Home panchakarma is an Ayurvedic cleansing procedure that removes toxins from the body, releases emotions stored in the connective tissues, and softens the body, providing an opportunity to break free from unwanted patterns that may have caused chronic health problems.
To ensure the cleansing process runs smoothly, with minimal discomfort and no unwanted side effects, I have compiled here some recommendations to follow whilst preparing for, during and after the cleansing.
Tips for successfully carrying out panchakarma at home
A week before your home panchakarma
- Take care of any household chores, make any necessary phone calls and so on, so that nothing disturbs you the following week.
- If necessary, start gradually cutting out caffeine, sugar, alcohol and refined foods.
- Women are advised not to undergo the cleansing programme whilst menstruating.
- Tidy up your home.
- Set aside a space for yoga and meditation, if you don’t already have one.
- Write down your daily routines for the duration of the cleanse.
- Decide how many days your cleanse will last – with a clear start and end.
- Buy everything you’ll need in advance.
During the cleanse
- Wake up before sunrise.
- Give yourself a self-massage with warm oil (snehana) and then take a warm shower or bath (svedana). If you have access to a sauna or steam room, you can use it for 10–15 minutes after the self-massage, so that you work up a light sweat. It’s important not to overdo it in the sauna.
- Include gentle yoga, pranayama and meditation in your daily routine – a total of 30–90 minutes a day. It is best to do your morning rituals (self-massage, a warm shower and yoga) before breakfast.
- On cleansing days, eat kichari three times a day and avoid snacks. Eat slowly, mindfully and in moderation: one ‘anjali’ or ‘prayer portion’ per meal – an amount of food that fits into your cupped hands when placed in a small bowl. This measure varies from person to person.
- Sip hot water throughout the day, roughly every 15 minutes.
- A slow, gentle walk is beneficial. Any other physical activity apart from yoga is not recommended.
- Stay away from your phone and computer as much as possible. Do not watch television.
- Avoid talking too much, move slowly, keep a diary and read yoga or spiritual literature.
- Make sure you have a bowel movement every day. If you don’t, double the dose of triphala and drink plenty of warm water. Add body twists and/or a gentle walk to your morning yoga practice. Before going to bed, you may take haritaki or prune juice.
- Consider stopping or reducing your intake of vitamins, minerals or other dietary supplements (apart from those mentioned here) for the duration of the programme.
- Continue taking any medication.
- Go to bed early, at 10.00 pm, or preferably even 9.30 pm.
After the cleanse
- Plan for 5–7 days at a more relaxed pace to ease out of the programme gradually. This is very important.
- Gradually reintroduce stewed or boiled, chemical-free, whole foods into your diet. For at least three days after the cleanse, eat only plant-based foods.
- Eat seasonal food, organically grown vegetables and fruit.
- Continue practising yoga, pranayama and meditation.
- Please ring or write to me if you feel your emotions are getting the better of you and you need support.
Panchakarma levels
If you are undertaking an Ayurvedic cleanse independently for the first time, please choose the first or second level.
Level 1
Follow the dietary recommendations and daily routine (dinacharya) set out below.
Level 2
Follow the dietary recommendations below and consume mild ghee on the third, fourth and fifth days:
- one tablespoon of ghee on the third day,
- two tablespoons on the fourth day,
- on the fifth day, three tablespoons.
Take the ghee first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. To improve the flavour, you can add a pinch of salt and pepper or some lime juice. Drink ginger tea in small sips throughout the day – this helps prevent nausea. Eat breakfast when you feel hungry: allow a little time for the ghee to be digested and absorbed into your body’s tissues.
Ghee is suitable for those with normal cholesterol levels. If you have high cholesterol or are a strict vegan, you can do the cleanse with linseed oil: two tablespoons before or after breakfast and lunch (a total of four tablespoons a day) on the third, fourth and fifth days.
If you have bowel movements once or twice a day, double the amount of triphala on the fifth day or take two tablespoons of castor oil mixed into ginger tea. Triphala is the gentler option. If you take castor oil, you should stay at home the following morning just in case, so that you’re closer to the loo – the aim is to induce a slightly more intense bowel cleanse. If this doesn’t happen, you can take some more triphala, haritaki or castor oil in the evening. I write about castor oil in more detail in the post ‘The Benefits of Castor Oil’.
Level Three
You can proceed to the third level if you have previously undertaken panchakarma at home and decide to undertake a ten-day cleanse. The instructions are the same as for the second level, but you’ll also have a gentle enema using herbs and oil (basti) one to three times. This is very effective, safe and easy to do, but you’ll need the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner. This additional step is not essential for a home cleanse, but it takes the cleansing process to the next level. Basti should be performed on the eighth, ninth and tenth days. You can also perform basti once a week for four consecutive weeks following the cleanse.
Dinacharya, or daily routines
- Wake up before sunrise.
- Scrape your tongue.
- Wash your face with cool water or splash your face with rose water.
- Brush your teeth.
- Drink one or two glasses of warm water first thing.
- Give yourself a massage with warm oil, then take a warm shower or bath.
- Spend 30–90 minutes a day on gentle yoga, pranayama and meditation (after the massage and bath).
- Perform nasya, or instil oil into your nostrils: lie on your back on an empty stomach, tilt your head back, close your eyes and instil 3–5 drops of oil into each nostril. Inhale the oil and remain still for 3–5 minutes.
- Prepare breakfast: porridge or kitcheri.
- Move slowly throughout the day, take time to rest and avoid talking too much.
- Take half to one teaspoon of triphala powder in a glass of warm water about an hour before going to bed. If you have an upset stomach, do not take triphala.
- Drink warm herbal tea throughout the day.
- End the day with pranayama and meditation.
- Go to bed at 10.00 pm, or better still, at 9.30 pm.
Dietary recommendations for a seven-day panchakarma
If you wish to extend the retreat to ten days, extend the kitchen days in the middle of the programme. If you need to shorten the programme, follow the instructions for the first and second days for one day and reduce the number of kitchen days by one.
Days 1–2
Follow a vegan diet (free from dairy, meat, fish and eggs). Avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugar and processed foods. Eat only warm, organic, unprocessed food and nothing raw. Suitable foods include organically grown cereal porridges, rice, quinoa, amaranth, barley, stewed or boiled seasonal vegetables, baked fruit, beans, lentils and, in moderation, nuts. Try to eat seasonal, wholesome food grown locally.
Days 3–6
Follow the Kitchers’ mono-diet. You may also have a few (3–5) blanched almonds soaked overnight in cold water and one avocado a day – but only if the need is physical, not emotional.
Day 7
Organic porridge for breakfast and a plant-based meal for lunch and dinner. Lunch should include plant-based protein: mung beans, beans, lentils, grains and stewed or boiled vegetables with your favourite spices (ginger, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds).
If you feel you would like to extend the cleanse, follow the dietary recommendations for days 1–2. When you are ready to return to your normal diet, follow the instructions below.
Days 8–10: phasing out the cleanse
- Day 8. Follow the plant-based diet described above. You may include eggs if you normally digest them well – for example, two scrambled eggs for breakfast, or egg whites with warm vegetables, rice and spices. Lunch and dinner are similar to those on the seventh day. Ensure that the food combinations go well together.
- Day 9. You can now add small amounts of mild dairy products if needed. Introduce them one at a time in the following order: plain yoghurt, then milk, followed by soft cheese. Introduce foods slowly, one at a time and in small quantities, and pay attention to how your digestion is coping. If you experience any digestive problems, take a step back and eat a simpler diet.
- Day 10. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can introduce fish or chicken – slowly and in small portions.
Meals should be simple: one protein, one grain and one vegetable at a time.
Drinks: only plain hot water and herbal teas, such as ginger tea.
Eat three times a day and avoid snacks. If you have problems with your blood sugar or feel weak, eat four smaller meals a day. Eat at the right times: breakfast between 7.00 and 8.00, lunch between 12.00 and 13.00, and dinner between 17.30 and 18.30.
Herbs to support panchakarma at home
Taking medicinal herbs enhances the effects of panchakarma and supports the cleansing process, so they are essential.
Triphala. Triphala cleanses, expels toxins and nourishes the body throughout the sensitive period of purification. It helps to eliminate excess dosha and ama, and scrapes away old faecal residues from the walls of the large intestine, which have been softened by the intake of ghee and external oil application. Take half to one teaspoon of Triphala with a little warm water about an hour before going to bed. If you are constipated, you may double the dose; if you have a soft bowel, take half the dose; if your bowels are quite loose, do not take triphala. It is advisable to take Triphala for at least a month after the cleanse, if not longer – in which case the dose may be reduced.
Sat isabgol (psyllium husks). Suitable if you have bowel movements several times a day, your stools are loose and you are prone to diarrhoea. Sat isabgol has the property of binding stools to make them firmer whilst also promoting bowel movement when constipated. This helps to eliminate toxins and supports energy levels. Take half to one teaspoonful in the evening with warm water.
Turmeric. Regular intake of organic turmeric, particularly during a cleanse, is very beneficial. Turmeric purifies the blood and supports a healthy blood count, aids digestion and helps eliminate toxins (ama). Turmeric reduces inflammation, heals intestinal ulcers and helps cleanse the body’s subtle channels (srotas), thereby enabling a deeper detoxification. Turmeric also supports the nervous system (emotions come to the surface), cleanses the chakras and reduces tension in the joints as ama is eliminated. Take half a teaspoon of turmeric mixed with honey after a meal; you may add a little black pepper.
Brahmi, liquorice and tulsi tea. These soothing herbal blends calm the mind and nourish the spirit, remove blockages from the nervous system and promote restful sleep. To prepare, add half a teaspoon each of brahmi, liquorice and tulsi to one and a half cups of water, bring to the boil, leave to infuse for 10 minutes and strain. Drink 2–3 times a day. Herbs that grow in Estonia can be used to make, for example, rosemary or sage tea.
Coming out of the cleanse
This part of the cleanse is absolutely crucial. Do not undertake the cleanse if you are unable to allow yourself 3–5 days to come out of the cleanse at a leisurely pace. This is important not only for physiological reasons: as you come out of the cleanse, you may not feel emotionally well, and a rushed recovery could do more harm than not doing the cleanse at all.
Bear in mind that, depending on the depth of the cleanse, you may have slowed down your digestive processes or even caused them to function in reverse in order to induce the elimination of ama, or toxins. It is important to give your body time and space for all processes to readjust to normal. The recovery phase is a time to rekindle the digestive fire (agni) and nourish the cleansed tissues (dhatu).
- Allow 3–7 days, or even longer, for the recovery period.
- Gradually introduce gently steamed or boiled organic foods, and continue to eat a plant-based diet for the three days following the cleanse. Use spices to support the digestive fire.
- Add easily digestible seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, to your meals.
- Continue to drink hot water throughout the day and eat steamed or boiled seasonal vegetables.
- Continue with yoga, pranayama and meditation.
- Avoid strenuous exercise and physical exertion for at least a week. Also avoid active sex.
- Drink soothing herbal teas three times a day: valerian, verbena, lavender, lime blossom and chamomile.
- Rasayana, or rejuvenation. Drink fresh almond milk in the morning and evening, to which you add a teaspoon of ashwagandha (for vata types), shatavari (for pitta types) or punarnava (for kapha types). If you are a milk drinker and include milk in your diet, you may wish to switch to organic cow’s milk.
- Include rasayana foods in your diet: almonds, ghee, seeds, dates, seasonal fruits and honey.
- Make use of nature as a rasayana. During the post-cleanse period, take peaceful walks in nature and take time to reflect and integrate your experiences.
- See how long you can go without sugar, caffeine and processed foods. If you need to reintroduce them into your diet, try to cut the amount down by half compared to what you’re used to. Avoid processed wheat and dairy products for as long as you can, and then consume them in moderation.
- Give me a call or drop me a line, especially if your emotions are running high and you need some support.
- Keep a diary of your experiences – that way you’ll be able to compare them next time.
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. Also check the panchakarma retreat page to see when it’s possible to do panchakarma at home under guidance in a small group. Once you’ve experienced the process and mastered the techniques, you’ll feel more confident doing it on your own at home later on.