Pancha Karma Journey
Ever since I learned about what a Pancha Karma is in 2019 I immediately felt called to one day experience the deep healing properties of Ayurveda. Ayurveda, which translates as “knowledge of life,” dates back 5,000 years to the ancient Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. It’s a system of healing that examines physical constitution, emotional nature, and spiritual outlook in the context of the universe.The word Ayruveda translates to ayur=life and veda= science or knowledge.
In 2019 I was diagnosed with late stage chronic lyme and other co-infections and one of the first things I did (before sitting in an IV room for 9.5 months) was look at alternative ways to heal this dis-ease. I found a local Ayurvedic Healing Center in Sebastopol. Ironically (or not) I was placed with a practitioner that also has chronic lyme.
I learned during that session that in ayurveda there is an interconnectedness, and universal life force that manifests in three different energies or doshas, know as vata, pitta and kapha. Everyone has some of each, but most people tend to have an abundance of 1 or 2 dosha. This unique combo is determined at the moment of conception; it is your own personal blueprint (prakriti or nature). But as you move through life these proportions are in constant flow and fluctuate. Depending on your environment, diet, season, climate, age, and a lot of other factors the proportion of the doshas can change in your system. As your doshas move into and out of balance they can affect your health, energy level, general mood, etc.
When I started doing ayurvedic bodywork with my practitioner in 2019 I knew that my doshas were not in sync. I do believe that our bodies have the power to heal themselves from ailments, disease etc if we give them the support that they need.
I also know that trauma and emotional pain can be expressed in the body as disease and while I have been deeply working on healing that pain (which is a lifelong process) I felt called this fall to experience a Pancha Karma.
My intention going into this personal retreat was to let whatever I needed to hear be brought out and it was profound. You can listen to my solo podcast episode on the downloads I got here.
My Pancha Karma was for 5 days and I had an incredible practitioner that understood that I have celiac and was SO accommodating. I ate a warm porridge in the morning and kitchari for lunch and dinner. Kitchari is a warm soup like substance that allows your digestion and nervous system to reset, it is traditionally used for cleanses, or when someone is ill. Honestly eating the Kitchari felt like home in my body. It is very grounding and filling and made me fall even deeper into a relaxed zen state.
Every single persons Pancha Karma day-to-day is different depending on what their body needs to rebalance it.
Typically you get 3 treatments with one of them being an enema each day to help cleanse or nourish your system. ( I know, I know, trust me its not as bad as you think it is). All of these treatments really allowed me to leave my ego out of the 5 days. There were moments when I wanted to retreat back into my old thinking pattern but it allowed me to gain more space to breathe behind the things and old wounds that were resurfacing.
After a Pancha Karma the ideal would be to integrate the practices you have learned during the 5 days into your life to keep your doshas in balance. Things like body massages with oil, tongue scraping, enemas, sauna, meditation, yoga, etc.
I think the biggest takeaway for me (listen more here on my podcast episode) were:
Resentment and anger never become the armour you think they will be. Instead they become internal poison that only you have to live with. It is not the armour that you need from the people that hurt you.
YOU are whole all by yourself. You are perfectly and wonderfully made and yes it is incredible to have people support you but only YOU can make the right decisions for YOU.
Giving yourself the gift of knowing your soul is whole all by yourself is one of the greatest gifts you will ever give yourself.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to experience a 5 day Pancha Karma. I really believe that even when we think we are ready to heal, or face the hard thing, or push, etc. etc. that the timing is not up to us, it is up to the divine. Something greater than us.
I see that now, that even if I wanted to do a PK in 2019 I wouldn’t have been ready to dig deeper into the onion of healing.
Thanks for coming along my PK journey. <3
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Podcast episode where I dive deeper into my downloads during my Pancha Karma.
Remember, it’s okay to not be okay, you are doing the best you can with the tools you have in your toolkit.
Hugs,
Ali
