By Nishita Shah

No two bodies are the same. No two beings are the same. This is the beauty of Ayurveda; a fully individualized approach to the path of healing and wellness. This is the reason that the Ayurvedic approach tends to be so successful. Even something as “simple” as pain has multiple paths of treatment protocols. You can have a vata-type of pain, pitta-type of pain, and a kapha-type of pain. 

Another example is diabetes–did you know in Ayurveda there are 20 classifications of diabetes? In allopathic medicine? Two main types. So, while many imbalances may seem the same on the surface, the path of treatment and therapies vary so greatly from person to person. 

This is where the role of an Ayurvedic practitioner comes into play. 

The Importance of a Personalized Treatment 

When working with Ayurveda, a practitioner is always trying to get to the root cause of where an imbalance is stemming from. The understanding of the disease process or samprapti is a critical component of understanding how and where the imbalance is moving and taking place. On top of this, a critical eye is needed to understand which qualities are out of balance to then create a treatment protocol that is supportive to that specific individual. As you can see, there is more to understanding how an individual stays in balance and moves into imbalance than just putting a band-aid over symptoms. 

Many treatment plans may involve the use of cleansing techniques and therapies such as Panchakarma. Panchakarma is a detoxification process in which we are cleansing the body through a simple monodiet, the use of internal oleation to pull toxins from the deep tissues and into the digestive track, and then to flush those toxins out of the system through the various treatments and actions. But again, there is more to this than meets the eye. 

When a practitioner is designing a panchakarma protocol for an individual, it’s important to take into consideration the clients’ prakruti (state of balance), vikruti (state of imbalance), agni (strength of digestion), ama (toxin accumulation), and so much more. Thus again, we come back to the notion that even panchakarma, which has standardized steps, requires a practitioner’s viewpoint to customize the process. 

The Three Stages of Panchakarma 

In Panchakarma, there are three main stages of treatment and design:

Stage 1: Purvakarma 

Purvakarma begins the preparatory stages prior to the main kriyas or actions taking place. This stage involves the process of kindling our digestive fire or agni and starting the detoxification process by pulling the toxins from tissues and digesting them. As each person is unique, how we kindle the agni is unique. Some individuals may need ginger pickle, some individuals may need hot water. These are just some of the ways this process starts. Along with the kindling agni process, we also start the internal oleation process. This is the lubricative aspect of this stage which helps to loosen up the toxins to dislodge them and bring them into the digestive track for elimination. There are many types of lubrication products from medicated ghees to special oils. 

Stage 2: Pradhānakarma 

This stage of panchakarma is the process that most people are familiar with. This is where “panchakarma” actually translates into 5 Actions. This is exactly what this stage entails, 5 actions to start the elimination of toxins. 

• Action 1: Virechana purgation
• Action 2: Basti enema 
• Action 3: Vamana emesis 
• Action 4: Nasya nasal administration of oil 
• Action 5: Raktamoksha blood cleansing 

Once the body is saturated with the internal oleation, it is time to push the toxins out of the system. The first action is virechana which targets the small intestine, liver, and gallbladder. All of these organs happen to be the seats of pitta dosha. The purgation takes place through taking milk laxatives to help purge the excess pitta out of the body. 

Basti focuses on the large intestine/colon, the home site of vata dosha. The unique experience of this enema is that an herbalized tea or oil is used for the liquid. The specific herbs chosen are all based on the imbalance the client is experiencing and what herbs will support the balancing action. The enema is used for more than nourishing, but the herbs support nourishing the colon walls, and even helping to absorb back into the lining. 

The process of vamana is a very unique experience in panchakarma, and not indicated for everyone. There is a special process of preparing for this kriya, which ultimately supports pulling kapha out of its homesite of the stomach. The goal is to pull excess phlegm from the system through vomiting action. A combination of licorice tea and salt water is used to pull the phlegm out of the system. It’s important to note that not everyone receives the process of emesis, as it is indicated for very specific imbalances. 

Nasya is application of oil into the nasal passages to support doshic imbalances in the head space. Nasya is great to clear the sinuses, support memory, alleviate brain fog and so much more. There are different types of oils and herbs used in nasya therapy specific to which dosha is out of balance and what quality needs to be balanced. 

Finally we have raktamoksha. Raktamoksha is a means to clear the blood of any lingering ama. The blood is part of our circulatory system, nourishing the body with oxygen and nutrients. In ayurveda, we say that blood gives us jivanam or is life-giving. In this way, we are getting healthy prana flow to all parts of the body through blood. If blood is healthy, then our bodies are receiving what it needs to be healthy. Traditionally, raktamoksha is conducted with the use of leeches, however in the United States, this is an uncommon practice. There are methods outside of leech therapy that can be used, but only in very specific cases. 

Stage 3: Paschyātkarma 

The final stage of panchakarma takes place once all of the therapies have been delivered and the individual has come back to a state of balance, it is time to rejuvenate and rebuild the tissues. Panchakarma is a deep detoxification process, which can have moments of feeling fatigued. Because of this, the post-PK process is equally important. In this stage the practitioner creates an appropriate diet and lifestyle plan to focus on digestion, tissue nutrition, and healthy habits to keep the body in a state of vitality. 

The Role of the Practitioner: 

As you can see, panchakarma, although rooted in the same principles and treatments, requires an experienced practitioner who has been trained in the design and implementation of panchakarma to support the client throughout the whole process–purvakarma, pradhānakarma, and paschyatkarma. Without the practitioner, doshic imbalances can worsen or take a turn in a direction that is less than desirable. Because of this, it’s important to ensure that both your practitioners and the panchakarma center supports your goals. 

As ayurveda continues to become more and more popular, take the time to align your wellness values with that of the practitioner and panchakarma center you choose. The individualized approach is key to a successful panchakarma. 

For more information on education programs that train panchakarma practitioners, visit https://ayurveda.com/education-ayurvedic-studies-programs/

For more information on SoHum Mountain Healing Resort, visit https://sohumhealing.com/