What if once a year we took stock of our health and give ourselves the time and space to feel, to heal, to cleanse and rejuvenate our bodies, and to purge unresolved emotions? And what if the byproduct of this effort was the development of habits and lifestyle that supports our long-term wellness? In Ayurveda such a healing process is called Panchakarma.

There is a direct relationship between our resistance to illness and the balance of our doshas, including the strength of our digestion and elimination. When our bodies accumulate toxins, we lose the ability to properly discriminate between good and bad cravings.  Our altered cravings attract us to foods and substances that feed our toxic state causing further imbalance and illness.  When we make the conscious effort to give ourselves proper foods, rest, physical movements that reduce stress and practice daily meditation, we effectively release the tension and blockages in our system.  The power of that cleansing helps us feel connected to our divinity and our resistance to illness becomes stronger.

What to expect from Panchakarma?

• A preliminary stage of preparation in which you are asked to eliminate meats, dairy, alcoholic beverages and caffeine from your diet for at least one week.
• The first step is called oleation therapy in which you are given external oleation by massage and steam, plus heat therapy, and internal oleation to mobilize toxins from the body.
• A daily basic diet of lentils, rice and teas to further assist moving toxins to the gastrointestinal tract to be eliminated.
• The next process is the elimination of toxins using gentle cleansing therapies of the digestive system with herbalized oils to treat the deeper tissues and eliminate fat/soluble toxins.
• The last process is the rejuvenation stage. Ayurveda assesses that once the toxins have been eliminated, it is a crucial time to begin replenishing the body with natural food and herbs, revitalizing massage treatments, and healing practices such as yoga and meditation.

Panchakarma is ideal for everyone that wants to improve their health, reduce stress, detoxify the body after chemotherapy or alleviate chronic pain and fatigue.