The Royal Reset, What is Panchakarma?

Panchakarma, the creme de la creme of detox and rejuvinations. It's ancient medicine for the modern human. 5,000 years old to be exact. If you've never heard of panchakarma, that's not unusual, it’s an ancient practice that is gaining popularity in the West. In fact Aaron Rogers and Courtney Kardashian are two celebs who recently have spoken up about doing the detoxification. It’s a gentle yet profound way to rid the body of toxins through a traditional Indian medical system called Ayurveda. The sister science to Yoga. It is one of the world's oldest medical systems and includes medicinal plants, massage and yoga to obtain balance in the mind, body and spirit. Ayurveda means “the science of life” and is meant to help restore balance to the body.  First the digestive system is cleansed, and the metabolism is stimulated for about 4 weeks before the treatment starts. Panchakarma is a unique approach for rejuvenation, revitalization and prevention. It is performed over a series of multiple days, in a clinic by 2 practitioners. My experience was wonderful. Here’s a little background.

So why do a panchakarma? After the last two years of hard to handle news and pandemics I noticed my body felt off. I pride myself on how well I take care of myself and how much attention I put towards my health and wellness. But the truth is we lose the ability to detox when we eat hard to digest food, are overworked and stressed out. Period. And boy oh boy the last two years didn’t help with any of that. I was feeling unmotivated and sluggish and I could tell my body wasn’t doing a good job detoxifying. I could tell the stress from my mind was really impacting my digestive system. Many of us have overburdened immune systems, all of which prevent the body from rest and repair. This burden creates disease states and enhances the aging process. Knowing this I decided that I would embark on this journey during the springtime, a perfect time for starting new.

Ayurveda is an ancient medical system too complicated for me to try and summarize in one blog. Essentially Ayurveda divides the 5 elements (air, fire, water, earth, and space) into 3 elemental combinations called Doshas. Vata= air and space. Pitta= fire and water. Kapha= earth and water. In a healthy individual the doshas are balanced. A number of factors can disturb the doshas in the mind and body, such as seasonal change, electronic stimulation, environment and diet and lifestyle changes. The disturbance of these doshas present a build up of toxins in the body and begin to cause symptoms of disease. Panchkarma removes the build up, detoxes the lymphatic system, balances the doshas and resets the digestion.

Over the years through my study of Yoga and Ayurveda I learned about this royal treatment called panchkarma and became interested in the benefits. I am constantly on the hunt to better myself and learn new ways of rejuvenation. The treatment at the clinic I used, called New Leaf Ayurveda, lasts 3 days. The clinic is a quiet, supportive and slow environment where they insist on doing everything for you. Getting you tea, making sure you aren’t cold, and guiding you from room to room so you are never disoriented. Each day is a different treatment but overall I was in the clinic for a total of around 4 hours a day getting oil treatments, 4 handed massage, scrubs, and steams. And at the end of each day they deliver a very gentle internal cleansing treatment to help eliminate impurities from the digestive tract called a Basti, similar to an enema. And they send you home with all the homemade organic food you will need during this process, so you don’t have to lift a finger or worry about how to feed yourself.

Deciding to do this treatment took a conscious effort to slow down. This day in age we are bombarded with tech and unrealistic expectations of productivity. This treatment is meant to strip you from your burdens, but also to build you up and support your body so it can work effectively. I decided to disengage from my cell phone and computer during the treatment. I think that was a heartfelt decision. Releasing my attachment to tech helped me be in the NOW. I was able to truly relax and let my body rest without distractions. Giving myself ample space and time for rest, quiet and solitude was challenging at first. But it gave my nervous system a reset and got me back on track with my normal circadian rhythms.

Panchakarma is a beautiful practice of healing. Not only allowing physical chemicals and toxins to be released from the body, but emotional blocks and long standing issues mentally to come to the surface and unravel. During my time in California I had a profoundly relaxing experience. I believe by focusing on rest and my own internal purification I am now able to send out a ripple effect of healing to my family, community and beyond! I can show up bright eyed, healthy and ready to support other women in healing.