This is so interesting to read. My sister went through most of the panchakarma cleanse last year (she is an OBGYN, indian doctors are very open to ayurveda). But I was too eeked out to give it a shot. Your writing and description of the process actually made me feel more comfortable and I am considering giving it a shot the next time i go home!
I’d absolutely encourage you to! Definitely worth a try, and I had some overall insights that challenged me to be more mindful about my body and its processes. It really helped me to read some peer reviewed studies before I went! Most I found were only about basti but I bet there’s more comprehensive ones out there.
Loved this. I am interested in alternative medicine but also sceptical. This was an interesting read but the butter stage might have been a stumbling block for me. 😊 Thanks for sharing tho! Did you find any benefits from the Nasya stage?
My doctor told me that the ghee would be the hardest part and she was right, idk if it’s a blessing or a curse that it’s up first 🥴
To be honest with you I found nasya too uncomfortable for me and don’t feel like it added anything, but all of this treatment is so interconnected so that’s a bold claim for me to make. For me, the nasya was supposed to help with anxiety, which the basti was also treating. It can also help with headache & respiratory issues but I didn’t have those problems.
It’s usually a very small part of a whole Panchakarma cleanse, though. I hope you’re able to give it a try!
I lived in Kerala for years, have used ayurveda for arthritis and yes, the genuine thing is tough but *it works* . No side effects, no iatrogenic disease, relief from symptoms and often even longterm cure. You can find double blind trials and stuff online.
I’ll look more into these, it’s something I’d consider doing again! I met a few people during my treatment that go for a Panchakarma every couple years or so. It would be an incredible experience to do in Kerala, too. I heard there’s much more rigor behind the treatment. Amazing how much it helped you and I will be looking for more studies!
Yes they told us the same! It’s a whole health system and quite interesting — food is a part of it, and detox/treatments are another. It all depends on your specific dosha as well. Might be interesting to ask about next time!
Loved this. I am interested in alternative medicine but also sceptical. This was an interesting read but the butter stage might have been a stumbling block for me. 😊 Thanks for sharing tho! Did you find any benefits from the Nasya stage?
I’m just seeing this comment! Yes, I’m equally a bit of skeptic🥲 To be honest I didn’t feel like I got much benefit from nasya, but there’s many uses to it. For me it was mostly anxiety. I had a friend who got nasya for migraines and she felt like that helped her a bit more. But it’s also the one I could find the least about in peer reviewed research!
This was such a fun recounting! I’m a big fan of Ayurveda & Yoga. I’ve been teaching for 4 years but practicing for 14. I love how things in Ayurveda line up with Astrology and with African healing wisdom shared by Queen Afua.
I’m less skeptical of cultural wisdom for medicine than modern western medicine tbh. But I respect and accept both equally!
Ie. There’s lots of research on keto and what it should be should for yet people misuse that info that’s been properly researched. Vs consuming red raspberry leaf tea to aid in womb health during your cycle & in pregnancy is not as researched but culturally has a long successful history.
I guess what I’m saying is, it’s fun to try everything! Take whatcha like and leave what you don’t. There’s something useful in allll medicines for our uniques bodies. Anyways, thanks for being open enough to share your story and for sharing mine!
You have me reading more about African healing now, the similarities really are amazing! The key really does seem to be holistic and natural care, so much of which has been lost with western medicine's focus on acute symptoms. And improper research is such a great point -- people will believe something so wholeheartedly when they think it's backed by modern science. Like when we thought fat was bad for you? And eggs, too?
I agree with you completely, the 'truth' is likely somewhere in the middle of traditional and eastern medicines, and I hope that we can also more properly study eastern healing practices to blend the two together!
This is such a beautiful piece! Your writing made me feel like I was there with you (ghee and all!) I studied nutrition and had a segment on Ayurveda and loved it! I don't follow it completely, but pull pieces of it into my health. I love this question too, and am excited to read what others share - I am quite skeptical about a lot of things in the health related space: seed cycling, fasting, those "trendy" things as they often have lofty promises and cures that aren't really the case.
This is so great! I love that it was incorporated into your nutrition education and it's so cool that you can use that lens to see how parts of it work for you.
The 'lofty promises' part is so true. Part of the reason I gave Ayurveda a chance was that I didn't feel like I was being sold a miracle cure, and it's got such a long history.
This is so interesting to read. My sister went through most of the panchakarma cleanse last year (she is an OBGYN, indian doctors are very open to ayurveda). But I was too eeked out to give it a shot. Your writing and description of the process actually made me feel more comfortable and I am considering giving it a shot the next time i go home!
I’d absolutely encourage you to! Definitely worth a try, and I had some overall insights that challenged me to be more mindful about my body and its processes. It really helped me to read some peer reviewed studies before I went! Most I found were only about basti but I bet there’s more comprehensive ones out there.
Loved this. I am interested in alternative medicine but also sceptical. This was an interesting read but the butter stage might have been a stumbling block for me. 😊 Thanks for sharing tho! Did you find any benefits from the Nasya stage?
My doctor told me that the ghee would be the hardest part and she was right, idk if it’s a blessing or a curse that it’s up first 🥴
To be honest with you I found nasya too uncomfortable for me and don’t feel like it added anything, but all of this treatment is so interconnected so that’s a bold claim for me to make. For me, the nasya was supposed to help with anxiety, which the basti was also treating. It can also help with headache & respiratory issues but I didn’t have those problems.
It’s usually a very small part of a whole Panchakarma cleanse, though. I hope you’re able to give it a try!
I lived in Kerala for years, have used ayurveda for arthritis and yes, the genuine thing is tough but *it works* . No side effects, no iatrogenic disease, relief from symptoms and often even longterm cure. You can find double blind trials and stuff online.
I’ll look more into these, it’s something I’d consider doing again! I met a few people during my treatment that go for a Panchakarma every couple years or so. It would be an incredible experience to do in Kerala, too. I heard there’s much more rigor behind the treatment. Amazing how much it helped you and I will be looking for more studies!
Oh damn. That is wayyyyy intense! Bravo for completing it. I get aryurvedic facials and she always tells me to stop eating dairy. It’s my
Fav food! Love cheese and yogurt and ice cream 😊 i thought it was just following a diet but this is interesting to hear the full process
Yes they told us the same! It’s a whole health system and quite interesting — food is a part of it, and detox/treatments are another. It all depends on your specific dosha as well. Might be interesting to ask about next time!
Loved this. I am interested in alternative medicine but also sceptical. This was an interesting read but the butter stage might have been a stumbling block for me. 😊 Thanks for sharing tho! Did you find any benefits from the Nasya stage?
I’m just seeing this comment! Yes, I’m equally a bit of skeptic🥲 To be honest I didn’t feel like I got much benefit from nasya, but there’s many uses to it. For me it was mostly anxiety. I had a friend who got nasya for migraines and she felt like that helped her a bit more. But it’s also the one I could find the least about in peer reviewed research!
This was such a fun recounting! I’m a big fan of Ayurveda & Yoga. I’ve been teaching for 4 years but practicing for 14. I love how things in Ayurveda line up with Astrology and with African healing wisdom shared by Queen Afua.
I’m less skeptical of cultural wisdom for medicine than modern western medicine tbh. But I respect and accept both equally!
Ie. There’s lots of research on keto and what it should be should for yet people misuse that info that’s been properly researched. Vs consuming red raspberry leaf tea to aid in womb health during your cycle & in pregnancy is not as researched but culturally has a long successful history.
I guess what I’m saying is, it’s fun to try everything! Take whatcha like and leave what you don’t. There’s something useful in allll medicines for our uniques bodies. Anyways, thanks for being open enough to share your story and for sharing mine!
You have me reading more about African healing now, the similarities really are amazing! The key really does seem to be holistic and natural care, so much of which has been lost with western medicine's focus on acute symptoms. And improper research is such a great point -- people will believe something so wholeheartedly when they think it's backed by modern science. Like when we thought fat was bad for you? And eggs, too?
I agree with you completely, the 'truth' is likely somewhere in the middle of traditional and eastern medicines, and I hope that we can also more properly study eastern healing practices to blend the two together!
This is such a beautiful piece! Your writing made me feel like I was there with you (ghee and all!) I studied nutrition and had a segment on Ayurveda and loved it! I don't follow it completely, but pull pieces of it into my health. I love this question too, and am excited to read what others share - I am quite skeptical about a lot of things in the health related space: seed cycling, fasting, those "trendy" things as they often have lofty promises and cures that aren't really the case.
This is so great! I love that it was incorporated into your nutrition education and it's so cool that you can use that lens to see how parts of it work for you.
The 'lofty promises' part is so true. Part of the reason I gave Ayurveda a chance was that I didn't feel like I was being sold a miracle cure, and it's got such a long history.