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Pancha Karma- One Woman’s Journey and How You Can Do It Yourself at Home 2003 was a very strange year… I was walking away from it having just lost my job as a publicist in the music industry due to the company’s closing, my other part time job ended as a result of a negative work environment, and my serious relationship of the past two years was called to a halt. Oh, and not to mention I had just put an offer on a house at the high end of my price range and was all set to close in the New Year. Needless to say when December rolled around, I was in need of a boost of optimism and a prayer. Sound familiar? It was then that I felt I had to purge myself of all negative past events and start the New Year with a clean slate. Recently I had become intrigued by the science of Ayurveda and had done extensive reading on the particular therapy of Pancha Karma. For those new to Vedic science, very simply put Ayurveda is based on the idea that the universe is composed of five basic elements or Panchamahabhutas including Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. These five elements combine to form the three vital energies or Doshas of Fire/Water (Pitta), Water/Earth (Kapha) and Air/Space (Vata). The mix of the three Doshas in each of us determines our physical constitution, called Prakriti. Our physical constitution and our health both depend on the balance and interplay of the Tridoshas. So in turn, Pancha Karma is a comprehensive three-day to three-week cleansing and rejuvenation program for the body, mind and heart. With therapies ranging from Ubvartan, an herbal exfoliation for the body, to Basti, cleansing of the intestinal tracts, a full Pancha Karma truly cleanses the body of all its toxins and brings balance to your system improving overall bodily function. This was it! After thorough research on the Internet I found an Ayurvedic Center in beautiful Sarasota, Florida offering a one-week program that fit my budget and sounded terrific. A few flight arrangements and I was all set to go New Year’s Day. I arrived late in the afternoon to a very smiling and warm Dr. Brian Miller, co-owner of the center. We had a very brief conversation in the car and I was full of questions. “I’ve never had an enema. Will it hurt?” “Do you think I might be a candidate for Vamana (prescribed vomiting)?” “When the brochure said fasting, does that really mean fasting.” The questions kept tumbling out. Luckily for him once we arrived at the center his wife, Dr. Light Miller, swept me away for my full examination and diagnosis where all my questions were laid to rest. After checking my pulse in a multitude of spots along my arm, peering into my eyes, studying my fingernails and examining my tongue she identified my natural Prakriti or Constitution as Pitta/ Fire dominated. Further analysis concluded that I was suffering from Vata and Kapha imbalances which resulted in my current state of suffering including symptoms of exhaustion, skin discoloration and even parasites! She scribbled down my prescription- lots of Abyangha- oil based massage, Tarpana- forgiveness ritual, and plenty of nurturing. Sounded good to me! Day one- I awoke to gentle knock on my door by the center’s general manager, Christian, summoning me for yoga class. Everyday we greeted the morning with a regular 75-minute gentle asana practice followed by breakfast. For the first three days I was put on a liver cleanse, which consisted of an odd tasting, but not offensive vegetable, fruit and herbal drink in the mornings and another mixture in the form of soup for lunch and dinner. And don’t remind me about the wheat grass shots in between- blech! After breakfast I was called upstairs for my daily treatments. During my liver cleanse I was prescribed herbal enemas to help assist in removing the parasites from my colon. Having never attempted anything like this before I was extremely nervous. However, once I met my practitioner, Iris, who would be performing the cleanse, I was immediately relieved. Her warm and soothing demeanor calmed my nerves as she coached me through the process. As you lie comfortably an infused herbal tea is flushed through your intestinal tract, like a wash, to cleanse and empty your colon. Iris remained at my side, gently massaging my lower belly to encourage the tea flow and elimination process. I can’t say it was the most pleasant thing, but it wasn’t half bad either. Next, I was ushered to a shower to clean and prepare for my daily massage. Each day I received Swedhana, a medicated oil steam with scalp massage, then Garshana, a dry lymphatic skin brushing to enhance circulation and cleans the skin, and onto Abyangha, a two-person synchronized oil massage, climaxing at the end of each session with Shirodhara, a streaming of special oils onto the forehead. What bliss!! Upon conclusion of my treatments I was escorted to my room for rest. The afternoons were a mixture of contemplative reading, meditation walks along the beach and more restorative yoga. As the week progressed the program changed slightly as my health and balance returned. I enjoyed different treatments including Pizichilli, a gentle and rhythmic massage that offers a continuous stream of warm, herbalized oils massaged into my body by two therapists, to enhance circulation and eliminate toxins. I also received a beautiful Ayurvedic facial made up of herbs, flowers and oils especially for my skin and body type to cleanse, exfoliate, detoxify and nourish the skin. In addition to these traditional methods, Brian and Light Miller also incorporated their art of Tarpana, a forgiveness ritual, to further purge the body from negative past events and energies. At the end of the week I felt like a whole new person from the inside out. My body had purged itself of many impurities, my mind enjoyed the time to relax and my heart swelled wide open. That week I learned so much, not just about Ayurveda and how to maintain my healthy balance through diet and exercise, but also about myself and how to maintain an emotional balance through communication and self-nurturing. Understandably, we can’t all take off for a week-long self cleanse, but its useful to know you can arrange for a simplified version of Pancha Karma in the comfort of your own home. Following are some suggestions on how to recreate the experience… Set aside ample time during one week to perform your treatments- ideally at least three or four mornings depending on how many days you plan to cleanse. For three days in preparation, take 2 tablespoons of castor oil nightly to prepare the colon and daily doses of the herb Triphala. After a light yoga practice early on the first morning, you can simulate the treatments by performing a mild herbal enema or Basti followed by a nice long warm shower. Feel free to bring essential oils into your shower and massage them gently into the scalp to mimic the sensation of Swedhana. Enema kits can be purchased on-line and at many specialty health stores. Next, invest in a small body brush to perform Garshana. Lightly brush the skin from the toes up making each brush stroke flow toward the right armpit, or main drainage point of the lymphatic system. For Abyangha, I advise making several appointments with a massage therapist throughout your week. Perhaps they would be willing to accommodate you in the comfort of you own home. Opt for oils rather than lotion during your massage. If money is an issue, self-massage can create the same nurturing effects. Keep your diet simple, avoiding meat and include lots of khichari, a mixture of mung beans or lentils and rice. Remember to fill you free time with long walks or Restorative Yoga practices. Repeat this sequence for at least three days. To learn more about Ayurveda, Pancha Karma and finding your Prakriti through self-tests visit these sites: Ayurvedic Healers Ayurvedic Institute Tri-Dosha Self-Test As seen in The Yoga Society of Nashville’s newsletter... http://ayurvedichealers.com/http://ayurvedichealers.com/http://www.ayurveda.com/http://www.tridosha.com/selftest.cfmshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3
Starting a New Year Anew!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008