Preparation
This is the part that people love! Preparation is the longest phase, and consists of:
- Reducing ama. Getting the body to digest & eliminate unwanted metabolic toxins. Read more about What is Ama and Why you want to get rid of it here
- Warm oil! Internal and external application of medicated herbal oil and ghees to coax the body’s tissues to actually release the metabolic waste and direct it back to the digestive tract.
- Controlled sweating. In Ayurveda, the goal is to open the channels to drive the herbal oil deeper into your body. We never heat the head, eyes, heart or genitals.
What that means from the vantage point of the individual preparing for PK, is that you will experience:
- Special diet and cleansing lifestyle prep at home
- Full body massage with herbal oil, herbal powder or steaming bundles
- Steam therapy
- Recommended bliss therapies: head massage with nose or ear drops, shirodhara warm oil poured on the head, warm oil dams over the low back or upper back, uterus, heart
More about Preparation Phase, step 2 – Warm Oil
The use of oil is very, very specific. It is needed to loosen gunk that’s been stuffed away and stuck in the tissues.
Internally, you’ll drink increasing amounts of ghee under controlled guidance. Ghee is specifically used because it has the unique amongst the oils to be light to digest and even stimulate the digestive power (Agni), whereas most oils dampen the fire.
You’ll be rewarded with a luxurious warm oil massage each day of your treatments! Very often herbal powder is used to perform the full body massage the first day or two. That acts as a langhana, or reducing, therapy if that is required for your condition.
The first step to starting your Ayurvedic cleanse is to*** book consultations***. We will use the intake consultation to understand your health and create a targeted treatment plan and set dates for your panchakarma. In the second appointment, I’ll explain how to do the cleanse day-by-day This has to be done at least a week before your treatments. The third appointment is used as a post-cleanse check-in, to help you understand the special diet and reintegration after.
Alternately, if you’re just curious how it works, join a Panchakarma info session
