Ayurveda and Panchakarma — Understanding Your Dosha and the Art of Deep Cleansing

Quick answer: Ayurveda, the “science of life,” sees health as a balance of three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Panchakarma, meaning “five actions,” is its classical cleansing and rejuvenation programme. It is done in stages, under a qualified Ayurvedic physician, after careful preparation of the body. What is Ayurveda, and how is it connected to yoga? Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences born from the same soil. Yoga tends the mind and spirit through practice. Ayurveda tends the body through food, lifestyle, herbs and therapies. The classical texts, the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam, describe health as more than the absence of disease. A healthy person (swastha) has balanced doshas, strong digestion, well-functioning tissues, regular elimination, and a happy mind, senses and Self. What are the...