“AYURVEDA” is made up of two words-Ayuh and Veda. Ayuh means life and Veda means knowledge or science. Thus “AYURVEDA’ in totality means ‘Science of life’. It incorporates all aspects of life whether physical, psychological, spiritual or social. What is beneficial and what is harmful to life, what is happy life and what is sorrowful life; all these four questions and life span allied issues are elaborately and emphatically discussed in Ayurveda. It believes the existence of soul before birth and after death too.

Yes, it is if the patient follows the directions of the Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Doctor, then Ayurvedic medicine will be effective. The patient can see the results within 1 – 4 weeks.

There are many ayurvedic treatments that help in restoring the balance of mind, body and soul. This may include the following:

• Lifestyle changes such as going to bed timely and waking up early
• Changes in diet like avoiding spicy and oily foods
• Intake of herbs such as teas, medicated ghee, honey, etc.
• Body treatments
• Panchkarma for deep cleansing and rejuvenation process
• Yoga and meditation
• Aromatherapy and color therapy

The Ayurvedic medicines can have a detox effect, reducing the toxins from the body. This can sometimes take the form of flu-like symptoms or a rash. These are, however, normal reactions and can imply that the medicine is doing its job. If the reactions are stronger, the adjustment in the doses can be made.

Ayurveda does help with cancer and can work well with the traditional cancer treatment protocols. However, this will be dependent on the stage, type, and aggressive nature of cancer and the treatment recommended by the doctor.

• Treatment before cancer – Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Doctor can help in the identification of the proper diet, lifestyle, and herbs to gain strength before going for the cancer treatment
• Treatment during cancer – Ayurveda can help in minimizing the side effects and symptoms from the cancer treatment to keep the digestive system strong. Herbal juices can be used during chemotherapy and radiation, while medicated oils can be used between the treatment to support and enhance the treatment therapies. Meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga again provide immense support during this phase.
• Treatment post cancer – Ayurveda can cleanse the body of the toxins after the cancer treatment to build healthy tissues and strengthen immunity. The usage of herbs, foods, therapies, and yoga practices can help in preventing another occurrence.

Ayurveda can help to minimize the side effects and symptoms of cancer treatments and helps in keeping the digestive system strong. Herbal juices can be used during chemotherapy and radiation, while medicated oils can be used between the treatment to support and enhance the cancer treatment therapies. Meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga again provide immense support during this phase. Manjistha tea decoction and cilantro leaf juice can be really helpful. Ayurveda uniquely offers support in order for the body to let go and allow deep healing to occur.

Mostly arthritis occurs due to the ama or toxins and the poor digestive system. Panchakarma helps in removing toxins from the body. Treatment, however, will depend on what dosha in the body is aggravated. 

• Aggravation of Vata – primarily identified with stiffness, pain, and dryness. To balance it, warm cooked, mildly spiced foods, haritaki, castor oil internally/externally, and possibly yogaraj guggulu or simhanada guggulu are advised 
• Aggravation of Pitta – primarily identified with the inflammation and burning sensation. To balance it, green leafy vegetables are advised with cooling spices, herbs that add moist and cool properties, amalaki, and possibly kaishore guggulu. 
• Aggravation of Kapha – primarily identified with swelling and water retention. To balance it, hot pungent spices on warm cooked foods, bibhitaki, and possibly diuretics triphala guggulu or punarnava guggulu or simhanada guggulu are advised. 

These are accompanied with the herbal medicines as prescribed by the Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Doctor. Yoga is also recommended in Arthritis.

If you have broken bones, acute bleeding externally or internally, advanced, acute, debilitating forms of diseases, or cancer you are seeing an allopathic doctor.

Ayurveda helps in all other conditions especially chronic conditions and conditions that are not responding to Western treatments. 

Ayurveda can help in treating the following:

• GI issues (ulcers, IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, diverticulitis, …), 
• fatigue, pain (low back pain, muscular or bone pain, …), 
• hormone/endocrine function (diabetes, infertility, menopause, …) , 
• weight issues, immune system function (cancer), 
• auto-immune (hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, …), 
• nervous system (RLS, Parkinson’s, ADHD/ADD, …), 
• respiratory system (asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, …), 
• circulatory system (hypertension, cholesterol, heart function, …), 
• cognitive function and psychological disorders/imbalances (memory, depression, stress,  anxiety, insomnia, bipolar, …), 
• urinary function, 
• anti-aging

These are a few issues listed but Ayurveda can treat diseases beyond this list. Consult your Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Doctor now.

We obtain Ayurvedic medicine naturally derived from our environment. In Ayurveda, herbal-based medicines are emphasized and it is ensured that the herbs, oils, and other substances come from clean sources to remove the toxins from the body.

Ayurveda is the gift from the Hindu gods at least 5000 years ago given to the sages and saints. There is also new research that shows Ayurveda was there between 10,000 – 20,000 years ago. There are three main books of Ayurveda – Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata. There are also books authored by Sharngadhara, Bhavamishra, and Madhava.

Ayurvedic treatments focus on treating the root cause of disease which has a long-standing effect. It allows you to balance your own health. There is no need to get a prescription or get tests done. For example, if a person feels constipation during winters, then before the start of winters, you can yourself start eating warm foods with moderate amounts of spices along with the intake of water and herbal teas, return to a more regular routine, avoid cold & drying foods to have better digestion.

Vikruti is the current imbalance in the body. Prakruti is the basic constitution of the body with which one was conceived. Ayurveda focuses on unwinding the Vikruti and restoring the prakruti.

The 5 Prana Vayus are the subcategories of the Vata Dosha. As per Ayurveda, Vata is responsible for the movements in the body. The Vayu governs different aspects of movements in Prana. Prana Vayu is different from Prana. Prana refers to force energy that is vital for life and Prana Vayu refers to the movement of Prana or force energy that is vital for life from the crown into the areas of the head and chest. The 5 Prana Vayus are the following:

• Vayu – Area of Body – Overall Function of Body
• Prana – Head, Chest – Governs the intake, respiration, inspiration, forward movement
• Apana – Pelvis – Governs elimination, downward movement
• Samana – Navel – Governs assimilation, absorption of food and mental impressions, discernment
• Udana – Throat – Governs speech, expression, growth, muscle movement, upward movement
• Vyana – Heart & Whole Body – Governs circulation from the heart to exterior, expansion

Defining Prana – Prana is our force energy that is vital for life. Prana is what brings us to life, it animates life, while death is prana leaving the body. Prana gives energy to every cell and tissue. Prana brings our prakruti to our life. It is an energetic and creative aspect of consciousness. Prana is the manifestation of our entire universe. 

Sources of Prana – The sources of prana include air, earth, and sun. The plants are grown on the earth which takes in sunlight that they contain massive prana. Intake of local organic and fresh plants gives huge amounts of prana. Yoga and meditation especially the pranayama and breathing exercises also bring in prana to the body.

Increasing Prana – Breathing exercises including pranayama, exercises, outdoor activities, intake of local, organic, and seasonal whole foods, spending time with high-energy people, and walking barefoot on earth can increase the Prana. 

Controlling and concentrating Prana – There are yoga exercises that can control and concentrate Prana including breath retention, bandhas, kriyas, visualizations, and meditations.

Prana entering our body – The Prana enters the Adhipati Marma point at the top of the head when we are born in life. The prana enters the body through our 5 senses, coming from the food we eat, the air we breathe, and from the energies of the earth and heaven. Prana travels into the body through thousands of tiny channels called the Nadis to every cell in our body.

• Juncture points where the matter in the body meets the energetic aspect of our being
• Energy points in the body used for healing body, mind, spirit
• It is where 2 or more types of tissue meet, such as veins, muscles, ligaments, bone, or joints; for instance, the point between the eyebrows is a marma point
• Access points to the innate healing intelligence of the body
• There are 107 marma points

Hot water is added to the ghee to melt it. Ghee can be taken on an empty stomach. One does not take meals until they are genuinely hungry later that day.

Basti should be done in the presence of the Ayurvedic Health Practitioners/Doctor as per the prescribed method. The best times for basti are in the early morning or evening (Vata times). The stomach should be empty; wait at least three hours after eating. One can lie on the floor on the left side. The enema tube or the bottle filled with medicated oil or tea is inserted into the rectum and retained for ten minutes. Once the patient gets the urge to defecate, then use the toilet to release the oil or tea. One can wear pad or disposable underpants to keep in check any leaking oil or tea.

How much does it cost for Ayurvedic Panchakarma?

At Ojas Herbal, all Panchakarma options include the supplies, directions, medications, and recipes, but not the food supplies. The cost of therapy varies, which will be informed by our Ayurvedic Health Practitioners/Doctor during consultation.

Panchakarma refers to 5 therapies as listed below:

• Vamana – (therapeutic vomiting for excess Kapha),
• Virechana – (purgation – strong laxative for excess Pitta and Vata),
• Basti – (medicated enemas for excess Vata),
• Nasya – (nasal oil – Head, neck areas, lingering doshas) – improves the flow of prana, opens channels of the head, cleanses nasal tract and sinuses, helps allergic conditions
• Raktamokshan – (bloodletting – for excess Pitta, periphery diseases) – when excess toxins are carried in the blood to peripheral areas, i.e. skin diseases

Additional therapies such as abhyanga (warm oil body treatment), shirodhara (streaming of warm oil on the forehead), and steams, fasting, exposure to wind/sun, exercise, taking herbs that destroy toxins are treatments that may be used in panchakarma

Panchakarma detox is the removal of ama or toxins from the body, which is an integral part of Panchakarma. The therapies of Panchakarma are very powerful and before going for a full Panchakarma, there is a period of clearing out the body.

The Panchakarma is done in the following manner:

• Preparatory work is done by removing poor diet options, the substitution of better food options, herbs and changes in lifestyle
• Eating simple diet for 8 – 14 days so that body can concentrate its resources on removing toxins
• Starting body treatments to provoke excess Vata, Pitta and Kapha to get into the GI tract and toxins for removal
• Having medicated ghee in the morning for 4-8 days
• Purgation with a strong laxative
• Medicated enemas

Most people lose weight during Panchakarma. However, it varies greatly depending on what diet was followed before Panchakarma. The body loses weight significantly if the person stays on a simple diet for a longer period of time.

The benefits of Panchakarma include: 

• Decreases cholesterols
• Decreased the rate of platelet clumping
• Decreases the fourteen major toxic and cancer-causing chemicals from the body tissues
• Significantly increases the good HDL cholesterol
• Lowers the diastolic blood pressure
• Reduction in heavy metals, pesticides, and other hazardous chemicals by 70% than the general population. 
• Reduces free radicals which are the leading cause of all disease
• Significantly reduces the bodily complaints, irritability, bodily strain, psychological inhibition, and emotional stability 
• Decreased anxiety
• Works on the root cause of the disease
• Boosts immunity
• Removes chemical toxins (environment pollution, drinking, smoking, chemicals in food, medicines)
• Removes emotional toxins (stress, jealousy, sorrows, fears, anger, grief, anxiety)
• Reduction in extra fat
• Reverses aging
• Increases the glow of the skin
• Removes anxiety, sleeplessness/insomnia, and mental problems
• Balances the blood circulation and blood pressure levels
• Improves digestive system
• Increases vigor and stamina

People generally feel some fatigue or may have mild experiences like flu as many toxins are released. It is therefore important to do preparatory work before the Panchakarma is done. If the proper preparation is not done then the toxins from the body go out quickly and there is a high chance that the person can develop strong flu symptoms.

A simple diet that comprises the cooked grains, moong beans, and other lentils, and cooked vegetables. One should avoid cold foods, yeast, fats, any kind of processed foods, alcohol, and foods with high sugar.

Yes, people can do their own body treatments.

The preparatory phase of the Panchakarma generally takes 4 days to several weeks. The actual cleansing itself takes 4 – 14 days. The post phase which includes reintroducing the normal foods to the body can take 1 – 4 weeks.

There are 5 types of Panchakarma – Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya, and Raktamokshan. The Ayurvedic Health Practitioners/Doctor will decide the course of the Panchakarma depending on the body type.