All you need to know about Panchakarma Ayurveda therapy

The ancient Indian sages, keeping human health paramount, prepared a specific medical system to keep their life healthy, which is known as Panchakarma Therapy.

Panchakarma therapy is one of the oldest systems of Ayurveda medicine. The maximum use of the Panchakarma method is seen in South India. Panchakarma means five types of therapy in which the doshas (toxins) of the body are removed.

In Ayurveda, for the prevention and treatment of diseases, the healing process of elimination therapy, which removes the impurities and defects of the body, is called Panchakarma-Chikitsa or Panchakarma Ayurveda Therapy.

Ayurveda and Panchakarma

Panchakarma means a combination of five different therapies. This process is used to cleanse the body of toxins released by diseases and malnutrition.

In other words, Panchakarma is an excellent medical method for the complete destruction of the causes of disease and establishing the symmetry of the culprits.

Panchakarma therapy has been described in Ayurveda for the purification of the body. According to Ayurveda, for the body to be healthy, it is necessary to balance the three doshas, ​​Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, the imbalance of any one of these doshas leads to the formation of the toxic disease-causing element “ama” in the body, that makes the disease (disorder) process begins. falls. The three doshas are balanced by the purification of the body with Panchakarma Ayurveda therapy and the toxic elements are removed from the body.

Ayurveda says that an imbalanced dosha produces waste material called ‘ama’. It is a foul-smelling, sticky, harmful substance that needs to be removed from the body as completely as possible. In order to prevent the build-up of ‘Ama’, Ayurvedic literature recommends a person to maintain proper lifestyle, habits, and exercise along with proper diet, and to implement a proper purification program like Panchakarma.

The five therapies of Panchakarma are ‘Vamana’, ‘Virechana’, ‘Nasya’, ‘Basti’ and ‘Rakta Moksha’. While balancing the doshas, this series of five therapies helps to relieve the deeply based stress and disease-causing toxins inside the body.

The above five are called Mukhya or Pradhan Karma (Main Karma).

Before starting these five Main karmas, two Purvakarma or prior karmas are also necessary. These are – Snehan (oleation) and Swedana (fomentation). Through these two different processes (Purva Karma) the doshas prevailing in the body are made capable of coming out.

Purvakarma: Pre-purification Measures

Snehana: The word Snehana refers to aliphaticizing the body. Lubrication is done by doing abhyanga (massage) of aliphatic substances like oil on the body. It helps to move toxins towards the gastrointestinal tract. Shirodhara, the main therapy of the Panchakarma system of medicine, is also considered under Snehana Karma.

Various medicinally proven oils are used for Panchakarma, especially sesame oil and Ghrita (cow’s ghee) as its base, while other oils are also used as a base.

Swedana: Svedana refers to the process by which Sweda means sweating. The process of producing sweat in the body by artificial means is called Swedana.

There are 2 main types of sweating:

1. Ekanga Swed – In this type-specific part of the body is swed.
2. Sarvanga Swed – In this type the whole body is Swed. It has 2 types:

• Agni Swed – Swedana is done by contact with fire.
• Niragni Sweda – Swedana is performed without direct contact with fire.

Five Karmas (Five Stages of Panchakarma)

After Purvakarma ‘Ama’ moves towards the digestive system. Here the main Panchakarma remedies like Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya, Rakta Moksha are performed so that the ‘ama’ is expelled through the normal vessels of the body.

Vamana: therapeutic vomiting or emesis

The process of removing the defects from the upward path or from the mouth is called Vamana. Vamana is considered to be a very important healing method of Panchakarma Chikitsa. In this, anti-vomiting medicines like Madanaphal are used. In Vamana karma, the main thing is to remove the Kapha dosha from the body, and its treatment is done.

The physically very weak person, children, old people, pregnant women, heart patients should not Vamana.

Virechan: purgation

Virechan is the process of getting the faults out of the lower way i.e. from the right way. This is primarily done by taking out the pitta dosha from the body. it is beneficial –

• fever
• leprosy
• vertical bleeding
• Haemorrhoids
• fissure
• please
• Indigestion

Virechana should not be done in a weak body, children, and pregnant women.

Basti: enema

In this process, the medicine substances are entered into the body through the anus or urethra, so that the disease can be treated. Basti is said to be the main treatment for Vata diseases. It is beneficial –

• gout diseases
• bladder stones
• constipation
• weak digestion
• urinary obstruction

Nasya: Inhalation therapy or Errhine

The process of giving medicine or medicine to proven affections through nasal passages is called Nasya. Nasya is said to be the best medicine of Panchakarma for all diseases of the head and throat. it is beneficial –

• Cold and cough
• Headache
• Diseases of the nose, ear, throat, and head
• Epilepsy
• Dissonance
• Oral disease

Rakta Moksha: detoxification of the blood

Rakta Moksha means the removal of contaminated blood from the body.

This process of releasing, removing, shedding blood from the body is called Raktamokshana. Blood is an extremely important component of the body. It causes many diseases when contaminated. Removing this contaminated blood is necessary for the preservation of health and for the occurrence of diseases. it is beneficial –

• skin disease
• gout
• swelling and irritation
• skin redness
• leprosy skin diseases
• Filariasis
• Facial freckles

The Rakta Moksha is also done by piercing the tip with the help of a weapon and is also done without the use of a weapon.

Conclusion

Panchakarma is called a specific medical therapy of Ayurveda. In this therapy, five types of main processes are used to remove the diseases and causes of disease in the body and to restore the three doshas (ie Tridoshas) Vata, Pitta, Kapha.