Ayurveda / Panch Karma

Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words, Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.

Ayurveda is the ancient Indian medical science, the origin of which can be traced back to the Vedas, some of the oldest available writings of the world. Vedas are the ancient books of knowledge, or science, from India. They contain practical and scientific information on various subjects beneficial to humanity like health, philosophy, engineering, and astrology.

From its early roots to today, Ayurveda has represented an overall approach to physical and mental well being. Preserved through the ages on delicate manuscripts and scrolls, Ayurveda is still am important part of life in modern India. Today researchers continue to study and substantiate, through modern science, many traditional applications for Ayurvedic herbs.

Introduction to Panch Karma

Panchkarma is a purifying therapy to enhance the metabolic process through food and herbal medicines. It is used in deep rooted chronic disease as well as seasonal imbalance of tridoshas. As the wastes are eliminated from the body the person becomes healthy. Literally Panch means five and Karma means action. So Panch Karma means five types of actions or techniques or treatment. These types of therapeutics are based on elimination therapy.

Elimination is a natural instinct of every living creature. Human body is a complex type of wonderful machine, which has millions of functions, majority of them are voluntarily controlled and some of them are involuntary or self controlled. Millions of cells in the body are working day and night to produce energy and maintain the life. Lot of wastes are produced in this process at the level of cells.

It is natural that some toxins accumulate in the body as a result of various metabolic activities. It is necessary to eliminate these toxins from the body, which the body is doing to the great extent, but some toxins still remains in the body and causing many disease when their quantity increases beyond a certain limit.

These wastes should always be eradicated from the body, otherwise they stick into minute channels of the body known as 'srotas' and start producing diseases. That is why, if we want to be healthy, it is necessary to eliminate wastes from the channels and no room should be given for accumulation of these waste products.

Doshas and waste materials accumulate in the body as a result of following improper diet and living style. The seasonal accumulation of doshas is also described in Ayurveda. For example, Kapha doshas accumulate in winter. So to eliminate these excess doshas or impurities from the body, various Panch Karma treatments are used.

Infinite number of unwanted toxins and unwanted metabolic substances accumulate in our body in due course of time, which is against the law of nature. These unwanted toxins and unwanted metabolic substances have been accumulated for the major reasons being the air pollution, the chemicals that we eat through our food, lack of body movements. In this 20th Century man is following a life pattern which is totally against the principles of nature. At the formation of Universe, is was considered, that the universe was free from any pollutants. Man is the cause for this pollutants. The question of accumulating of toxins was not arising at that time because the resistance of the body was strong enough to eliminate all the toxins in the natural form. As now days the life being artificial we disobey the laws of nature, as a result wastage gets accumulated in our body more easily. When the wastage in our body reaches to uncontrollable limit our bodies resistance is helpless and we become an easy prey to disease.

As a human being advances in age by the time he or she is 40 these signs are clearly seen. The body resistance becomes weak and the human being unexpectedly suffers from minor or major disease. At this point Ayurveda says that body is not in equilibrium with nature and it needs immediate correction. The process of correcting is called panchakarma and is explained below how it is done.