What is Panchakarma?

Panchakarma is one of the most widely known practices of Ayurveda.  Panchakarma is a system of purification performed seasonally, annually or with disease.  It is known as the “five karmas” because it has five steps.   The word karma is derived from the “kriya” and kriya means action.

Purvakarma is a Pre-step or Step 0

Purvakarma is the action that must be taken prior to receiving the cleansing benefits of panchakarma.  It is preparing the body to receive.  In a panchakarma administered by an Ayurvedic physician, this practice takes only 3 – 7 days.  It largely consists of Snehana (Oleation) and Swedena (Heat therapy).

During the Cleanse, we spend three weeks preparing the body and mind to receive the Cleanse.  This is done for multiple reasons:

• A 3 – 14 day flush of the digestive system is superficial because no effort or energy is put into bringing the mind back to balance with the body.  I have not found one other cleanse product on the market that does this.
• A person will participate in a short cleanse, feel great and then immediately go back to the less favorable habits and lifestyle that created the need for the cleanse to begin with.  People need time to integrate change and create new habits.
• The concepts of cleansing, including yoga, meditation and the elimination of “less-favorable” habits are new to Cleansers.  Most have never meditated or experienced yoga.
• The Elemental Cleanse is a way to educate and empower a participant to heal himself or herself, not for an outside service, procedure or person to heal them.

Snehana:  Therapeutic Oleation and the Cleanse:

Snehana or Oleation during the Elemental Cleanse begins with the process of the Sesame Oil Self Massage or Abyangha, cooking with plant based oil, consuming flax oil, consuming ghee and taking teaspoons of Sesame Oil at night.  Just before Week 4, we crank it up a notch with the Sesame Seed Oil enemas and the ingestion of ghee.  Oleation encourages the tissues of the body to secrete and loosen up the toxicity or ama that is settled in the cells.  It lubricates the body.  It grounds the excessive energies of The Wind or Vata which leads the other two doshas, Pitta and Kapha back to balance.  It clears the energy channels or shrotas of the body.  Snehana is done in conjunction with the ingestion of bitter herbs like Neem and the bitter and uplifting tastes of beans, legumes, and vegetables.

Swedana:  Therapeutic Heat and the Cleanse:

In a panchakarma administered by a physician, there is much more play with heat than in the Cleanse.  This is because Cleansers do not have easy access to these modalities and because they can be dangerous if not appropriately supervised.  I simply encourage Cleansers to seek out hot baths, hot saunas, steam rooms and the sun.

In a true panchakarma, the participant would receive steam heat applied directly to the skin followed by a steam in a box.  This would be done over the course of the 3 – 7 days.  It is a necessary procedure because panchakarma is very quick acting…7 days…and the toxicity or ama must be quickly expelled.

Step 1

Vaman moves Kapha
Vaman is vomiting.  It is recommended for kapha related disorders like bronchitis, colds, breathlessness, chronic asthma, diabetes, and indigestion.  It must be done with the help of a physician.  Generally, a person will drink warm salt water until the body releases.  We do not embrace this practice during the Elemental Cleanse.  Again, that is why we must spend three weeks in the pre stage.  There are no quick fixes with the Elemental Cleanse.  Kapha moves, but it moves slowly over the course of 28 days.  Kapha does get moving pretty good during Week 3 and that’s why Cleansers are encouraged to pause in Week 3.  It actually benefits the movement of Kapha.

Vamana is not a step for everyone.  It is recommended by participant and must be supervised by an appropriately qualified Ayurvedic Physician. 

Step 2

Naysa moves Kapha

Nasya oil is sold in the studio and online at www.elementalom.com.  I do recommend it to those suffering bronchitis, colds, breathlessness, chronic asthma, sinusitis, diabetes, and indigestion.  Used best preventatively. If you do not wish to purchase Nasya oil, sniff a few drops of Sesame Oil morning and night for a similar effect.

Step 3

Virechana…moving Pitta

Virechana is inducing elimination through the bowels.  It is good for hyper acidity, colitis, hemorrhoids, chronic headaches, allergies, acne, psoriasis, eczema and migraine.  Again, this must be done with a physician as the herbs used are powerful and dosha dependent.  A person can become weak, dizzy and dehydrated from this procedure.

During the Elemental Cleanse, once a person has completed the Oleation, they actually induce this themselves with the Sesame Seed Oil enema.  The enema acts on three fronts, (1) to oleate (2) to eliminate and (3) basti discussed below.

Step 4

Basti

Basti is a process where medicated liquid is introduced through rectum, vagina, penus, urethra and wounds.  Again, a physician must administer basti as the herbs are powerful and dosha specific.  Basti is not really enema.  Enema only acts upon the lower portion of the colon.  Basti acts on the entire system.  Colonics are becoming more popular in the West.  I strongly discourage this practice. It is not Basti and it is not Ayurvedic.  Flushing the colon with water is actually very drying and weakens the mucous membranes.

Step 5

Raktamokshana moves Pitta

Raktamokshana is bloodletting.   We do not do this practice in the United States.  If a person were to have excessively high pitta, you could recommend they go to a blood bank and give blood.  The premise is toxins have loosened up and are traveling the blood stream.  Bloodletting is an effective way to quickly reduce the body of toxicity.

Summary

So, from this discussion, you can begin to understand The Elemental Cleanse is inspired not just from yoga, meditation, the yoga sutras and Ayurveda, but also from this 5-step procedure.  The Elemental Cleanse must be administered slowly to have potent effect.  A quick Cleanse of any sort is superficial and does not benefit the emotional or physical state of an individual.