Rejuvenation After Panchakarma: Why Purification Comes First

Rejuvenation and Rebuilding The purpose of panchakarma is not just to get well but to purify the body and strengthen it so that future diseases will not occur, and you can enjoy a long life in good health. In this regard the panchakarma purification can be seen as a preliminary to rejuvenation. If you want to dye your shirt, don’t color it while it’s dirty. Wash it first, then dye it.

The washing is the panchakarma detoxification program, and the dyeing is the rejuvenation and revitalization. Ayurvedic rejuvenatives (rasayanas) bring renewal and longevity to the cells, and when the cells live longer, the person lives longer. Rasayanas give strength, vitality, and longevity, strengthen tone, increase energy, and build immunity. The body’s various agnis become more robust, so health becomes more robust.

For a vata individual, an excellent rejuvenative tonic is the herb ashwagandha. Take 1 teaspoon of ashwagandha in a cup of hot milk twice a day, morning and evening. An excellent rejuvenative herb for pittas is shatavari. Take 1 teaspoon twice a day in a cup of warm milk.

Kaphas can use punarnava, 1 teaspoon twice a day, but in a cup of warm water. You can also use various herbal mixtures designed to tonify the system, such as the traditional recipe chyavanprash. Three Cautions About Home Panchakarma 1. Panchakarma, even in this gentle home program, has a powerful effect and should be done only by individuals of sufficient strength.

If you are anemic, or feel weak and debilitated, even this home procedure is not for you. Do not do panchakarma in a clinic, or even this home purification, if you are pregnant. One result of panchakarma, even in this mild home version, is that the deep connective tissue may start releasing unresolved past emotions, such as grief, sadness, fear, or anger along with the built-up ama and excess doshas. If this happens, make yourself some Tranquillity Tea (see recipe on this page), and meditate, using whatever method you have learned or the Empty Bowl meditation described in chapter 7.