Ayurveda offers many techniques and practices to heal the human body, mind, and soul. Rooted in the ancient treatment process, Ayurveda provides a holistic approach to curing any form of the disease. Panchakarma Ayurveda Therapy is a holistic treatment for deep cleansing and rejuvenating the body and mind. Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment is based on the concept of five essential elements of nature, i.e., air, water, fire, earth, and ether.
The word “Panchakarma” means “Five Actions” in Sanskrit, which is a good name for the method because it is based on five different essential body functions: basti, nasya, vamana, virechana, and raktamokshana. Put another way, Panchakarma is the foundation on which most Ayurvedic treatment methods are built.
The best way for Panchakarma to work is to use medicated oils that help the body eliminate unnecessary waste. Panchakarma exemplifies Ayurvedic morals and lives up to its name.
The Mind-Body Connection: Ayurveda
Ayurveda considers the mind the bridge between the soul and the senses. The brain is an exciting system that controls the body’s senses and functions. Every feeling in life is linked to it in its way: joy, fear, anger, shame, contempt, disgust, guilt, grief, interest, surprise, and happiness.
Ayurveda says that the mind and body are linked, and one’s state dramatically affects the other. Ayurvedic psychology says that the mind is not just the brain but the whole body and that our ideas and feelings are deeply related to our bodies.
Three traits in a person’s mind change their character: sattva, rajas, and tamas. An unknown number of these traits and a changing unbalance of doshas may throw off mental balance. Practices that try to sync the mind and body, like yoga, meditation, and pranayama (breath control), stress the mind-body link.
Doshas: What does Ayurveda have to say?
Ayurveda categorizes people into groups based on their doshas, which are their unique constitutions. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas are the fundamental forces that control many of the body’s physical and mental processes.
Each dosha has different traits, and a person’s Prakriti is based on which doshas are strongest. Most people have a dominating dosha or a mix of two doshas that affect their mental and physical traits.
- Vata: Vata is linked to movement and controls body processes involving breathing, circulation, and talking. When Vata is out of balance, it can cause stress, restlessness, and trouble focusing.
- Pitta: Pitta is in charge of change and is connected to nutrition, metabolism, and mental clarity. If your Pitta is out of balance, you might feel irritable, angry, or competitive.
- Kapha: Kapha is related to building and security, affecting power, defense, and mental health. Kapha that is too high can make you feel tired, depressed, and heavy.
Figuring out Mental and Physical imbalances and how they affect overall health
According to Ayurveda, emotional problems called Manasika Vikaras can have significant effects on your physical health, and the same is true for your mental health. Anxiety, stress, and bad feelings can throw off the delicate balance of doshas, which can cause several health problems.
In turn, physical problems can affect mental health, making the mind and body connected in a circle.
Learning About the Ayurvedic Panchakarma Treatment
People do things to free up toxins and prepare their bodies to eliminate them before they do Panchakarma. In this phase, people usually change their diets, use herbal treatments, and apply oil rubs to move toxins from lower areas to the digestive system.
The five main steps in Panchakarma Ayurveda therapy are:
- During Vamana (Therapeutic Emesis), plants are eaten, and therapeutic vomiting is performed to eliminate extra Kapha (phlegm) in the body. This clears out congestion and improves lung health.
- Therapeutic purgation, or Virechana, is done with plant laxatives. It helps eliminate bile and toxins built up in the bowels, which is good for digestion, liver, and skin health.
- Basti, or therapeutic enema, is a way to clean the gut, balance Vata (air), eliminate constipation, and feed the body’s inner tissues.
- Nosya, or nasal administration, is putting plant oils or powders into the nose to clear up stuffy sinuses, make breathing more accessible, and clear your mind.
- Bloodletting, or Raktamokshana, is a process used in the past but less often nowadays. Its goal is to clean the blood by removing impurities through leech therapy or venesection techniques.
Mental Health Benefits of Panchakarma
Stress reduction: Panchakarma treatments, especially oil rubs (Abhyanga) and Shirodhara (constant pouring of oil on the forehead), help people relax deeply, calm their nervous systems, and relieve stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness.
Healing the emotions: Ayurvedic care for mental health eliminates physical poisons and balances the doshas (bioenergies). This frees up emotional blocks stored in the body and promotes emotional strength, clarity, and inner peace.
Better cognitive function: Nasya treatment works on the brain and nose tubes to improve memory, focus, and mental clarity. This makes it helpful for conditions like ADHD and cognitive decline.
Mood Balance: Panchakarma cleansing cleans the blood and nerve system, which helps hormones and neurotransmitters work correctly. This lowers mood swings and sadness.
Proper Diet Can Double the effect of Panchakarma
Your diet is the key to maximizing the benefits of Panchakarma. Eating right can amplify the effectiveness of the best Ayurvedic Panchakarma Treatment.
Ayurveda says food is one of the most essential parts of staying healthy. There will be less Agni (digestive fire) during Panchakarma. So, it’s always best to eat in a way that is good for your gut and helps your stomach fire return. Ama is made when you only process food partially. It’s made up of harmful, sticky matter that can block the body’s pathways, bring nutrients to cells, and trash out of the body. It would help to avoid things that make your body store more Ama.
Ayurveda identifies Ama as a product of old and difficult-to-digest foods, such as prepared, packed, canned, and frozen foods. Similarly, heavy dairy products, fried or oily foods, raw foods, heavy sweets, yeasted bread, dry bread like crackers, and fermented foods can all contribute to Ama production. Avoiding these foods in your diet is a crucial aspect of the Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment in Houston.
Patanjali Wellness Center, Houston Also Says The Diet is Crucial
You can eat fruits (mostly cooked prunes and figs), vegetables perfectly cooked with detox spices, grains like quinoa, barley, and rice, and spices like ginger, turmeric, coriander, fennel, and fenugreek. Drinking a lot of warm water is always good during the cleansing program.
It is suggested that you follow the panchakarma or kitchari diet for at least one week after your detox program is over. After the Panchakarma Ayurveda therapy, our Ayurvedic professionals will guide you through a proper diet plan that will benefit your mental and physical health.