Research on Panchakarma

Research on Panchakarma – Overview

· Decreases cholesterol, by lowering toxic lipid peroxide levels
· Decrease the rate of platelet clumping and thus lymphatic congestion
· Decreases 14 major toxic and cancer causing chemicals from body tissues including heavy metals, pesticides and other hazardous environmental chemicals
· Significantly raised the good HDL cholesterols
· Lowered diastolic blood pressure
· Reduced free radicals which are the leading cause of all disease, cancer and death
· Significant reductions in bodily complaints, irritability, bodily strain, and psychological inhibition, as well as greater emotional stability.
· Decreased anxiety, aging and reduced doctors visits by 80%

Research on Panchakarma

Research cited was done on Maharishi Ayurveda – Dr. Douilard co-directed the Maharishi Physicians Training Program for eight years and received much of his early training in the Maharishi Ayurveda school of panchakarma.

Studies founded by the National Institute of Health and conducted by Maharishi University have shown that person’s receiving Pancha Karma treatments had a 70% reduction of heavy metals, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals than the general population. They also needed 80% less doctors visits. Pancha Karma recipients showed significantly less aging.

In a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine in its September/October 2002 issue, two Maharishi University of Management scientists, Dr Robert Herron and Dr John Fagan, have shown that Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy greatly reduces the levels of 14 important 'lipophilic' (i.e. fat-soluble) toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in the body, which would otherwise remain in the body for a very long time.

Maharishi Panchakarma was investigated for its effect on cardiovascular risk factors. PK was given for three to five days to 31 subjects (15 male and 16 female). Fasting blood samples were tested for various biochemical parameters before, during, one week after, and 2.9 months after PK. Results showed improvement in several cardiovascular risk factors. Lipid peroxide (LP) levels rose during PK, then fell at 2.9 months to levels lower that the original levels (p=0.023). The transient rise in blood stream levels of LP may be due to an exchange of peroxidized cell membrane lipids for undamaged lipids present in ghee and sesame oil. Both sesame oil and ghee contain linoleic acid, an important structural lipid in the cell membrane, which also serves as the substrate for other structural lipids. The massage that is a part of PK may accelerate this exchange process, possibly by the activation of phospholipase A2. As the peroxidized lipids are removed from the body by the extraction and elimination procedures of PK, the levels of LP should ultimately decrease, which is what this study confirmed.81

Other cardiovascular risk factors also showed improvements with use of PK. Total cholesterol fell acutely in all subjects (p=.0001) and HDL cholesterol rose 7.5 % (p=0.015) at 2.9 months, if original values were mg/dl. Vasoactive intestinal peptide, a coronary vasodilator, rose a significant 80% (p=0.003) 2.9 months after PK. Reductions were seen in pulse (p=0.033) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.027) after PK. State of anxiety measures also improved significantly (P<0.025).81

An additional study on Maharishi Panchakarma was conducted in the Netherlands on 93 patients and also showed improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. Total cholesterol was measured before and immediately after a two week treatment program. Results showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol levels (p<0.001). A psychological evaluation was conducted using the Freiburger Personality Inventory before, immediately after, and six to eight weeks after PK treatment. Over the two week treatment period, there were significant reductions in bodily complaints, irritability, bodily strain, and psychological inhibition, as well as greater emotional stability. Results of testing conducted six to eight weeks after treatment showed evidence of sustained benefits for mental health and well-being.

Sesame oil, which is used in Panchakarma, for massage and enemas has also been shown to have antineoplastic properties. Lipase-digested sesame oil and undigested sesame oil dramatically inhibited the growth of three malignant colon cell lines in vitro but did not substantially inhibit growth of normal colon epithelial cells. Sesame oil also selectively inhibited malignant melanoma cell line growth in vitro, as compared to normal melanocytes (p=0.006).84

§ 2. Sharma H; Freedom from Disease. Toronto Veda Publishing, 1993
§ 81. Sharma HM, Midich SI, Sands D, Smith DE: Improvement in cardiovascular risk factors through Panchakarma purification procedures. J Res Educ Indian Med, 1993; 12(4); 2-13.
§ 82. Waldschutz R: Influence of Maharishi Ayurveda purification treatment on physiological and psychological health. Erfahrungsheilkunde-Acta medica empirica, 1988; 11; 720-729.
§ 83. Salerno JW, Smith DE: The use of sesame oil and other vegeteable oilsi the inhibition of human colon cancer growth in vitro. Anticancer Res, 1991; 11; 209-216.
§ 84. Smith DE, Salerno JW: Selective growth inhibition of a human malignant melanoma cell line by sesame oil in vitro. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids, 1992; 46; 145-150.

Maharishi Ayurveda Therapy Shown to Reduce Dangerous Carcinogenic Chemicals in Body Tissues

By Dr Alex Hankey

In a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine in its September/October 2002 issue, two Maharishi University of Management scientists, Dr Robert Herron and Dr John Fagan, have shown that Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy greatly reduces the levels of 14 important 'lipophilic' (i.e. fat-soluble) toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in the body, which would otherwise remain in the body for a very long time.

Indeed, Herron and Fagan had designed their study knowing that Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy includes traditional treatments with the potential to eliminate fat soluble wastes, including carcinogens, and also that no previous study had found reductions in such lipophilic toxins.

Their study therefore represents a great breakthrough, being the first ever to find significant reductions in these important toxins in a short period of time. Lipophilic toxicants, it states, may cause hormone disruption, immune system suppression, reproductive disorders, and several types of cancer. Even though lipophilic toxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PC13s) have been banned for decades, they continue to persist in the environment, and are found in significant concentrations in the body and represent a substantial health risk.

The greatest significance of the study, however, lies in the fact that cancer incidence has grown to alarmingly high levels in recent years, and is widely believed to be due to increased levels of polluting chemicals like these, particularly in the food we cat. No one else has presented such a practical preventive solution to this appalling problem.

Chemicals stored in body fats

According to the International Journal of Cancer, the United States has the highest adult cancer rate in the world. Even though mortality rates due to cancer have fallen slightly due to decreased tobacco use and better treatment, cancer is now the second highest cause of death, and this is mostly attributable to environmental causes. The same is true throughout the developed world.

Organic chemicals found in living organisms and used in modern agriculture usually fall into two categories: the "hydrophilic", which will dissolve in water, and the "lipophilic", which will not and which lodge in fats (or lipids) in the body. The body usually excretes only water-soluble products, so it cannot remove lipophils, which therefore remain in the body for a long time.

Lipophils Accumulate in the Body

Carcinogenic chemicals, like any others, fall into the classes of hydrophilic, which are relatively easily excreted, and the lipophils, which are not, and which may only be reduced by 1% or so a year. It would thus take a lifetime for a specific quantity of toxic lipophil carcinogens to be reduced by half.

Dr Robert Herron, co-author of the study: "This is the first published study on humans to show that a specific detoxification regimen can significantly reduce blood levels of lipophilic toxicants known to be associated with many disease conditions including cancer."

Instead, to neutralise their effect and protect itself, the body deposits lipophils in fatty tissues where they naturally reside, and, being surrounded by fatty molecules, cannot cause much harm. Their steady accumulation in the body, however, due to the consumption of agricultural pesticides or other chemicals, has a serious effect on long-term health.

Eventually, they reach a level where the tiny fraction that is in circulation becomes sufficient to produce potentially disastrous effects on cells throughout the body. This is when cancer may occur, particularly if other factors also favour it.

Two Parts of Study

In a recent press conference, Dr Robert Herron, director of research at the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, and lead author of the study, presented the results of the new study.

The study was divided into two major parts. The first was a controlled 11 "cross-sectional" study designed to see if people who had been through regular panchakarma treatment in the past had lower levels of agricultural toxins than those who had not. This phase of the study compared 48 people, who had had an average of 18 panchakarma treatments, with 40 controls who had never had one. The second part was a "longitudinal study" on 15 subjects in which toxins were measured before and after panchakarma therapy.

PCBs Lower in Panchakarma Subjects

In the first part of the study, 17 toxins commonly found in blood serum "serum toxicants" - were measured. These fell in two major categories of agricultural toxins, nine polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), and eight pesticides. In the first part of the study, the PCBs were all found to be lower in the subjects who had taken panchakarma than the controls. For the pesticides, 3 were undetectable in all subjects; 5 were lower for the panchakarma subjects; only one (beta-hexachlorohexane or b-HCH) was higher for the panchakarma group. This fact was later concluded to be due to diet, since, in the second part of the study, which measured all 9 PCBs, but only b-HCH among the pesticides, even b-HCH was found to decrease as a result of panchakarma therapy .

One exciting fact is that for several subjects in the second part of the study quite high initial levels of a single toxicant (bHCH) were reduced to undetectable levels during the period over which the panchakarma treatment occurred. This is surely most encouraging. How general it is merits further investigation.

Toxins at Unexpectedly High Levels

The first part of the study might be regarded as a justification for the second. (Were toxin levels not lower in those who had had panchakarma many times, the treatment would not appear to be having any effect, and there would be little justification for seeing if it resulted in a decrease.) The significantly lower levels of 13 out of 14 toxins with detectable levels was therefore encouraging, and justified the more expensive, and longer, second part of the study.

One alarming finding of the study, Herron added, was that levels of specific toxins banned in the US decades ago were found to be unexpectedly high in the general population.

"These were assumed to be declining to negligible levels in the US population," he said, further commenting, "our findings suggest, however, that, since they appear to be increasing, they are still entering the food chain." (Recent reports from the US Congress show members to be highly concerned about levels of many pollutants, including dioxin, pesticides, arsenic and heavy metals, many of which cause cancer.)

Herron pointed out that 100 years ago, breast and prostate cancer were rare. Now, one out of eight women develop breast cancer; breast tissue is inherently fatty. Lipophilic carcinogens such as those investigated may thus be one of the principle contributing factors to the alarming increase in cancer.

Hence the significance of Herron and Fagan's findings: No previous study has found any reduction in these lipophilic carcinogens without unacceptable side effects. Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy has the potential to solve a major world health problem.

Ayurveda Panchakarma: Elimination of Toxins

Traditional panchakarma therapy, as used in Maharishi Vedic Medicine, cuts no corners. It starts with an initial period of gradually increasing intake of a specific fat - often clarified butter - in the mornings.

After a few days rest, the patient is given the main treatment repeatedly on several successive days. This includes precisely and carefully delivered therapies such as Abyanga, or oil massage, which brings toxins out of the fatty tissues; Shirodhara, which relaxes the body completely, encouraging circulation; and Swedhana, or sweating treatment, which brings toxins to the exterior surfaces of various organs in the body. From here their elimination is quickly effected by further therapies such as Matra (herbalised oil enema).

The main treatment is followed by another period of rest days and careful diet to encourage further elimination to take place. This is a perfectly designed and co-ordinated set of therapies that encourage dispersal and elimination of fat-soluble, lipophilic, materials, such as the carcinogenic toxins of modern industrial agriculture.

Encouraging Results and Need for Larger Trials

The authors concluded that the results were sufficiently encouraging to justify large, randomised clinical trials. Cancer incidence is increasing greatly, and environmental and agricultural pollutants from food production, including that in third world countries are clearly implicated. It is therefore vital that irrefutable clinical evidence for the effectiveness of
Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma therapy be obtained as soon as possible.

Reprinted from Transcendental Meditation News October 2002

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=65

Panchakarma

By John Douillard, DC, PhD

Ayurvedic Rejuvenation and Longevity Therapy

It makes sense that if Ayurveda means the "science of life" then it would describe not only how to live your life but also how to make it last as long as possible.

When we speak of longevity in the west we are usually talking about adding a few good years to one's life. In ancient India, they were talking about extending life spans by fifty to a hundred years plus!

During my training in India I was always fascinated when the topic of longevity and life extension came up. My Ayurvedic teachers spoke of ancient rejuvenative techniques, known as panchakarma, that could totally transform the body of a withered ninety year old to that of a vibrant thirty year old. To them, these outrageous claims seemed strangely matter of fact.

Neighboring countries also reported such life extension miracles. From a remote region in Tibet, a set of exercises called the five rites (yoga exercises) of rejuvenation have staked a recent claim to the fountain of youth. Stories about a British naval officer taking thirty or forty years of age off his body with these Tibetan techniques have made headlines here in the west.

Magic or myth

I have heard stories of life extension ranging from one hundred to five hundred years using ancient Ayurvedic techniques. In India this notion of immortality, although somewhat hard to swallow by the skeptical west, seems alive and well.

My favorite story is that of a Mahatma who reportedly lived to be 185 years old. Tapasviji Maharaj went through certain Ayurvedic rejuvenative therapies three times in order to extend his youth to the ripe old age of 185.

These life extension treatments are called kya kalpa where the body is kept in isolation for three months. Aspirants would eat only herbs and medicated milk and receive a series of panchakarma longevity treatments each day.

Panchakarma means "five actions" specifying the five methods of cleansing and renewing the body. These treatments are hands-on rejuvenative techniques that purge the physiological stress and age out of the body's deep tissues.

During the kya kalpa process which is a form of cellular transformation, it is said that ones teeth and hair would fall out and grow back new. The old skin would peel like a snake's unveiling a new layer of supple and youthful skin. Eye sight, clarity of mind and the strength and vigor of a thirty year old would be the result on the ninety first day of treatment.

Of course none of these reports have ever been documented to the satisfaction of western science. However, the theories behind these practices make sense, and could in fact provide us with a practical understanding of this very long sought after fountain of youth.

Lost but not forgotten

In India there are still many Ayurvedic hospitals that give these panchakarma therapies for the treatment of disease. Over the years these panchakarma treatments have become known for physiological cleansing rather then for achieving longevity. No doubt they serve this purpose well, but when you are after the results of kya kalpa (life extension), cleansing alone will not serve your purpose.

I have had these panchakarma treatments in India on many occasions and have administered them for nine years as the co-director of an Ayurvedic clinic here in the US. But only during my more recent trips to India have the missing pieces to this puzzle begun to fall into place. In all the reports of these extreme kya kalpa experiences, there were always similar prerequisites for the aspirant.

A few essential requirements stood out.
• One had to have the ability to maintain a state of transcendental consciousness and meditation for extremely long periods of time.

• One had to be in control of the senses, all of them.

• One had to be strong enough of body, mind and spirit to endure the process.

Although extreme, this didn't seem so much to ask considering a life extension benefit of fifty or sixty years. Even so, it was for this reason that the secrets of kya kalpa had been privy to only sages and monks who were capable of living these requirements as a way of life.

If these prerequisites seem just beyond your personal reach or you are just not interested in having your hair and teeth fall and skin peel, there is a slow and steady approach that is said to accomplish the elusive goal of life extension. In ancient times the kings and queens were given seasonal panchakarma treatments as a means to extend life and safeguard fair and just thinking.
A one week series of panchakarma would actually instill the kya kalpa prerequisites for a time, and with successive treatments the benefits would be made permanent. In a way, they would transform the mind and awaken the spirit by Ayurvedically manipulating the body.

The eye of the hurricane

The actual experience of these three prerequisites was, in a sense, the source, course and the goal of an effective life extension treatment. In other words, the kya kalpa itself would establish the experience of these prerequisites during the treatment, and maintain that experience long after the process ended.

The actual transformation of each aged cell, which resulted in the life extension itself, depended on these experiences as the source of its success. For this to happen, a certain internal environment had to be established to empower this transformation. This environment had to support the co-existence of two extremely opposite forces.

First an incredible state of calm had to be established in the midst of this complete physiological overhaul. The best analogies for this are readily available when we analyze the awesome power and longevity of nature itself.

A hurricane for example is a combination of gale force winds swirling around a silent center. The bigger this silent eye of the hurricane the more powerful the winds. This is a law of nature that we see as tiny electrons spin around silent nuclei and planets around a silent sun. For us to harness this power of nature and longevity we must be able to reproduce its environment inside of us.

This is the goal of the kya kalpa and panchakarma treatments. If a state of the deepest transcendental calm was established and maintained it would act as a hub of silence around which the dynamic forcefulness of the medicines and cleansings would transform old toxic cells into vital productive ones. This state of deep and heightened internal awareness would trigger a cascade of spontaneous healings on a deep cellular level where we bury our stress, fears and emotions.

Life extension

The first prerequisite of maintaining a transcendental awareness is established by a spontaneous lowering of the basal metabolic rate as a result of each successive treatment. If the body were a lake it would become totally calm and crystal clear. In this state the body could experience itself more deeply as a unified field of consciousness rather than thousands of physical parts.

Ayurveda identifies the cause of all disease as the "mistake of the intellect." The intellect chooses to think of itself and bodily parts as separate from an underlying field of consciousness. Once the memory of consciousness is restored on a cellular level the body will spontaneously heal itself with its own awareness.

Each treatment provides a deep relaxation as well as an experience of total luxury. This luxury would provide the calm that would deeply relax the body and give access to the well protected storage sites of deep and toxic tissues of the body.

The cumulative effect of two and a half hours of such treatments for a week or more would establish a kind of internal calm that would remain as a hub of silence for all activity. By removing stores of cellular toxins the body would settle down deeper and deeper each day. This deep immersion of inner silence would allow the experience of consciousness to pervade every cell and become a way of life.

Remember the bigger the eye of the hurricane the more forceful the winds. This was the goal of the panchakarma and message of the vedas, this experience was to be lived as a means to full human potential.

The second prerequisite required complete control or the refinement of all the senses. It seems throughout the course of evolution our senses have been sold a slightly bogus bill of goods. We have traded a world of unlimited human potential for a glitzier and sexier world, full of sensual pleasure.

Originally, as infants we did not have access to our senses as we know them. They developed over time, and as they did we all became intoxicated with news sounds, tastes, colors and shapes.

In Ayurveda the senses are considered avenues of consciousness that as infants would bring all the experiences of the outside world through the filter of the mind and directly to the heart as feelings. This is how mothers communicate with their baby's without words for the first two years of life. It is a heart to heart level of communication based on feelings and it doesn't get more direct.

Even as adults the senses still make us feel. When you hear a favorite song, you feel good. When you smell a flower you feel good. These feelings are heart felt and are accessed via the five senses.

Typically our senses are so overloaded with external stimuli that it keeps us from having a real experience of ourselves. The heart which is the source of our feelings and in Ayurveda it is the source of all our thoughts, actions and desires is the ultimate eye of the hurricane. That calm center that supports all our mental, emotional, and physical activity.

The panchakarma treatments turn the senses inside out and make us feel deeper parts of ourselves. It is human nature to protect oneself from getting hurt feelings so we wall off those deep and delicate feelings of the heart making a mind over matter approach to life the norm.
Certain Ayurvedic treatments which utilize all the five senses transport awareness in the form of consciousness to the heart and then to every cell in the body. The heart which is the source of both feelings and consciousness is bombarded with this awareness infusing both feelings, consciousness and healing into every cell.

With this heightened state of self-awareness there is nothing that the body cannot fix. Instead of seeking happiness in the unreliable world of the relative, the senses provide access to the source of life and longevity itself This is our own consciousness which we hold so very dear to our heart.
The third prerequisite is to have the strength and endurance to handle the kya kalpa treatments. The traditional ninety-day kya kalpa treatments were very depleting, but when the panchakarma aspect of kya kalpa is performed correctly it promises an experience of total rejuvenation.

As I previously described, the senses make us aware of the ultimate eye of the hurricane located in the heart, while the lowering of the metabolic rate acts as a kind of calm lake where the body can see deeply and clearly into itself.

The result is that the human eye of the hurricane becomes quite big. Once again, the bigger the eye of the hurricane the more powerful its wind. Thus, the more energy available to heal and rejuvenate the body from inside out.

The experience of a series of panchakarma treatments establishes this rejuvenative calm on the level of each and every cell.

Panchakarma

There are many in a series of the Ayurvedic panchakarma treatments. The following descriptions are the actual treatments used in the ancient art of life extension.

Many of them are performed by two Ayurvedic therapists working in perfect synchrony. Two, three and sometimes four of these therapies are linked together during the course of one day’s treatment.
• Garshana treatments consist of a dry lymphatic skin brushing with either a wool or a silk glove. This enhances circulation and cleans the skin so subsequent oil and herbal treatments can penetrate deeply into freshly cleaned pores of the skin.
• Abhyanga is an individually prepared herbal-oil massage designed to deeply penetrate the skin, relax the mind-body, break up impurities and stimulate both arterial and lymphatic circulation. This effect enhances the ability for nutrients to reach starved cells and for the removal of stagnant waste. The desired result is a heightened state of awareness that will direct the internal healing system of the body.
• Vishesh is a deep muscular Ayurvedic massage that breaks up adhesions and compromised circulation deep within the muscle spindles. When certain channels are blocked then neither awareness nor blood can access deeply seated tissues. For certain body types and imbalances, this is an essential therapeutic approach.
• Swedana is an individually herbalized steam bath. The Ayurvedic swedana is unique because the head and the heart are kept very cool during the steam bath while the body is heated to remove mental, emotional and physical toxins lodged deeply within the tissues. The cool head and heart provides a sense of calm and openness while the therapeutic steam over the entire body can penetrate and cleanse deeply without the body becoming overheated and stressed.
• Shirodhara is administered by gently and methodically pouring warm herbalized oil over the forehead. This procedure synchronizes brain waves and profoundly coordinates and calms the mind, body and spirit.
• Pizichili is a continuous steam of warm herbalized oil soothingly poured over the body by two Ayurvedic therapists as they massage the body in perfect unison. The warmth of the oil and synchronicity of the massage combine for a deep tissue cleansing while supporting a heightened state of awareness hard to describe until you've had the experience.
• Udvartana is a deeply penetrating herbal paste lymphatic massage. This powerful exfoliating treatment magically conditions the skin while pressing stagnant lymphatic toxins out of the body.
• Nasya consists of individually prescribed herbs and oil drops that are inhaled through the nose which clear the sinuses of excessive mucus. It is also a very important therapy when medicating the central nervous system. This treatment combats the deep dryness that exists at the root of many respiratory and allergic conditions.
• Shiro-Ahhyanga-Nasya is a luxurious combination of a deep head, neck and shoulder massage, a facial lymphatic massage, followed by deep inhalation of therapeutic aromatic steam and a nasal and sinus nasya with herbalized nose drops. This popular treatment is an invaluable tool balancing most head, neck and respiratory disorders.
• Pinda Swedana is a deep cleansing treatment where rice boiled in milk and herbs are massaged deeply into the tissues and joints. The treatment is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating as well as powerfully detoxing.
• Vamana (emesis therapy) and Rakta Mokshana (blood letting) are traditional aspects of panchakarma but seemed rarely used as a part of the kya kalpa or life extension treatments.
• Five Senses Therapy treatment combines the therapeutic effect of all five senses working in concert. Sound therapies are specific Vedic hymns and mantras recommended for each imbalance. Touch therapy enlivens specific vital points on the body called marma points. Taste therapy uses certain herbal medicines. Sight uses Ayurvedic color therapy, and smell was accessed with combinations of rare aromatics. The effect is to use the senses in concert to bring ones awareness to the source of thought and feeling in the heart.
• Basti is an herbal enema specially prepared to pull toxins out of the colon. This is the final stage of each daily panchakarma treatment. The freshly loosened impurities from each day of treatment are flushed out of the body via the effects of the basti. The basti is also utilized to transport Ayurvedic medicines into the blood and tissues needed to transform the memory of damaged and toxic cells. It is considered one of the most important and most powerful aspects of the treatment.

Home Panchakarma

In Ayurvedic medicine the kya kalpa treatments which claimed to transform every cell in the body into youthful and vital cells where best performed at key junctures in ones life. There are certain turning points in ones life that are acceptable as such even here in the west.

Soon after delivering a baby is one very special time, puberty, menopause and losing one’s virginity are some of the periods mentioned.

The panchakarma treatments are valued as a cumulative approach toward life extension and not as extreme as the kya kalpa.

There are as well certain times of year that are better for panchakarma than others. Every change of season provides an opportune time to cleanse the body and anytime during the winter is said to be good. At the end of each season there is a natural accumulation of the qualities of that season.

For example towards the end of winter there is an accumulation of cold and dry in the body while at the end of summer there is a the accumulation of heat. At the end of spring the wet and dampness of spring also accumulates.

If these seasonal accumulations are properly dealt with each season then disease prevention and wellness are said to be the natural result. This idea of seasonal cleansing has been pretty much lost in the west as a means for prevention.

In Ayurveda there is one very practical recommendation for such a cleansing that could be done at home. It is called Oleation and Virechana. This is a combination of four sequential days of drinking ghee (clarified butter) or oil first thing in the morning as a means of loosening up impurities from the deeply seated tissues and toxic store houses. At the end of these four days a laxative purgation is recommended to flush all the loosened impurities out of the body.

It is simple and effective and is a general recommendation for seasonal cleansing unless there is a fat handling intolerance or debility. During these five days a light no fat diet is recommended along with drinking eight to ten cups of plain hot water each day.

Step one: Oleation
• Day one - 2 tsp. ghee

• Day two - 4 tsp. ghee

• Day three - 6 tsp. ghee

• Day four - 8 tsp. ghee
*** Drink the ghee with hot water and do not eat for one hour afterwards.

Step two: Virechana
• Evening of day four after a hot bath - 4 tsp. of castor oil
*** There should be a laxative effect one to three hours after ingesting the castor oil.

Sucking on a lemon is very effective at masking the taste of the castor oil.
This procedure is advised as a means of prevention at each change of season.
Classically that would be sometime in March, June and September.

John Douillard D.C. is an Ayurvedic physician who trained in India and certified over 2000 American doctors in Ayurvedic medicine.

He is the author of Body, Mind and Sport on Ayurvedic prevention and exercise, which is certified by the American Council on Exercise; The 3-Season Diet; Perfect Health for Kids; and The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage.

Currently he runs LifeSpa, an Ayurvedic center and panchakarma clinic in Boulder, Colorado.
For more information call 303-516-4848 or 866-227-9843.

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=24

Kicharee Recipe

By John Douillard, DC, PhD

KICHAREE RECIPE

Ingredients:

Quantity Ingredient_______________

1 cup Split Yellow Mung Beans*
¼ - ½ cup White Basmati Rice
1 pinch Fresh Ginger Root
2 Tbs. Ghee – clarified butter
½ tsp. Turmeric
½ tsp. Coriander powder
½ tsp. Cumin powder
½ tsp. Whole cumin seeds
½ tsp. Mustard seeds
1 pinch Hing (asafetida)
7-10 cups Water
½ tsp. Salt – rock salt is best**
1 small handful Fresh Chopped Cilantro Leaves

*It’s important to get SPLIT beans – available at Asian Grocery Store.
*Braggs Amino Acids can be added after cooking for flavor or to replace salt.


Directions:

Wash split yellow mung beans (dal) and rice together until water runs clear. Heat a large pot on medium heat and then add ginger root, ghee, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and hing. Stir all together for a few minutes and add dal and rice and stir again. Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and cover pot and continue to cook until dal and rice become soft (about 30-40 minutes). The cilantro leaves can be added just before serving.

For weak digestion, gas or bloating, prepare beans before proceeding with directions above: Par boil beans (cover with water and bring to boil), drain, and rinse. Repeat 2-3 times. OR, soak beans overnight and then drain. Cook as directed.

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=51

Daily Home Oil Massage

By John Douillard, DC, PhD

DAILY HOME OIL MASSAGE

The purpose of Ayurvedic daily oil massage as part of the daily routine is to assist in preventing the accumulation of physiological imbalances, and to lubricate and promote flexibility of the muscles, tissues, and joints. The classical texts of Ayurveda also indicate that daily massage promotes softness and luster of the skin as well as youthfulness. The following are some simple instructions to assist you in learning the Ayurvedic daily oil massage.

1: Unless specific oil has been recommended for you, then sesame oil should be used for the daily massage. If you find sesame oil unsuitable in some way, you may also try olive oil or coconut oil as alternatives. To purify the massage oil, “cure” it by healing it to about 220 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling point of water. By adding a drop of water to the oil in the beginning, you will know that the proper temperature has been reached, when the water boils. We suggest curing one quart or liter of oil at one time as this will cover about fifteen abhyangas.

Note: Please be aware that sesame and other oils are flammable, for this reason they should be cured in the following way:
1) Always heat oil on low heat, never on high heat.
2) Oil should never be heated unattended.
3) Once oil reaches the proper temperature it should be removed from heat
and stored in a safe place to cool gradually.

2: Heat ¼ cup of cured oil to slightly above body temperature. Start by massaging the head. Place a small amount of oil on the fingertips and palms and begin to massage the scalp vigorously. The massage for the head and for the entire body should be with the open part of the hand rather than with the fingertips. Since the head is said to be one of the most important parts to be emphasized during Ayurvedic Daily Massage, spend proportionately more time on the head than you do on other parts of the body.

3: Next apply oil gently with the open part of the hand to your face and outer part of your ears. You do not need to massage these areas vigorously.

4: Massage both the front and back of the neck, and the upper part of the spine. Continue to use your open hand, in a rubbing type of motion.

5: You may want to now apply a small amount of oil to your entire body and then proceed with the massage to each area of the body. This will allow the oil to have maximum amount of time in contact with the body.

6: Next massage your arms. The proper motion is back and forth, over your long bones, and circular over your joints. Massage both arms, including the hands and fingers.

7: Now apply oil to the chest and abdomen. A very gentle circular motion should be used over your heart. Over the abdomen a gently circular motion should be used, following the bowel pattern from the right lower part of the abdomen, moving clockwise towards the left lower part of the abdomen.

8: Massage the back and spine. There will be some area which you may have difficulty reaching.

9: Massage the legs. Like the arms, use a back and forth motion over the long bones and circular over the joints.

10: Lastly, massage the bottom of the feet. The feet also are considered especially important, and proportionately more time should be spent here than on the other parts of the body. Use the open part of your hand and massage vigorously back and forth over the soles of the feet.

11: This completes the Ayurvedic Daily Oil Massage. Ideally, about 10-20 minutes should be spent each morning on the massage. However, if this time is not available on a particular day, it is better to do a very brief massage than to skip it altogether. Once you have added this Daily Oil Massage into your daily routine, the benefits will make it quite natural for you to continue it on a permanent basis.

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=54

Colds and Flu

By John Douillard, DC, PhD

Avoid the Flu and Colds This Season

In nature, at summer's end the leaves will invariably turn red and fall off the trees. In Ayurveda, this is an expression of the accumulated summer's heat rising up into the leaves and turning them, first red, and then dry.

In the same way the heat accumulates in. nature, it also accumulates inside of us. As the leaves dry out and fall, there are also accumulated impurities that build up in our bodies, which can predispose us to a cold or flu. Because of this accumulated heat you may notice your skin and sinuses drying out in September. Perhaps you battle with allergies or an end of summer cold.

When the sinuses dry out, the mucous membranes get irritated and produce mucus as a natural protective or allergic response. Allergies are often fought with drying agents like ephedra or antihistamines, which will dry up the mucus and remove the symptoms for a time. The cause of mucus however, is too much dryness which is only provoked by many of the drying therapies.

As the cold and dryness of winter set in, the deeper mucous membranes in the bronchioles and lungs dry out along with the sinuses, making you much more susceptible to a cold and flu.

Two things must happen to avoid this situation and avoid fall allergies and winter colds. First, the sinuses must be kept from getting too dry, and second, the heat in the body must be kept at bay with cooling summer foods and herbs from the beginning to the end of summer. When fruits like apples, pears and pomegranates come into season this fall, consume them heartily as they are harvested in the fall for the purpose of cooling the blood and providing the fiber to cleanse the colon.

In nature many of the immune stimulating and blood purifying bitter herbs are harvested in the fall also. The deer therefore will chew on the berberine-rich rhizomes of plants like Oregon grape and goldenseal to cool and clean the hot summer blood, while stimulating the immune systems for the winter months to come.

It might be difficult for some of us to eat so close to the harvest of nature. As a society we have lost much of our natural connection to nature that was very much a part of American life before we stopped growing our own food.

I believe strongly that it is a lifestyle in harmony with the cycles of nature that will provide the most protection for us against stress and the vast array of new and exotic diseases that have been recently discovered.In Ayurveda, it is understood that as the seasons change so must we. At the end of each season impurities specific to that season, build up and need to be cleansed. At the end of summer, the blood, liver and skin need to be cleansed.

Ayurveda recommends seasonal cleansing called panchakarma (five actions of purification.) They last three, five or seven days and are so luxurious that they were once reserved for the Kings and Queens of ancient times. The goal of panchakarma is to cleanse, rejuvenate and directly address the degenerative effects of stress on our bodies. These treatments were designed to access the nervous system, remove the stress and toxicity, and replace it with an experience of silence. It attempts to establish an internal hub of calm much like the eye of a hurricane, the bigger the eye, the more powerful the winds, and the more productive we can be.

Have a great Fall and Winter!

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=43