Some preparatory work of removing some poor diet options, substitution of better food options, herbs, and some lifestyle changes.
• Eating a simple diet for 8 – 14 days so that the body can concentrate its resources on removing toxins.
• Body treatments to provoke excess Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to move into the GI tract as well as toxins for removal.
• Taking medicated ghee in the morning for 4 – 8 days.
• Usually purgation with a strong laxative.
• Medicated enemas.

Most people lose weight on a panchakarma. It varies greatly depending on what was in the diet prior to the PANCHKARMA. PANCHKARMA primes the body for more significant weight loss especially if you stay with a simple diet for a longer period of time.

According to studies of the National Institute of Health in 2002:
• Decreases cholesterol, by lowering toxic lipid peroxide levels
• Decreased the rate of platelet clumping and thus lymphatic congestion
• Decreases 14 major toxic and cancer causing chemicals from the body tissues
• Significantly raised the good HDL cholesterol
• Lowered diastolic blood pressure
• 70% reduction of heavy metals, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals than the general population. There can be up to 80% less doctor’s visits. Pancha Karma recipients showed significantly less aging.
• Reduces free radicals which are the leading cause of all disease
• Significant reduction in bodily complaints, irritability, bodily strain, psychological inhibition and emotional stability
• Decreased anxiety, reduced doctor visits
• removes the root cause of the disease
• improves immunity
• removes chemical toxins (environment pollution, drinking, smoking, chemicals in food, medicines)
• removes emotional toxins ( stress, jealousy, sorrows, fears, anger, relationships, job stress, grief, anxiety)
• reduce extra fat
• reverse aging
• increase skin glow
• remove anxiety, sleeplessness/insomnia and mental problems
• balance blood circulation, high BP, low BP
• balance digestive system
• increase loss of vigor and stamina

People generally feel some fatigue and may experience mild flu like symptoms if there are a lot of toxins being released. If the person does not do the proper preparatory work before the Panchakarma, then the toxins may flood the system too quickly and cause the person to develop strong flu symptoms.

The simple diet consists of cooked grains, moong beans or some other lentil, and cooked vegetables. Avoid cold foods, yeast, fats, dairy, processed foods, alcohol, foods with high sugar.

Yes, people can do their own body treatments.

The preparatory phase is generally 4 days to two weeks.
The actual cleanse itself takes 4 to 14 days.
The Post phase of slowing reintroducing your normal foods can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks.

Your ayurvedic professional will determine which of the 5 actions (vomiting, purgation, enemas, nasal oil, bloodletting) are appropriate for you.

Ayurveda is one of the great gifts of the sages of ancient India to mankind. It is one of the oldest scientific medical systems in the world, with a long record of clinical experience. The word “Ayu” means all aspects of life from birth to death. The word “Veda” means knowledge or learning. Hence Ayurveda indicates the science by which life in its totality is understood.

Ayurveda is the collection of principles of healthy living that evolved from the time of the appearance of man on earth. It is not liable to change at any time or at any point of the world. This healing system has been practiced in daily living in India for more than 5000 years. Ayurveda, first recorded in the Vedas, the world’s oldest collection of knowledge, is still the most favored healthcare practice of millions of Indians. A system older than Greek and Egyptian medicine, it is now known to the wider world as a New Age medicine, proving its eternal significance.

Modern medicine tries to treat and remove symptoms rather than treating the patient suffering from it. This stems from the view that all people are more or less the same. Ayurveda makes special contributions by addressing the uniqueness of each patient and by helping each body to heal itself.

The roots of Ayurveda can be traced to the beginning of cosmic creation. Indian philosophers state that Ayurveda originated from Brahma, the creator of the universe. Brahma is not a mere individual but the unmanifest from the Divine Lord, from whom the whole manifest world comes into being. The desire to maintain fitness, health and longevity is one of the basic instincts of all creatures. Ayurveda in this respect sets the pattern for other system of medicine. It is a tradition with an antiquity comparable to that of life itself.

It is one of the oldest scientific medical systems in the world, with a long record of clinical experience. However, it is not only a system of medicine in the conventional sense of curing disease. It is also a way of life that teaches us how to maintain and protect health. It shows us both how to cure disease and how to promote longevity. Ayurveda treats man as a “whole” – which is a combination of body, mind and soul. Therefore it is a truly holistic and integral medical system.

The material scattered in the Vedas was collected, subjected to rigid tests of efficacy and systematically arranged. Such compilations were called ”Samhitas.” Many of these compilations no longer exist. Only three authentic works have stood the test of time and are available today – the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridya Samhita. This great trio – the Brihatrayi as it called – has enjoyed much popularity and respect for the last two thousand years. Although these texts have undergone some modification by various authors in subsequent periods, their present form is at least 1200 years old. They are all in the Sanskrit language.

The Charaka Samhita is the oldest of the three and was probably first compiled around 1500 BC. It is considered the prime work on the basic concepts of Ayurveda. Charaka represents the Atreya School of physicians. It is a systematic work divided into eight Sthanas or sections, which are further divided into 120 chapters.

Sushruta represents the Dhanwantri School of surgeons, and is considered in Ayurveda to be the father of surgery. Even a great American society of surgeons is named after Sushruta. In the Sushruta Samhita there are sophisticated descriptions of diseases and surgical instruments.