Panchakarma

Treatment
Panchakarma is a treatment program for the body, mind, and consciousness that
cleanses and rejuvenates. It is based on Ayurvedic principles, every human is a unique
phenomenon manifested through the five basic elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and
Earth.

The combination of these elements are three doshas (tridosha): Vata, Pitta, and Kapha,
and their balance is unique to each individual. When this doshic balance is disturbed it
creates disorder resulting in disease.

Panchakarma is done individually for each person with their specific constitution and
specific disorder in mind, thus it requires close observation and supervision. Treatment
starts with pre-purification Measures of Snehan and Svedana, and then cleansing
methods – Shodanas, are applied.

Ayurvedic Tridosha

Understanding the imbalance of your unique

body is the basis for treatment.
Every individual constitution has its own unique balance of vata, pitta, and kapha (VPK)
according to its own nature. This balance of VPK is the natural order. When this doshic
balance is disturbed, it creates imbalance, which is disorder.

Health is order; disease is disorder. Within the body there is a constant interaction
between order and disorder, thus once one understands the nature and structure of
disorder, one can re-establish order. Ayurveda believes that order lies within disorder.
Order is the state of health, as defined by Ayurveda Panchakarma.
This exists when the digestive fire (agni) is in a balanced condition; the bodily humors
(vata, pitta, and kapha) are in equilibrium, the three waste products (urine, feces, and
sweat) are produced and eliminated normally, the seven bodily tissues (rasa, rakta,
mamsa, meda, asthi, majja and shukra/artava) are functioning normally, and the mind,
senses, and consciousness are working harmoniously together.

When the balance of these systems is disturbed, the disease (disorder) process
begins.V

Purvakarma: Pre-purification
Measures
Before the actual purification begins, there is a need to prepare the body with
prescribed methods to encourage it to let go of the toxins. These two procedures are
snehan and svedana.

Snehan (oil massage)

Snehan is an oil massage. Oil is applied to the entire body with a particular type of
massage that helps the toxins to move toward the gastrointestinal tract.

Oil massage also makes the superficial and deep tissues soft and supple, thus helping
to remove stress and nourish the nervous system. Snehan is given daily for three to
seven days, as indicated.

Svedana (sweating)
Svedana is sudation or sweating and is given every day immediately following the
snehan. An herbal concoction may be added to the steam to further loosen the toxins
from the individual. Svedana liquefies the toxins and increases the movement of toxins
into the gastrointestinal tract.

After three to seven days of snehan and svedana, the doshas become well “ripened.” A
particular panchakarma method is then given according to the individual’s constitution
and disorder, prakriti and vikruti, respectively.
 Five Basic Shodanas of
Panchakarma: Cleansing
Methods
It’s important to understand that “pancha karma” actually means “five actions or five
treatments.” There are five primary treatments included in Panchakarma which we
elaborate on below.

Vamana
Virechan
Basti
Nasya
Rakta Moksha

Main Panchakarma Benefits

1) Eliminate toxins and toxic conditions from your body
and mind.
2) Restore your constitutional balance improving health
and wellness.
3) Strengthen your immune system and become more
resistant to illness.
4) Reverse the negative effects of stress on your body
and mind thereby slowing the aging process.
5) Bring about deep relaxation and a sense of well-being.
Vamana: Emesis Therapy
When there is congestion in the lungs causing repeated attacks of bronchitis,
colds, cough, or asthma, the Ayurvedic treatment is therapeutic vomiting,
vamana, to eliminate the kapha causing the excess mucus.

Oftentimes this also releases repressed emotions that have been held in the
kapha areas of the lungs and stomach along with the accumulated dosha. Once
the mucus is released, the patient will feel instantly relieved. It is likely that
congestion, wheezing, and breathlessness will disappear and that the sinuses
will become clear.

Therapeutic vomiting is also indicated in chronic asthma, diabetes, chronic cold,

lymphatic congestion, chronic indigestion, and edema. After vamana, resting,
fasting, smoking certain herbal cigarettes, and not suppressing natural urges
(i.e., urination, defecation, gas, sneezing, coughing) is recommended.

If vamana is administered properly, the person should feel relaxation in the lungs,
will be able to breathe freely, will have lightness in the chest, clear thinking, a
clear voice, and a good appetite, and all symptoms of congestion disappear.

Virechan: (Purgation Therapy or therapeutic laxative )

When excess bile, pitta, is secreted and accumulated in the gallbladder, liver,
and small intestine, it tends to result in rashes, skin inflammation, acne, chronic
attacks of fever, biliary vomiting, nausea, and jaundice. Ayurvedic literature
suggests in these conditions the administration of therapeutic purgation or a
therapeutic laxative.

Purgatives help relieve the excess pitta causing the bile disturbance in the body.
In fact, purgatives can completely cure the problem of excess pitta. When
purgatives are used, the patient should not eat foods that will aggravate the
predominant humor or cause the three humors to become unbalanced.
Cleansing the Small Intestine
Virechana is the administration of purgative substances for the cleansing of pitta
through the lower pathways. Give virechana 3 days after vamana ( vomiting therapy). If
vamana is not indicated for a particular individual, then give virechana. In either case, it
is necessary to first do 3 days of internal oleation, and preferably both snehana
(oleation) and svedana (sweating), which are purva karma. Virechana cleanses blood
toxins, the sweat glands, kidneys, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, spleen, and
rakta vaha srotas.

Substances for Virechana

 Triphala  Bhumi amalaki
 Castor Oil  Black sesame seeds
 Senna (sona mukhi)  Salt
 Sat Isabgol (psyllium seeds)  Dandelion root
 Flaxseeds  Nishottara (jaipal or croton seed)
 Prunes  Yellow thistle (suvarnaskshiri)
 Raisins  Kutki (hellbore)
 Bran  Mango juice
 Cow’s milk
 Cow’s milk and 2tsp. ghee
 Aloe vera

Indications Contraindications
 Most pittagenic disorders  Childhood or old age
 Skin diseases  Acute fever
 Chronic fever  Diarrhea or dehydration
 Hemorrhoids (piles)  Debility and Weakness
 Abdominal tumors (gulma)  Emaciation
 Splenomegaly  Bleeding from rectum or lung cavities
 Hepatomegaly  Foreign body in the stomach
 Jaundice  Immediately after vamana or basti
 Worms  Low agni or indigestion
 Erysipelas  Prolapsed rectum
 Gout and Glaucoma  Severe, chronic constipation with hard
 Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) stool & Ulcerative colitis
Basti: Enema Therapy
Vata is a very active principle in pathogenesis (disease). If we can control vata through
the use of basti, we have gone a long way in going to the root cause of the vast majority
of diseases. Vata is the main etiological (causal) factor in the manifestation of diseases.
It is the motive force behind the elimination and retention of feces, urine, bile and other
excreta.

Vata is mainly located in the large intestine, but bone tissue (asthi dhatu) is also a site
for vata. Hence the medication administered rectally affects asthi dhatu. The mucus
membrane of the colon is related to the outer covering of the bones (periosteum), which
nourishes the bones. Therefore, any medication given rectally goes into the deeper
tissues, like bones, and corrects vata disorders.

Rectal Administration of Medications

Medications given by enema primarily treat vata dosha, which is the main etiological
factor in the manifestation of diseases. Vata is the force behind the elimination and
retention of feces, urine, bile, and other excreta. Vata is mainly located in the large
intestine. Purisha dhara kala, the colon membrane, is related to asthi dhara kala, the
membrane of the bone tissue. Asthi (the bones) are important sites of vata dosha.
Hence, medications given rectally affect all the tissues up to bone tissue.

Administration of Basti
If you intend to self-administer basti, the following guidelines have been suggested:

 Best times for basti are in the early morning or evening (vata times).
 The stomach should be empty; wait at least three hours after eating.
 Make sure the environment is warm, comfortable and clean. An area where you
can lie down near a toilet is best.
 Materials needed include an enema bag or syringe, measuring cup, hotplate or
stove, oil and/or herbal substance, and towels.

Basti is often administered in two stages: an oil stage and a decoction stage. In the first
stage, five ounces of warm sesame oil is introduced into the rectum and retained for ten
minutes. Then, without expelling the oil, an emulsion of oil and an herbal tea is
introduced and retained for thirty minutes. This mixture consists of five ounces of
sesame oil together with sixteen ounces of a tea made from herbs steeped in hot water
and then strained and cooled to body temperature or slightly warmer.

The enema bag may be suspended three feet above your position. After filling the bag
with the appropriate fluid, allow all the air to be expelled from the tube. Lie on the left
side, left leg extended and right knee flexed. Lubricate the tip of the syringe with oil or
ghee. Clean and lubricate the anal orifice with oil and check that there are no
hemorrhoids, fissures, or fistulas. Carefully and slowly insert the tip into the rectum and
release the clip allowing all the fluid to enter, then remove the tip. Assume a hands and
knees position and elevate the buttocks, thus relaxing the colon. Firstly tap the colon
area from the sigmoid, through the transverse colon, to the ascending colon and
caecum. Then periodically massage the colon in this counterclockwise motion.

When fluid has been retained for the appropriate length of time, sit on the toilet to allow
the passage of the fluid and fecal matter. You may wish to wear a sanitary pad for a few
hours following basti in case there is some seepage of residual oil. It can be good to eat
an hour or so after a basti, but only when hungry.

Result of a Normal Basti

 One or two bowel movements, with good cleansing of fecal matter.
 A feeling of lightness in the abdomen and general clarity.

Indications: Contraindications for Basti

 Pregnancy
 Menstruation
 Diarrhea
 Inflammation of anus
 Bleeding from rectum (except
piccha)
 Extreme debility and weakness
 Before internal oleation
 Sam day as banana or virechana
 Within 3 hours after eating
Nasya: Nasal Administration
The nose is the doorway to the brain and it is also the doorway to
consciousness. The nasal administration of medication is called
nasya.

An excess of bodily humors accumulated in the sinus, throat, nose, or

head areas is eliminated by means of the nearest possible opening,
the nose. Prana, life force as nerve energy, enters the body through
the breath taken in through the nose. Prana is in the brain and
maintains sensory and motor functions.

Prana also governs mental activities, memory, concentration, and

intellectual activities. Deranged prana creates defective functioning of
all these activities and produces headaches, convulsions, loss of
memory, and reduced sensory perception.

Thus nasal administration, nasya, is indicated for prana disorders,

sinus congestion, migraine headaches, convulsions, and certain eye
and ear problems. Breathing also can be improved through nasal
massage.

For this treatment, the little finger is dipped into ghee and inserted into
the nose. The inner walls of the nose are slowly massaged, going as
deeply as possible. This treatment will help to open the emotions.
(Nose tissue is tender and for this application, the fingernail must be
kept short to avoid injuring the delicate mucus membranes.)

Since most people have a deviated nasal septum, one side of the
nose will be easier to penetrate and massage than the other. The
finger should not be inserted forcibly.

The massage should proceed by slow penetration, the finger moving

first in a clockwise and then counter-clockwise direction. By this
means, the emotions that are blocked in the respiratory tract will be
released. One may use this treatment each morning and evening. In
this way, breathing patterns will change as the emotions are released
and the eyesight also will improve.

Rakta Moksha: Traditional Ayurvedic Method

for Purification and Cleansing of the Blood

Toxins present in the gastrointestinal tract are absorbed into the blood and circulated
throughout the body. This condition is called toxemia, which is the basic cause of
repeated infections, hypertension, and certain other circulatory conditions.

This includes repeated attacks of skin disorders such as urticaria, rashes, herpes,
eczema, acne, scabies, leukoderma, chronic itching, or hives. In such conditions, along
with internal medication, the elimination of the toxins and purification of the blood is
necessary. Rakta moksha is also indicated for cases of enlarged liver, spleen, and gout.
Pitta is produced from the disintegrated red blood cells in the liver.
So pitta and blood have a very close relationship. An increase in pitta may go into the
blood causing toxicity, and thus many pitta-genic disorders. Extracting a small amount
of blood from a vein relieves the tension created by the pitta-genic toxins in the blood.

Leeches have been used as an alternative to bloodletting. Bloodletting also stimulates

the spleen to produce anti-toxic substances that help to stimulate the immune system.

Toxins are neutralized, enabling radical cures in many blood-borne disorders. Certain
substances such as sugar, salt, yogurt, sour-tasting foods, and alcohol are toxic to the
blood. In certain blood disorders, these substances should be avoided to keep the blood
pure.

For rakta moksha treatment other than bloodletting, there are blood-purifying practices
involving herbs, gem therapy, or color water therapy. For any rakta moksha treatment or
related alternative treatment, it is beneficial to refrain from yogurt, salt, sugar, alcohol,
marijuana, sour, and fermented foods.
What Are Marma Points in
Ayurveda Healing?
Share on Pinterest Marma points are specific anatomical locations in your body through which the

energy of these elements is believed to flow. Marma points therapy is the practice of

stimulating these spots through gentle massage therapy.

Share on Pinterest

How to give yourself a marma points

massage
Marma points massage therapy can be both relaxing and invigorating. It can not only
help loosen your muscles and tissues, but it’s also thought to help promote the proper
flow of energy around your body.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a certified massage therapist to give
yourself a marma points massage. Here’s how you can massage your own marma
points without a professional:

1. Use the tips of your fingers to gently but firmly stimulate each marma point
listed below.
2. Massage each point in a clockwise circular motion for up to 5 minutes.
3. Optionally, use herb-infused massage oils during your massage.
4. Below, you’ll find some of the more notable marma points that you can easily
stimulate using the massage technique above
Marma point Location Believed to affect

Sthapani
center of forehead mind, brain, and nerves
marma

either side of the nose at the base of sinuses, ears, sense of smell, and
Phana marma
the nostrils stress levels

Shringataka eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and

center of the chin
marma various nerves

Talhridayam
center of the palm of each hand lungs
marma

Manibandha center of the spot where your inner

body stiffness
marma wrist meets the palm of each hand

Nabhi marma center of the navel small intestines

lower inner point at the bottom of

Janu marma heart, liver, and spleen
each kneecap

Indravasti
center of each calf muscle digestion and the small intestine
marma

center of the ball of each foot,

Kurcha marma vision
between the first and second toes

Talhridayam lungs (similar to the talhridayam

center of the sole of each foot
marma marma points on the hands)