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The World's Best Detox: Panchakarma - Where to go and what to expect

“Where is the best detox place for me?”

This is a question I am continually asked over my carrier.

This article is the answer to that question with personally recommended detox options around the world and the reasons why Panchakarma system is the best in the world!

The Most Important Principles of Detox

#1 Do No Harm

The first principle to the best detox place is “do no harm”. No system of medicine understands the possible harm of detox more than the traditional medicine system of India, known as Ayurveda.

#2 Emphasise to Balance Vata

This understanding from Ayurvedic medicine enlightens us to the fact, that when we experience more Vata type aspects of life, such as those that are present in a detox process, we can initiate strong disease-promoting processes in our bodily tissues. 

This Vata, then influences the controlling forces of the body through the nervous system and the long-term disease process may not play out for years to come, as the cycle of the disease comes to fruition.

Examples of these Vata type disease influences are:

  • Loss
  • Separation
  • Fear
  • Pain
  • Deficiency
  • Cold
  • Dry
  • Change
  • Virtually anything that aggravates the nervous system.

As detox is a process of loss and separation where we forcefully promote the body’s evacuation channels. It can also strongly aggravate Vata, and in the long run create diseases in the functional and controlling forces of the body. 

It is therefore essential that your chosen detox place takes measures to reduce Vata and prepare the body for the removal processes which are going to increase Vata.

indian ayurvedic panchakarma: what do you need to know before going on a detox and where to

Massage helps to reduce Vata. That's why massage perfomed daily activity during Panchakarma.

How to Choose the Right Panchakarma?

Essential Factors Needed for Safe Ayurvedic Detox

  • Aligning your body’s daily actions with the proper rhythmic cycles of the Sun. This restores balanced function of the pituitary and pineal gland.
  • Strong parasympathetic nervous system dominance with deep relaxation techniques that encourage healing and digestion.
  • Warmed soup type foods

 to stimulate good digestive function, balance Vata, and prepare the body for removal processes.

  • Daily massage and oeliation to move toxins to elimination sites, balance Vata, and prepare the body for removal processes.
  • Ghee or the use of liquid warm fat in the mornings. This switches the body to a fats for fuel cycle which encourages a calmer nervous system. Coats toxins and protects the tissues from their free radical damage while the ghee moves them to sites of elimination. Also strongly balances Vata in preparation for the removal process of Panchakarma.
  • Panchakarma’s, meaning 5 different avenues of pulling toxins from the body. The avenues for toxin removal are through the nose, the bowels, the gallbladder, the stomach and mouth, or directly from the blood. They should always be chosen on an individual basis.
  • Balance the blood sugar levels. Therefore limit the intake of juices, processed foods or anything that might spike the blood sugars.
  • On site practitioner to individualise and adjust the program to you. At minimum, dose needs to be changed in order to perform removal processes without aggravating Vata.

The Benefits of Ayurvedic Detox if the Essentials Above are Covered

  • Retunes the brains master control system, the pituitary and pineal glands, so hormonal control and enzymatic processes return to balance.
  • Heals intestinal villi so absorption and digestion dramatically improve.
  • Restores proper eliminative function of bowels, urinary, respiratory and sweat systems. If these aren’t working great then you are likely to build the toxins up again quickly.
  • Balances hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia so energy is more consistent over the day.
  • Cleanses the liver, flushes bile and restores the body’s ability to maintain a balanced blood environment.
  • Unblocks and restores flow to the lymph and its glands, brining lustre to the skin and hair.
  • Resets the digestive fire so that balanced hunger and thirst can return to ease

It is important to note that many detox systems either don’t go far enough, or go way too far in one area. Often they focus on the elimination of toxins far and above restoring the balanced functional principles of the body, which should always be our highest focus.

After all, it’s usually an imbalance of these functional principles that created the toxin build up in the first place.

indian ayurvedic panchakarma: what do you need to know before going on a detox and where to

Ginger is one of herbs that's often used during a Panchakarma.

My List of Recommended PanchaKarma Options

This list is short specifically because although there are many benefits to detox and many great places the world, to “do no harm” is my priority! 

Therefore I only recommend places that have been personally recommended from the first hand experience of professionals I trust. This list will continue to grow over time and please write your comments below of any first hand panchakarma experience you have had.

Vaidyagrama means a healing village and it truly lives up to this name. It is led by Dr Ramkumar, an Ayurveda Vaidya with a generational lineage. Vaidyagrama is the number 1 choice for one of the most experienced and famous American Ayurvedic Doctors, Dr Robert Svoboda, who was the first ever Westerner to graduate from an Indian Ayurvedic University, which happens to be the same place I studied as well. It has clusters of healing spaces, each under the guidance of one Vaidya, enabling one doctor to supervise your complete program. The healing vibes are also supported by the design principles of Vasthu Shastra, encouraging maximum benefit from the environmental factors like the Sun, magnetic north, land slope, and so much more. If you have the finances and are looking for a truly traditional panchakarma, this would be one of my top choices in the world.

Treatment Room - Vaidyagrama - Ayurvedic Healing Village

The Amrutham centre is owned and operated by a colleague of my favourite Ayurvedic mentor. It is a small husband and wife team and offers traditional Panchakarma processes in a country setting of India. Although the website is written in German, it has a google translate feature on the right hand side of the page. It is located in Bangalore, in southern India near Tumkur, about two hours by car. Aside from the private rooms, it has a kitchen building, meditation building and a farm where they source their food and herbal remedies.

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Poonthottam literally means “Flower Garden”. The Asram is set in the luscious green, healing landscape of Kerala’s verdant Kulakkad hill region. It was recommended to me from the founder of Byron Bay Botanical and Medicinals, who regularly goes back to receive his Panchakarma treatments there. Although it is a larger scale than Amrutham with many doctors, he feels that it does not loose much of the personal feel.

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Rajah Healthy Acres is an Ayurvedic hospital with the facilities of a resort, situated in the countryside of Kerala in India on a vast hilly terrain of over 180 acres. They have a vast array of room options across the land which can suit all budgets. The hospital offers treatment for various illnesses with a large number of doctors. They are also a licensed manufacturer of several Ayurvedic medicines which are export quality and also imported to Australia. This one was recommended to me by Jay, The Eumundi Medicine Man, who has a thriving school of Ayurveda and is Australia’s largest importer of Ayurvedic products.

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Designed by me and has a special focus on enhancing the digestive and transformative force of the body, known in Ayurveda as Agni. The unique thing about Vitality Now is that it is not just an individualised cleansing and detox retreat. It includes daily life and wellness education classes so you leave the detox with the wisdom to sustain the vitality we create together.

Unlike most Indian Panchakarma programs, Vitality Now is limited to a small group that does the program together. This increases the personalisation with plenty of opportunities to pick my brain, and a special group atmosphere as we bond and support each other as a team. More information can be accessed here.

indian ayurvedic panchakarma: what do you need to know before going on a detox and where to

Morning Kitchari breakfast at Vitality Now Ayurvedic Detox Retreat.

If you'd like to join our Vitality Now Ayurvedic Detox Retreat, I would highly recommend making an advance booking as it's always booked out. I can only have a max of 15 detoxers, giving time to individualise the program and a personal twice daily check-in with me.

Wishing you Health and Prosperity,

Kimmana