had to trust, so I phoned the doctor at the centre the same day. I spoke with Dr Aparna and the rest is history.


What draws me to Ayurvedic practices is that it works more on getting the body to heal itself. The treatments are about gathering or sweeping the toxins from all around the body, towards the gut so that the gut moves the toxins through the bowel for elimination.. The body will release what it’s ready to release to allow the body to heal. Toxins are pulled from the four elements within.
I know that what the mind has forgotten, the body remembers as we store ALL traumas in the body. Our body represents our mental frame since when only the Divine knows that, but that’s a whole bigger story.


As it happens, western medicine treats the condition, Ayurveda treats the body, and this is why I choose Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Panchakarma.

Summary of the key components of Panchakarma

Post-Panchakarma Care:

After completing the Panchakarma therapies, individuals are advised to follow a specific diet, lifestyle, and herbal regimen to maintain the benefits of the treatment and prevent the re-accumulation of toxins.

Benefits of Panchakarma:

Panchakarma is believed to provide numerous benefits, including detoxification, rejuvenation, improved digestion, enhanced immune function, mental clarity, stress reduction, and overall well-being.

Duration and Frequency:

The duration of Panchakarma treatment varies depending on individual needs and the specific therapies recommended by an Ayurvedic practitioner. It can range from a few days to several weeks.

The frequency of Panchakarma treatments may also vary based on factors such as the individual’s health status, doshic imbalance, and seasonal considerations.

Summary

Overall, Panchakarma is a comprehensive Ayurvedic therapy that offers a holistic approach to detoxification, rejuvenation, and optimal health through a combination of therapeutic treatments, dietary guidelines, and lifestyle recommendations.

Basti (Medicated Enema)

Summary of the key components of Panchakarma

Basti is considered the most important and effective Panchakarma therapy. It involves administering medicated enemas to remove accumulated Vata dosha from the colon and balance the entire body.

Basti is used to treat various conditions, including constipation, neurological disorders, and musculoskeletal problems.