People always look at me funny and wonder what I am talking about when I say the words Panchakarma and Ayurveda. I am writing this blog post to share with you guys my knowledge on Ayurveda and my personal experiences with PK.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a science and an art of appropriate living that helps to achieve longevity. It can help guide each individual in the proper choice of diet, living habits and exercise to restore balance in the body, mind and soul. Helping prevent disease. Ayurveda literally means “the study of life.” Ayus- meaning life & Veda- meaning science.

The Doshas

In Ayurveda, every human is a unique phenomenon manifested through the five basic elements—Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. There is 3 main doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Vata—a combination of ether and air. Cold, light, dry, rough, flowing, and spacious. Fall and Autumn represents vata for its cool, crisp days. Those with the vata dosha are usually described as slim, energetic, and creative. They’re known for thinking outside the box but can become spacey or easily distracted. Their mood can be highly dependent on the weather, people around them, and foods they eat.

Pitta—a combination of fire and water. Tenacious personalities. Hot, light, sharp, oily, liquid, and mobile. Summer is known as pitta season for its sunny, hot days. People with pitta are said to usually have a muscular build, be very athletic, and serve as strong leaders. They’re highly motivated, goal-oriented, and competitive. Still, their aggressive and tenacious nature can be off-putting to some people, which can lead to conflict.

Kapha—a combination of water and earth. Steady, stable, heavy, slow, cold, and soft. Spring is known as kapha season, as many parts of the world slowly exit hibernation. People with this dosha are described as strong, thick-boned, and caring. They’re known for keeping things together and being a support system for others. Kapha-dominant people rarely get upset, think before acting, and go through life in a slow, deliberate manner.

Every individual constitution has its own unique balance of vata, pitta and kapha (VPK) according to its own nature. When this doshic balance is disturbed, it creates imbalance, which is disorder, leading to issues in the body.

Health is order; disease is disorder. - The Ayurvedic Institute

Within the body there is a constant interaction between order and disorder, the goal is to find the correct balance in your body to reach optimal wellness.

Panchakarma was created to help people cleanse their body of any excess emotional, physically, or internal toxins. Thus helping your body reach its most balanced doshic state.

In Ayurveda, it is suggested to put a person on a proper diet with appropriate lifestyle, habits and exercise, and administering a proper cleansing program such as panchakarma to help heal and balance ones body.

Panchakarma (PK)

Panchakarma is a complete mind, body, and spirit cleanse. The process of PK lets an individual return to their most natural self, helps them find balance, and delivers deep rest and lasting restoration. Chronic pain and disease can be alleviated, digestive issues can resolve, and tons of other health concerns may be addressed, according to the wide and nourishing scope of Ayurveda.

During your Panchakarma journey each day is tailored specifically for you. Each Ayurvedic center or spa you go to will be different.

My PK experience

I have done Panchakarma 3 times in the past 5 years. I wish I could do it all the time, it is unbelievable how amazing you feel afterwards. I have done a 7 day at my families house in Florida, a 5 day in Asheville, NC at Blue Lotus Ayurveda, and then my most recent was 7 days at Surya Spa.

This past July I had the most wonderful 7 day Panchakarma experience at Surya Spa, in Santa Monica, Ca. I could tell my body was READY for a cleanse physically, mentally, and emotionally. Before my treatments at the spa I prepped for 5 days to help my body prepare for the cleanse. I began oiling my body from the inside out. I started each morning with a shot of ghee (clarified butter), followed by a day of eating clean vegetarian meals.

The owner of Surya Spa and Ayurvedic practitioner, Martha, created herbalized oils for me, cooked each night, to be used in my treatments the following day. In my extended four-hour sessions, I had two therapists working on me in synchrony. I experienced a variety of healing therapies such as Udwartana (exfoliant herbal scrub), Abhyanga (herbed oil massage), Shirodhara (dripping herbed oil on the forehead) , Nasya (head, neck and shoulder massage with organic aromatherapy products) , and Swedhana (steam therapy). I enjoyed all of my meals at the spa during my 7 day treatment. There was a delicious breakfast of brown rice porridge, an organic vegetarian lunch, and kitchari (rice + lentil dish) for dinner. There were many different feelings I felt throughout my week. In the beginning I could tell my body was really trying to detox, I was pretty tired all day. As the week went on I started to regain my energy and my was glowing on day 5. My body was able to relieve its self of personal health concerns (fibrocystic breast tissue) I was experiencing, which was my main goal. I left my last treatment feeling absolutely amazing, I felt like I was floating on could nine! My skin and mind were clearer, I had let go of a lot of unwanted emotions, I lost a few lbs, I just felt very pure and toxin free afterwards. I have continued using my personalized herbal body oil + and now take specific herbs to support my dosha.