I’ve alluded to this quite a bit over the last few weeks, but the time has officially come to tell you… tomorrow I will be heading out to start a 5-day Panchakarma treatment!
I will be away from the computer, my phone, and all technology (and my entire regular routine) for 5 full days to fully immerse myself in the experience… Which will be the longest by FAR that I have been away from you guys since I started this bloggy 3 years ago.
Panchakarma is an Ayurvedic treatment for detoxification and purification that involves massage, herbal therapy, rest, digital detox and more (way more — I’ll elaborate!) and is a gentle, yet profound purification therapy designed to rid the body of toxins.
Needless to say, this chick has gathered a lot of toxins over the years. We ALL have. I threw my body off balance when I developed orthorexia and stopped listening to my body’s hunger cues, drank a ton of alcohol in college (and high school… #whoops), and I have my fair share of stress with the highest cortisol levels you could imagine. In Ayurvedic medicine, they believe my toxins are mainly stuck in my liver. (Which could be why alcohol sounds horrible to me 110% of the time.)
In other words, my pitta dosha is off balance, as there has been an increase of vata in my body — so this Panchakarma treatment will balance my doshic function on top of detoxifying my bod and giving me time and energy to recharge and get re-inspired away from technology and my daily life.
If you have nooooo idea what I am talking about when I say pitta and vata, then you may be interested in taking this dosha quiz. Your dosha is kind of like your body’s blueprint — it corresponds to your specific behaviors, emotions, digestion, shape, appearance and more.
I happen to be a pitta dosha, the fiery and intense one (surprised?), and when pitta is off-balance all sorts of issues are caused. Digestion probs, stress levels skyrocket, sleep issues, overheating easily, having a short temper, getting affected by the tiniest things. That’s me… when I’m off balance.
In balance, pitta is awesome. Technically a balanced pitta has great digestion and sleeps incredibly well, is a great decision-maker and teacher, and is very grounded.
And right now, I can tell you, I don’t feel a whole heck of a lot of grounded-ness. And my digestion is WHACK, and I am a major insomniac.
So… Panchakarma is a good answer.
Also… DIGITAL DETOX. Need I say MORE?
What are some other reasons to do a Panchakarma?
Well, there are a ton. If you are feeling sluggish, depressed, unmotivated, having difficulty with digestion or concentration or any type of emotional issue — Panchakarma is a great thing to do.
For me, it’s mainly about the digestion and an intense desire to treat my body as well as possible and give myself the gift of major detoxification. On top of that, I am thrilled to have 5 days to myself to go through the treatment process and reconnect to my core and what I am most passionate about — and also to reconnect to my creativity away from the Internet.
I did a one day Panchakarma back in May (and wrote all about it here), and it was life changing. Just ONE day. The five treatments within the Panchakarma transported me to basically have an out of body experience. I felt more relaxed, at peace, and at one with the earth than I ever have before. Plus, it was a massively detoxifying experience — for the entire weekend afterward I was in bed, sleeping soundly and feeling insanely relaxed and rested.
I remember thinking during the treatment, “am I asleep or awake? I have NO idea” because I was that relaxed and peaceful.
For a Type A like me, that is pretty much unheard of in daily life — even when I do things like 90 minute massages or float therapy or restorative yoga / meditation.
How Did I Decide on This?
Well, as I mentioned above, the one day Panchakarma rocked my world. After I did that, I was talking to my own Ayurvedic practitioner Anjali about potentially trying a longer, more immersive experience. She suggested that I do a 5-day Panchakarma with her — and pretty much immediately I knew it was the right thing to do. I just had to find the 5 days to do it, with the 5 prep days factored in and about a month after the treatment to stay put and not travel.
For me, that is a LOT. I am usually highly on the go. And also, I am usually not feeling too great when it comes to digestion, sleep, and balanced emotions. So I decided to take a leap of faith and commit to it.
Ever since I committed, I have been more than looking forward to it — I’ve been yearning for it. I realized that I never take a break from life, EVER, to do something like this for myself.
Even when I go on vacation, I am very “on.” I am taking photos, posting on the blog blog, super immersed in Instagram communication with my readers and other bloggers, always on the phone with someone, making plans with someone else, etc.
I am never alone with my thoughts — and for a creative person like me, I NEED to be and want to be. I think I’ve just forgotten how to do that with all of the usual distractions around me.
So, here I am, about to embark on this experience. I am SOOO excited and nervous to see what it will be like. I’m sure it will bring up a lot — it’s a heavy detoxification emotionally, physically and spiritually… but I am ready for it. I am definitely ready to explore that part of myself.
I will see you guys in 5 days (or maybe 6… I will likely take another day to myself when I am coming out of the experience). I cannot wait to share with you. Being able to share my experiences with you guys makes my life 29843984 times better and more meaningful to me — so thank you for always being there. I promise I’m not going MIA, just reconnecting to my deepest self so I can share that with all of you. <3 Also — THOUGHTS?! Do share!
If you want to read more about Panchakarma, check out the articles below —
My One Day Panchakarma Experience, TBB
The Truth About Panchakarma, Banyan Botanicals
Everything You Want to Know About Ayurvedic Cleansing, Banyan Botanicals
