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Shirodhara warm herbalized oils soothes and calms.

hardened arteries, tooth tartar, a coated tongue, joint pain, body odor, or excess mucus, you have the physical symptoms of ama. Energetically, it lurks in the system as fatigue; mentally, ama creates dullness, irritability, and greed. According to ayurveda, PK addresses the root causes of disease by

in modern industrial and agricultural processes. Traces of these chemicals pervade our food, water, air, and even our own bodies, and some are associated with allergies, reproductive disorders, certain types of cancer, and other diseases.

Scientific research suggests that many environmental toxicants are fat soluble and become lodged in the lipid layers of our cells. In a two-month longitudinal study conducted in 1998 at the Raj Maharishi Ayurvedic Health Spa in Fairfield, Iowa, PK helped lighten the body’s toxic load of all 18 participants by reducing

and rejuvenating program for the body, mind, and consciousness,” he says.

PANCHAKARMA UNVEILED

How does PK work? First, an ayurvedic practitioner determines whether you are strong enough to withstand a cleansing regimen, and rules out contraindications such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, and (for women) pregnancy and menstruation. Then he or she assesses your current body-mind state (vikriti) and compares it to the unique ayurvedic constitution with which you were born (prakriti).

Ayurvedic massage soothes, softens, and saturates your body and mind with nourishing herbalized oils.

the level of several fat-soluble pesticide compounds, including beta-HCH and certain PCBs, by an average of approximately 50 percent compared to controls.

According to the ayurvedic tradition, PK has a host of other benefits. As Lad explains, “panchakarma removes free radicals, balances cholesterol and triglycerides, regulates blood pressure, and introduces antioxidant enzymes into the body. And because it’s a wonderful source of stress management, panchakarma can even prevent heart attacks, stroke paralysis, and cancer.” PK can also slow the aging process and enhance vitality and mental clarity. It’s a “cleansing

Both your prakriti and vikriti are a unique blend of the three doshas - vata, pitta, and kapha - and numerous factors can disrupt their delicate balance. As Lad explains, “The wrong diet, habits, and lifestyle, along with seasonal changes, repressed emotions, and stress factors can….change the balance of vata, pitta, and kapha... which affects agni, the gastric fire, and produces ama, or toxins.”

Ama clogs us on all levels and, when left unchecked, becomes the breeding ground for disease. Described in ayurvedic texts as cold, heavy, wet, and sticky, it develops from environmental toxins and internal toxins generated by poorly assimilated food. If you have high cholesterol,

removing years of accumulated ama (along with excess vata, pitta, and/or kapha) and fine-tuning your agni. The job of your ayurvedic practitioner is to tailor a program to rebalance your body and mind.

Susan and Jeff Turner, both Board Certified in Ayurvedic Medicine, and owners of Living Ayurveda, an integrated health clinic in Monterey, CA., stress that each panchakarma program must be custom design for each patient. As the Turners explain, “each of us is a unique being with our unique genetic makeup and imbalances. Each person’s response to an herb or treatment is unique. Unfortunately some panchakarma clinics administer the same program to each patient.” The Turners create a unique protocol for each patient, and modify the protocol as panchakarma progresses and treatment objectives are achieved.... [next page]

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