PANCHAKARMA

Panchakarma is a traditional Indian Ayurvedic treatment that is useful for the cleansing and detoxification of the mind, body, and spirit.

The treatment is used to clean the body of toxic materials left by disease, poor nutrition, and environmental toxins. Normally the body has the innate ability to efficiently process and remove these waste materials, including the vitiated doshas. However, due to one’s repeated dietary indiscretions, poor exercise patterns, lifestyle, and genetic predisposition, the digestive enzymes, metabolic co-factors, hormones, and agnis which regulate the body’s internal homeostasis become disorganized. This can lead to the accumulation and spread of toxins throughout the physiology resulting in disease. This waste matter is called ama in Ayurveda. Ama is a foul-smelling, sticky, harmful substance that needs to be completely evacuated from the body. Panchakarma will remove the excess doshas and correct imbalances in them as well as eliminate the harmful ama out of your system through the body’s own organs and channels of elimination (colon, sweat glands, lungs, bladder, urinary tract, stomach, intestines, etc). Panchakarma purifies the tissues at a very deep level. https://www.ayurvedichealing.net/panchakarma/

The doshas are biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. They govern all physical and mental processes and provide every living being with an individual blueprint for health and fulfillment. There are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha

The doshas are dynamic energies that constantly change in response to our actions, thoughts, emotions, the foods we eat, the seasons, and any other sensory inputs that feed our mind and body. When we live into the fulfillment of our individual natures, we naturally make lifestyle and dietary decisions that foster balance within our doshas. When we live against our intrinsic natures, we support unhealthy patterns that lead to physical and mental imbalances. www.eattasteandheal.com

Panchakarma is a Sanskrit word that means “five actions” or “five treatments”:

• Daily warm oil massage (abhyanga)

• Herbal steam therapy (swedana)

• Lymphatic massage

• Herbal enemas (basti)

• Nasal administrations (nasya)

Panchakarma is a five-fold therapy; it is highly individualized based on the needs of the individual depending on the Ayurvedic constitutional type, doshic imbalances, age, digestive strength, immune status, and many other factors. Depending on each individual’s needs, all or only parts of the five therapies are utilized.

Panchakarma is not only for detoxifying the body, but also for rejuvenation — strengthening the immune system, and restoring balance and well-being.

Panchakarma is a time-proven natural therapy that detoxifies and restores the body’s inner balance and vitality.

According to Ayurveda, good health depends upon our capability to fully metabolize all aspects of life, assimilating that which nourishes and eliminating the rest. When we can’t completely digest our food, experiences, and emotions, toxins accumulate in our bodily tissues, creating imbalance and – ultimately – disease. Panchakarma is an elegant cleansing process that releases stored toxins and restores the body’s innate healing ability. https://www.ayurvedichealing.net/panchakarma/

I signed up for a two-week treatment after a man from India—whom everyone at the Ayurvedic shop in Budapest simply called Krishna—examined me by pressing his fingers against my wrist. As he did so, he listed my health issues and the hidden symptoms of my digestive disorder aloud. Then, he looked at my tongue and confirmed his wrist-based diagnosis with a firm “Aham.” What can I say? He could read my body.

I was very intrigued to give Panchakarma a chance—especially after many failed attempts with alternative treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture, and bioresonance. I convinced myself that this was what my body needed to begin healing. Having lived with chronic disorders that have worsened over the years, I was aware that Panchakarma wouldn’t bring noticeable results overnight.

If a health issue develops over months or even years—as most do, since symptoms usually surface only after long-term dysfunction of the cells or blockages in the body, mind, or soul—then healing will likely require just as much time, if not more. I believe the body can heal itself naturally when we care for it with the right attitude, a positive mindset and emotions, proper nutrition, and a supportive lifestyle.

In my case, the root of my physical problems lies in the colon. Apparently, I have a chronic Vata disorder, so I was given digestion aids in the form of herbal medicine, teas, and a Vata-balancing diet to help restore equilibrium. I also learned that eating the right foods in the right way can make a big difference. For example, a raw diet is actually harmful for me—yet I had been eating lots of raw salads and fruits, thinking they were healthy! Now I understand that when my digestion uses less energy, my body can redirect that energy toward healing internal damage. Just one small but important example.

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PERSONAL STORY: HOW DO I THINK I DEVELOPED MY CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUE?

I’m deeply curious to find out if my body can heal—or at least improve—with this treatment, even though I believe there’s a deeper aspect to my health issues beyond the colon. In fact, I think the colon problem is merely a result of something more fundamental.

In one of my previous blog posts, I wrote about what I believe to be the root cause of my situation: love. Or more precisely, the lack of it. Not feeling truly loved, not receiving unconditional love—this, I believe, has affected my sensitivity, and through my emotions, it has impacted my physical health.

As Deepak Chopra says, love is the healing energy, and it’s deeply connected to our immune system. When you feel loved, your immune system is stronger; when you feel unloved, your immune system weakens, making you more prone to illness. Interestingly, about 80% of our immune system resides in our gastrointestinal tract. So it’s not surprising that LOVE – GUT – IMMUNE SYSTEM are intimately linked.

For me, this connection is key. I sense that the imbalance in my gut reflects a long-standing emotional wound, and perhaps through nurturing both my body and emotions, I can gradually restore my health. Panchakarma may be just one piece of that healing journey.

According to neuroscientists and healers studying/ working with vibrations say that ill children can only be healed through their mums in other words through their mums' vibration, which means mums need to heal first. But what happens when you're one of these sensitive kids who grew up without your mum being healed?

SENSITIVE CHILDREN HAVE SENSITIVE REACTIONS.

Some sensitive children aren't just emotionally sensitive, but they're sensitive to anything physical that triggers their senses. Sensitive kids feel every emotion quite intensely. www.verywellfamily.com

WE CAN GROW TO LOVE.

What is the problem with love?

I see that most people don’t know how to love without expecting something in return. They aren’t even aware that their love is conditional because they follow patterns from their environment — media, family, friend groups — and unconsciously identify with them. They don’t question why they love the way they do; they just follow what they’ve seen or been taught.

Sometimes I feel like Leeloo from The Fifth Element (Luc Besson’s movie), who was created to save humanity. But when she witnesses the cruelty and lack of love between humans, she becomes weak and loses her desire to save them. It’s only when Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) kisses her, and she feels the power of love, that her faith is restored. Love gives her trust back.

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NOW BACK TO PANCHAKARMA

Over the two-week treatment, I received a BIG kick-start into cleansing and detoxifying through daily warm Ayurvedic teas, small portions of vegetarian meals, herbal medicines, and daily treatments — including warm oil massages, yoga, meditation, and pranayama exercises — all aimed at supporting my body’s healing process.

As ama (toxins or waste material) manifests in the body as sticky mucous that can cause stiffness and energy blockages, the focus of the first week was to warm up my body and help transform these toxins into a more fluid state, making it easier to eliminate them. Each day, I received 3.5 hours of massage — 2 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon — along with time in a herbal sauna, and Shirodhara (a warm, gentle, and methodical pouring of herbalised oil over the forehead, which synchronizes brain waves and deeply calms the mind, body, and spirit).

I didn’t face any problems during the first week, aside from starting to feel bored (a rare experience for me!), over-relaxed (honestly, too much resting and lying around), and slightly annoyed by the daily massages after day five. The days started to feel routine — because they followed the same structure every day — and the only real variation came from my chats with my therapist, who often made me smile. I felt safe and at home in his hands, and he shared beautiful energy with me.

On the 6th day, I was ready for my colon flush.

In the morning, I started by swallowing a small amount of oil (I couldn't identify what kind it was), then I bit into a slice of lemon and sucked the juice, followed by drinking 2.5 dl of warm water — that was my breakfast. The next three hours were spent drinking 3 liters of warm water and sitting on the toilet. After completing the procedure, I felt cleansed from the inside out. My skin appeared noticeably clearer and smoother, and my eyes felt more open and brighter. Something shifted in my heart — I became incredibly sensitive (at least to the music I was listening to), and felt pure, filled with love and joy, to the point that it brought tears to my eyes. Some people want to hug everyone after taking drugs — I wanted to hug everyone after having a flush.😄

On the second week, I received 5 herbal enemas (which had the colour of coffee with milk), a special warm oil bath prepared in a circle around my lower back (see photos below), and some sort of a cooked cabbage steam inhalation treatment on top of the usual massage treatments.

Enemas are harmless, with no pain when the liquid enters the rectum. I only felt some warmth in my lower abdomen, and then I had to hold the liquid inside for a little while to allow the herbs to do their healing work. If the colon is very dry, it can absorb most of the nutritious liquid. Eventually, I went to the toilet to release the liquid, now mixed with colon waste (in other words: poop).

After my first enema, my nose became unblocked, and I was overjoyed to finally breathe through my nose for an entire day and night — something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. (Unfortunately, I've been on and off with a blocked nose for about two years now.) However, after the second enema, my nose became blocked again and has remained that way since. :(

After my third enema, I became very moody and uneasy. I felt sullen, negative, and irritable, and I cried throughout the afternoon. It was emotional stress. When I cried after the flush, it was from emotional release and happiness. But this time, after the enema, I cried from discomfort and sadness.

By the fourth and fifth enemas, things evened out, and I felt pretty much okay.

Although I enjoyed the treatments and especially the yoga sessions, time seemed to move very slowly during the two weeks, and by the end, I couldn’t wait to leave. I did the treatment in December, when Hungary was cold and dark, and as I was advised to keep myself warm, I stayed in every evening after finishing my dinner around 6 p.m. — sometimes even earlier.

There was also nothing uplifting or exciting about walking around the small village where the Ayurvedic centre is located. The outside world felt rather dull. During the last week, it was only me and another client staying at the centre, so there was little movement of energy.

The Hungarian staff — receptionists and two kitchen team members — usually left while we were still eating, and we were asked to switch off the lights in the dining area after finishing our meals. The atmosphere felt a bit sterile. In contrast to the Indian staff, who had warm, positive, and uplifting energy, the Hungarian staff didn’t radiate the same energy. This isn't a personal criticism of them but rather an observation of the cultural atmosphere. Hungary’s historical traumas and national pain still seem to linger, compounded by current political and financial struggles, casting a negative glow over many people. There’s a saying in Hungary: “Sírva vígad a magyar,” which loosely translates to, “Weeping, the Hungarian makes merry.” It’s a reflection of the melancholic, resigned mentality — marked by weariness, gloom, and complaining. The trust level is low, and corruption is widespread. While I was there, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of separation in the Hungarian staff’s energy. It felt like they were not doing their jobs wholeheartedly — no smiles, no kind or supportive gestures. Their faces seemed to carry pain and disconnection — separation from their true selves, from love, from clients, and from life itself. I believe that a chef or cook cannot be depressed — especially in a healing centre — because their vibrations transfer into the food they prepare. This energy becomes information for the consumer's cells, potentially hindering healing.

On the positive, I found this centre very professional, well-organised, and highly prepared with all medical and herbal needs for clients that are brought here from Kerala, India. The Indian therapists are !!!OMG!!! so skillful, focused, and attentive that I seriously started to think to go studying Ayurveda in Kerala. My therapist shared info on the school he attended and told me about his experience on how he became a healer. I was highly inspired by him! All the therapists were from India, speaking a little English and no Hungarian at all or maybe a few words. They all radiated positive, divine energies with smiles and respect toward us that I felt I didn't deserve for some reason. I mean, how dare I come here with my health issues and give them my blocked energies when they are shining warmly? They'd deserve to be shined back at. My therapist was so tuned into my energies and the problems in my body, that knowledge he collected just by touching/ feeling my body over the massage, that I was flabbergasted. No way I could hide that I was in a bad mood or that I ate meat (I only ate meat the day before I arrived otherwise meat is not allowed during the treatment). He felt it right on.

What happens after the treatment?

After the treatment, I felt the same as before with the little difference in my body became a bit more flexible. I noticed that I could lift my right leg higher up than before and the pain in my back, which I used to feel in certain yoga poses, was gone.

On the negative, my skin turned so dry that it hurt and was itchy. It is funny because every day for 2 weeks (even on Saturday and Sunday!) my whole body was massaged in plenty of warm ayurvedic oils yet my skin turned extremely dry. I also had many red dry spots on certain parts of my body like on my bottom, around the armpits, lower back, and hip, which was said to be the result of the toxin that was leaving my body through the skin. I was advised to put sesame oil on my skin to aid both the dryness and the spots. The spots were gone in about 2 weeks but the dryness stayed on for months.

I also received a massive bag of Ayurvedic supplements and a list of food of what to eat and what to avoid strictly in the next 3 months. Why 3 months? I was told that the old cells die and new ones are born in every 3 months. I did some extra research on that, and here's what I found with the help of feelguide.com and livescience.com:

"You are given a new liver every six weeks (a human liver can regenerate itself completely even if as little as 25% remains of it). Your stomach lining replaces itself every 4 days, and the stomach cells that come into contact with digesting food are replaced every 5 minutes."

"Skin: The epidermis sees a fair amount of wear and tear, thanks to its role as the body's outermost layer of protection. These skin cells rejuvenate every two to four weeks.

Hair: The body's natural fuzz has a life span of about six years for women and three years for men.

Stomach and Intestines: Cells that line the surface of the stomach and intestines have a difficult, short life. Constantly battered by corrosives like stomach acids, they typically last only up to five days.

Bones: Cells in the skeletal system regenerate almost constantly, but the complete process takes a full 10 years. The renewal process slows down as we age, so our bones get thinner."

What do I recommend?

As Panchakarma is recommended for not only healing but rejuvenating purposes, please do as much research as possible before you attend the treatment in your chosen healing centre, in or outside of your country, as it is very costly and you will want to complete it with positive feelings and mindset. So check their website, call them up, read the reviews, and educate yourself on what Panchakarma is about. Many people are not prepared emotionally and mentally for the changes that their body is about to go through during the treatment, they expect it to be a beauty treatment, and in the end, it is kind of a beauty treatment it's true... but not in the conventional way of thinking of beauty. It is a cell-based cleansing and detoxifying process so you're not going to get gentle beauty touches but deep and thorough "invading" methods inside out.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely!

Panchakarma treatment in Hungary may be a bit westernized to fit European cultural needs and habits. I have a feeling that it would have been tougher to go through with it in its original environment, India. However, I would have loved to connect the healing adventure with an exciting travel journey!

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If you're interested, you can watch my Panchakarma vlog below:

Thank you for reading and watching!

Until next time ♡