What is panchakarma therapy?
Panchakarma is a set of five therapies, which is designed to clean the body of toxins. According to Ayurveda, purification of the body is important before the commencement of any other therapy.
Two basic principles of Panchakarma
The panchakarma process involves two sets of therapies:
Oleation and Formentation
Oleation
Oleation involves the application of oil on your body. There are a variety of oils prepared from herbal and mineral ingredients for this purpose. Apart from oil, ghee is also applied on the body. These fatty substances reach the deeper tissues and help in carrying the medicinal ingredients to every cell of the body. This help in loosening up the toxins stuck in the cell.
Formentation
Formentation therapies are therapies that help in generating sweat. First, the tissues are made soft by oleation therapy and further formentation makes them even softer. The toxins lost by oelation liquefy due to formentation, which helps in flushing them out of the body.
Application of the two principles
The principles of oelation and formentation apply through certain therapies. Some of these therapies are:
Abhyanga
Abhyanga is a body massage done through herbal and mineral oil. It can be done for the entire body or just specific parts of the body. The main purpose of it is to lubricate the body and pacify vata dosha.
Shirodhara
The therapy is aimed at relieving ailments related to the head region. During this therapy, a stream of warm oil is poured at the centre of the forehead at a uniform speed. The speed and temperature of the oil stream are kept constant throughout the 30-60 minutes of the therapy.
Pizhichil
The pizhichil therapy is an excellent therapy to relieve muscular, joint and neurological problems. During this therapy, the body is subjected to streams of lukewarm oil with soft massage along with rhythmic hand movements.
Potali massage
This massage is done with small bags that contain medical herbs. The bag is heated in warm oil for a few minutes and then is used for massaging the body. It’s a great way to relieve pain, reduce stress and nourish the body.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for physician’s advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.
