What is ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the timeless science of life, nurturing body, mind, and spirit with natural, personalized care to restore balance and lasting wellbeing. It originates from India from approximately 5000 years ago, yet its principals and efficiency are time tested and applicable in today’s life.
- Addresses the root cause of illness
- Offers fully personalized solutions
- Treats with natural remedies
- Focuses on long-term health
What is panchakarma?
Panchakarma is a classical ayurvedic therapy that involves Pancha (five) karmas (actions) that helps in cleansing the body of accumulated toxins with an aim to restore health. The 5 actions are: vamana (therapeutic emesis, induced vomiting), virechana (therapeutic purgation with herbal laxatives), vasti (medicated enema), nasya (nasal therapy), raktamokshana (bloodletting with leaches).
The ayurvedic doctor, after evaluating your various physical and mental parameters, decides the right cleansing procedures for you and makes a complete therapy plan. Panchakarma therapy helps to rekindle the digestive enzymes, as optimal digestion and absorption are the basis for health and wellbeing. Clinical studies suggest panchakarma supports the elimination of metabolic waste (ama), regulates digestion and absorption, and enhances systemic resilience by optimizing immune and neurological functions.
Panchakarma works holistically, purifying both the body and mind. Before Panchakarma treatment is carried out, certain preparatory steps are needed (Purvakarma). This helps ensure the body is prepared for the process of detoxification. This is necessary as a sudden expulsion of toxins may affect the body. The preparatory processes include:
- Snehana or internal oleation by oral consumption of the prescribed medicated ghee in increasing dosage. As toxins are fat soluble, this is done with an aim to extract the toxins from the cellular level to the stomach for the ensuing purging procedure.
- Swedana involves generating controlled heat on the body by massaging it with prescribed oils or powders and herbal steam. The sweating process liquefies the toxins making them easy to be eliminated.
How does ayurveda work?
Ayurveda focuses on your individual needs and your current state of wellbeing. According to ayurveda we are one with nature – as is the human body, so is the cosmic body (Yatha pinde tatha brahmande). We each have our own equilibrium balance point but our lifestyle and choices drift us away from that balance and we experience unease in the wellbeing.
Ayurveda looks at the whole world, including us, through 5 elements and their properties. These 5 elements have each and every one certain properties: a characteristic degree of heat or coolness, moisture or dryness. Depending on if we have drifted away from our personal balance to too much cold or too much heat, too much moisture or too much dryness, we experience different characteristic discomforts in body and in mind. By applying this lens and principles of elements, ayurveda helps you to restore your individual balance and wellbeing.
