Detoxification and Rejuvenation through Ayurveda: Panchakarma Training Courses Offered by the California College of Ayurveda

Ayurveda, which literally means the knowledge of life is the traditional healing science of India. Viewing disease as the natural end result of living out of harmony with our environment, Ayurveda emphasizes reestablishing harmony and balance as the means of recreating a state of optimal health in our bodies and minds. While Ayurvedic methods utilize many therapies including herbs, diet, aromatherapy, color therapy, mantras, yoga, meditation and general lifestyle counseling, the most profound of all treatments is that of Pancha Karma.Pancha Karma is the traditional form of detoxification of the body and mind that facilitates rejuvenation. It has been utilized for thousands of years as a method of staying healthy, young and vital. According to Dr. Deepak Chopra M.D. "The value of Pancha Karma is that it offers systematic treatment for dislodging and flushing toxins from every cell, using the same organs of elimination that the body naturally employs -- sweat glands, blood vessels, the urinary tract and the intestines."The end result of Pancha Karma is an optimally functioning digestive system and renewed internal energy. After receiving Pancha Karma the mind is light and clear, the body is pure and the energy is high. Pancha Karma is effective in the healing of many conditions, including candida, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, and chronic respiratory disease. Pancha Karma addresses poor digestive health, which leads to food being improperly digested. This results in gas, bloating, burning indigestion, or constipation. In the long term, this produces toxins, which can manifest as a strong body odor, coated tongue, inappropriate elimination and disease.The Ayurvedic training program, offered in the spring and in the summer of 2011, begins with the three primary preparatory practices used in panchakarma. These include abhyanga, a one or two-person choreographed warm herbal oil massage that is designed to bring nourishment to the tissues, deep relaxation to the muscles and calmness to the mind. The Ayurvedic massage is followed by Shirodhara, a warm, dosha-specific oils and herbs are beautifully streamed over the forehead, which works specifically on balancing and stabilizing the activity of the mind. Finally, svedana, an exquisite herbal steam treatment leaves the patient feeling clear, rejuvenated and deeply moisturized.

Source:SanFransisco Chronicle