Panchakarma, you google and it will bring lot of images and details. Here we need not to repeat any of those sentences again and again. To just brief the aspect of Panchakarma- Panchakarma is a three step, cleansing procedure of Ayurveda through which deep seated toxins or in other words- vitiated Doshas are expelled from the body to bring back the balance of the doshas. Doshas, once are in a balance works for the body, governs and directs everything in a proper manner but once vitiated these become harmful-dangerous and start causing the diseases.
“The water which flows in a rhythm with in the banks of a river, is beautiful and life giving but once it breaks its banks, start destruction in form of flood”. We can control the flood by normalizing the flow of the water and for this we need to regulate the things from root. This is Panchakarma! When there is a big pond full of sewerage water there are two ways of it- start pouring sand in it, so that it will dry- but you can never say that when the settled will float again. This is the method by using the treatments. Second method is- drain the bad water, clear the pond and now refill it with natural clean water- this is Panchakarma!!
These five are- Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya, Raktamokshana with some different ideologies in different schools of Ayurveda. When – Three stage program. It is- first is to prepare the body to get rid of the toxins. This is soapification. Until unless toxins are not loosened up properly, it is hard to remove these from the body. Second is- to remove the loosened toxins from the body.
Once something is removed from the body, there will be some scarcity of the things in the body, so now we need to replenish it, again. This is done in the third stage. So when next time you are visiting somewhere for Panchakarma- don’t look for massage and shirodhara! Try to experience Authentic Panchakarma!! Here is the complete details of the Detoxification program at Sukhayu Ayurveda
Basti: It is one of the main Panchakarma procedures. It can be said the most important procedure in Panchakarma as it is useful in expelling the aggravated Vata out of the body and it is only the Vata Dosha which is active in our body; all the other factors depend on Vata for their working. So once the Vata Dosha is in balanced mode almost all of the diseases will remain at bay.
Because of its importance in harmonizing the Vata Dosha; the Basti procedure is termed as one half of complete treatment. In this procedure medicated Tailam or decoction of some Ayurveda herbs is given to the patient through anal route. In ancient times bladder of some animal was used to hold the medicines and to generate the pressure to push the medicine in rectum. The word Basti itself means bladder. hence the name.
By above said details it might appear like simple enema as given in routine practice to remove stagnant fecal matter from rectum but it is not dimply like that. The Basti treatment as told in Ayurveda has multi faceted benefits which range from a sense of freshness to complete treatment for infertility.
Rakta Mokshana literally means blood letting. Rakta Mokshana is not included in Panchakarma by all Ayurveda scholars as it is not directly related with pacifying any specific Dosha. But according to other Ayurveda scholars when the aggravated Pitta Dosha is polluting the blood then Rakta Mokshana is very important to cleanse the blood and pacify the Pitta Dosha hence it should also be included in Panchakarma.