Panchakarma – The Detoxification Therapy

What is Panchakarma?

Panchakarma Panchakarma is a Sanskrit word, which means five karmas. Pancha is five and karma means procedures. Panchakarma are the five main cleansing procedures advised by Ayurveda. This is a speciality of Ayurveda, because no other medical science in this world has described anything similar to this.

Ayurveda has a specific approach in treating diseases, which is different from all other systems of medicine. Instead of relaying only on medicines, Ayurveda advocates that periodic detoxification of the body is extremely essential. The diseases treated in this way are cured completely and permanently. In diseases like Asthma, skin diseases (especially Psoriasis, Vitiligo ), Hypertension, Heart diseases and many other diseases where the patients have to take life long medications Panchakarma treatment is extremely beneficial to achieve total cure of these diseases.

Which are these five karmas?

Five Karmas

  • 1. Wamana
  • 2. Virechana
  • 3. Basti
  • 4. Nasya
  • 5. Raktamokshana

These are the five therapeutic procedures used for complete cleansing of the body.

How do they act?

These procedures actually detoxify the body through various routes. The first procedure called wamana detoxifies the body by way of vomiting.

This vomiting is scientifically induced by specific medicines and is fully controlled. It is planned and performed in such a way, that the toxins from all over the body are expelled by the nearest route that is by mouth. Especially those accumulated in upper part of the gastro-intestinal tract (stomach and upper part of small intestine) are very effectively cleaned by wamana.

Similarly Virechana, the second one in the list detoxifies the body by way of purgation. This purgation is also scientifically induced in such a way that it expels only the toxins and not the vital fluids of the body. The lower part of the intestine is detoxified by this procedure.

Basti is a procedure in which medicated oils and decoctions are inserted in the rectum and distal part of the large intestine with the help of a special apparatus. This procedure is very useful in detoxifying the large intestine.

Nasya is the simple procedure by which the toxins accumulated in the complex area like sinuses, brain and also those, accumulated in throat, in and around eyes, ears etc.

Raktamokshana is a procedure of detoxification of blood.

Why is detoxification necessary?

Our body needs cleaning internally and externally. We manage to clean the body externally by way of bath etc. but we are not able to clean it internally. Inside our body, numerous functions are continuously performed. The metabolism which is going on at the level of each and every cell in the body generates waste products (toxins) which get accumulated in the various systems, tissues and organs. These toxins need to be removed periodically, because if they get accumulated they can interfere and disrupt the normal functioning of these systems or organs, which can give rise to various diseases like diabetes, asthma, hypertension, heart diseases etc.

Normally body tries to expel these waste products, but the efforts are not sufficient, as some of them are very sticky and remain in those tissues, organs or systems. Ayurveda has a perfect understanding of the body hence it has advised Panchakarma, for the complete detoxification of the body. This detoxification therapy is essential for everybody in order to lead a healthy and disease free life.