Panchakarma in India: What to Expect for your Ayurveda Detox Treatments

I’ve done pancha karma in India several times over the past 15 years. In this post, I tell you a bit about what getting panchakarma in India is *actually* like, and how to prepare for your Ayurvedic treatments in India.

Since I've lived in India on and off since 1997, one of the questions I get from people who want to learn nada yoga and mantra with me -- who know have gotten several panchakarma Ayurveda treatments in India and countless Ayurvedic massages -- are: 
"Where should I go for the best panchakarma in India?"
"What is panchakarma in India like"
"Do you have any tips for getting panchakarma in India"

Yes, people ask me about where to study mantra and nāda yoga in India without joining a cult, too, but surprisingly everyone is curious about the panchakarma thing (I mean, who wouldn't want to feel 10 years younger after 2 weeks?)... so I present here a series of blog posts about my experience of getting panchakarma in India!

Enjoy my top tips for getting pancharma in India!

Getting Ayurveda treatments in India involves oil.

Lots and lots and lots of oil. In every orifice. All day, every day. It could be coconut oil, sesame oil, castor oil, or lovely herbal medicated oils of various kinds. But be assured: your panchakarma treatments in India will be oily!

When people ask me what getting panchakarma in India is like, I get a big smile on my face and say, “It’s like getting an oil change for your body!”

Me, before during and after the panchakarma in India treatment.

1. Before getting my favorite panchakarma treatment in Kerala, I felt deeply tired, burned out, exhausted. I couldn't wait to surrender myself to two weeks of āyurveda magic, quiet time, chant communion, and digital detox!
2. Panchakarma Day 3:  See how in the second photo my face is puffy and red? I had 2 days of dry herb scrubbing massage all over my body, followed by a steam, in order to stimulate my lymph glands to start purging accumulated sludge. Not so pretty, but what a celebration! Those first 3 days I was WIPED. The body starts working hard during panchakarma. I was so glad to have time set a side to simply REST.
3. Panchakarma Day 7: Deep into the oily phase! I had 3 days of śirodhara, the rhythmic pouring of warm oil on the forehead that just wipes away all your residual cares. OMG it's amazing. Then another hour of being firmly massaged with warm herb and oil bundles. Nothing but a smile afterwards. Purgative dreams, emotions rising up, a desire to chant, write, make art, journal my insights.
4. Panchakarma Day 11: I think this one was right after the purgation day. A bit vulnerable and restful, after spending lot of time on the toilet that day following the castor oil and herb drink. I ate nothing but rice soup that day but knowing that the deep sludge was out of my systems was worth it.
   
5. Panchakarma Day 14: The final 3-4 days is for restoration (and finishing the cleansing action as needed). I felt like a new person! The aches and pains I didn't realize I had were GONE. Easily felt 10 years younger. Not ready to go run a marathon, but deeply contented and rejuvenated.  

What to look forward to when getting panchakarma in India:

Each person is different, of course, and some people will be going to panchakarma for relief from a particular ailment. If your interest is general rejuvenation and reverse aging, you can expect the magic of jungle medicine that is Ayurveda to do wonders for your body, mind, and spirit!

• Aches and pains will start to go away, and you'll start feeling 10 years younger!
• A bright clarity will begin to open up (perhaps mid-way? perhaps at the end?) and your eyes will shine like a child

How to Stay Comfortably Clean during Panchakarma

• Often, you'll be directed to towel off after your Ayurvedic detox treatment but wait 2 hours before bathing with lukewarm water (never cold!)
• Therefore, I keep a set of clothing that I wear only to my treatments and back. See my packing list for panchakarma in India! This is the set I come prepared to throw away at the end of my treatment.
• Getting shirodhara is my favorite. It’s when they pour a rhythmic stream of warm oil on your forehead for a heavenly long while. When they do it right, the warm rhythm of it calms the mind so completely I feel like I’m floating on a cloud.
• After shirodhara, you will be able to shower off after your Ayurvedic massage. (Often they’ll give you a chick pea paste to rub on your skin to absorb excess oil while you shower off in the typical tiled room with a large bucket of lukewarm water and a hand-held smaller pouring bucket.)

Best panchakarma mental activity in India

Nature + sound healing and mantra therapy!

It's really NOT recommended to watch TV, go outside into busy markets, talk a lot, or work on your computer.

I highly recommend just being with nature (which means you need to be sure that the location of your panchakarma in India is actually surrounded by nature!) and doing gentle mantra and nāda yoga chanting to facilitate flow in your mental, emotional, and spiritual channels along with your physical body's cleanse.

Lucky for you, we've got tons of free sound healing yoga resources you can download for free, Sanskrit mantra and nada yoga courses you can get and access from your phone, and a whole YouTube channel with free yoga of sound chant experiences and sound healing sessions you can listen along with for free at https://www.youtube.com/@HeartofSound

Aside from savoring the conducive sound vibrations of healing rāgas and Sanskrit mantras, if watching the monkeys and their never-ending drama isn’t enough for you,

What to expect during your panchakarma detox experience in India

• You're probably going to be tired. Like really, really tired. It may come and go to various degrees, but the lethargy is normal. Your body is working hard to detox! LET YOUR BODY AND MIND REST.
• You'll be oily. So very oily! Please see my Packing List for Panchakarma Detox in India for my favorite strategies to remain comfortable and clean amidst the general oiliness.
• A tendency to "should on your self" and get stuck on the idea that you "should" exercise, go to yoga, get work done, stay busy, etc. Now would be a great time to really let that go and give yourself as much horizontal time as your body wants. To stare blankly at the ceiling and LISTEN to your body, heart and mind, rather than DO.

How to know if your panchakarma therapist in India is good

Your panchakarma treatment center and therapist should:

• not talk to you beyond the necessary during your treatment (a quiet mind is part of the pancharkarma benefit!)
• apply firm, regular pressure during Ayurvedic massage treatments (too soft and you won't get the stimulation to your purification channels)
• clean the treatment space between each patient
• re-using the herb bundles and your shirodhara oil is expected; but they should only reuse it on YOU! (Do NOT let them start you with dirty bundles! EEEEW! See that the cloth is new and dry and that they're using fresh dry herbs on you, not someone else's nasty oily bundle.)

I hope you found this useful!

Learn Nāda Yoga & Mantra in India