Ayurvedic Benefits of Panchakarma Treatment
Ayurveda is a science and art of living that helps us to achieve health and longevity. It emphasizes on preventative and healing treatments along with the various methods of purification and rejuvenation.
Panchakarma is an essential part of Ayurveda which helps achieve a balanced state of mind, body, and consciousness through the detoxification and rejuvenation.
Basic Principles
1. Oleation
Oleation involves the application of oil or oily substance on the body. Ayurveda offers the variety of oils prepared from the various herbal and mineral ingredients mainly for the external use. Apart from oils and ghee used especially for the internal application. The fatty substance acts as an effective medium, manages to reach the deeper tissues, helps in the carrying medicinal ingredients to every cell of the body and loosen up all the toxins stuck in the cells.
2. Fomentation
The therapies that make sweat are called fomentation therapies. Fomentation therapies follow the Oleation therapies. The tissues made soft by oleation therapies become more flexible by the following fomentation. Deep-rooted toxins loosened by oleation liquefy due to fomentation, and it helps to flush out of the body.
Application of the Two Principles
The principles of oleation and fomentation are utilized through the certain therapies. Some of these Ayurvedic therapies are:
1. Abhyanga
Abhyanga is a type of body massage done using an appropriate medicated oil or herbal. It is done for the entire body or a specific part such as the head, joint or feet etc. Its main purpose is to lubricate the body parts and pacify Vata Dosha.
2. Pizhichil
Pizhichil is an excellent therapy for the relieving joint, muscular and neurological problems. In therapy, the whole body is subjected to streams of lukewarm medicated oil with a simultaneous soft massage with rhythmic hand movements. It helps to relieve pain, nourish the nerves and reduce stress, muscles, and induce peace of mind and relaxation.
3. Shirodhara
It is a specialized therapy aimed to relieve ailments related to the head region. In this therapy, a stream of warm oil is poured on the centre of the forehead through the vessel at a uniform speed. The speed of the oil stream is kept constant during the therapy that goes on for the 40 to 60 minutes.
4. Potali Massage
This massage is done with the special bags which contain either medicinal herbs or nutritious items. The bags are heated in warm oil for a few minutes and then are used for massaging the body. It is a great message to reduce physical and mental stress, relieve pain, and nourish and rejuvenate the body.