Pancha Karma

This is how the concept of pancha karma is derived: All things, whether alive or not, are composed of the pancha mahabhoot.

According to a branch of Indian philosophy called Sankhya, the pancha mahabhoot is composed of 24 elements, of which five are fundamental to the world's creation: earth, water, fire, air and ether.

These five elements then make up the three body types/doshas—the kapha, pita and vata, which become the basic building blocks of Ayurvedic treatments.

What Is Pancha Karma

Panchakarma is the 'big umbrella' under which all Ayurvedic treatments reside.

It is a purifying therapy, designed to enhance the metabolic process, through observation of food intake and consumption of certain herbal medicines. All of this prepares an individual for and makes him become receptive towards the restorative Ayurvedic process.

Literally, panch means 'five', and 'Karma' means action. Hence, pancha karma refers to the 'five' treatment 'techniques':

1. Therapeutic vomiting, emesis (vamana)

   Induced and assisted vomiting, to eliminate toxic waste from the stomach.

   This treatment is used to treat respiratory system (kapha) diseases, such as bronchial asthma. It is a rare and dangerous procedure, but very effective when administered under the proper guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

2. Purgation, and the use of laxatives (virecana)

   This is used to treat digestive system (pita) diseases. (As pita diseases span a very broad range, they shall not be expanded upon here.)

3. Medicated enema (basti)

   This treatment eliminates toxins from the colon, and strengthens its tissues. Reproductive system (vata) diseases, such as hemiplegia, are often treated by this process.

4. Toxins through the nose, nasal administration (nasya)

   Nasya refers to the application of medicine through the nostrils. This is an important Ayurvedic procedure, used to treat diseases affecting the head such as sinuses, asthma and coughs.

   The most basic method of performing nasya is by leveling warm oil at the patient's nose, which he then inhales. There are however other variations of this method.

   People of different body elements (dosha) will have to attend different sessions: so those with kapha diseases should come in the morning, those with pita diseases should come at noon, and those with vata diseases should come in the evening.

5. Blood letting, detoxification of the blood (rakta mokshana)

   This procedure removes localized impurities through various methods; leeches are sometimes used to suck out impure blood. (There is nothing wrong with the using of leeches; even doctors trained in Western medical sciences employ leeches.)

   This procedure can also be used to treat certain skin disorders, such as eczema.

The therapeutic methods outlined above are entirely based on elimination therapy i.e. the elimination of wastes foreign to the human body.

Pancha Karma, Pre-Treatments and Post-Treatments

Some preparatory treatments must be undertaken before undergoing the pancha karma, however.

These preparatory treatments are referred to as the purva karma:

1. Snehan (internal and external):

   The first purva karma - Medicated oils and ghee (a form of butter) are given to the patient. The impurities will mobilize when consumed, and thus their subsequent elimination will become much easier. A massage is then applied, in tandem with the use of medicated oil.

2. Swedana:

   The second purva karma – Swedana is a form of heating therapy, where wet and warm clothing would be applied to different parts of the body. However, the clothing would be dipped into various liquids, such as warm medicated oils, water, milk, and herbal mixtures.

   This heating therapy may be performed in either a bath tub, or by simply while the patient lying down and stretched out. Swedana 'liquifies' body elements (dosha) that are in excess, and it unclogs blocked energy channels, which eliminates excess oil and essence the performance of pancha karma treatments.

Pancha karma treatments often come after preparatory treatments, and almost immediately.

Once pancha karma treatments are completed, finishing treatments will be performed to ensure a proper conclusion to the healing process:

1. Prescriptive treatments (samsarjan karma)

   Patients usually report weakend digestive powers and a sensation of lightness after pancha karma treatments.

   Thus, the Ayurvedic doctor will prescribe a special dietary regime and lifestyle to follow, for roughly two weeks, which will afford the body enough time to adapt back to former body conditions and strengths.

   Internal medicinal treatments, such as oils or herbs, may also be given; this will ensure the permanent removal of diseases that the patient had been treated for.

2. Rejuvenation therapy (rasayana)

   If rejuvenation therapy is performed on a non-clean body, the results may not be as desired. This is due to the presence of toxins or wastes in the body – a great reason as to why preparatory treatments (purva karma) are so important.

   Hence, for the best results, rejuvenation therapy should be performed after both preparatory treatments and pancha karma treatments.

   Rejuvenative treatments complement pancha karma treatments very well, and helps restore the body to its normal state quickly.