PanchaKarma, the ancient Ayurvedic Detox and Longevity Cleanse is both Cleansing and Rejuvenating

Come harmonize with the rhythms of Nature, root down, rise up, and get in tune with your body.  Experience the ritual of ancient times, that restores vitality and cleanses the body and mind with gentle loving kindness—it is called PanchaKarma (PK). 

PanchaKarma is the sacred ancient healing ritual of Ayurveda that has been practiced in India for many thousands of years. It was initially “invented” or cognized by the Yogis and Yoginis for the purpose of life extension and as a way to optimize the human life experience being in a body, our temple. Eventually PanchaKarma became adapted as the royal cleansing and rejuvenating treatments given to the ancient kings and queen of India, the rajas and maharanis, hence the name.

PanchaKarma aims to support the entire body holistically, purifying and nurturing the tissues on a cellular level while calming the nervous system down to restore a deep sense of balance. It cleanses the body gently from toxins while rebuilding the body’s energy and immunity. According to Ayurveda, PanchaKarma can reverse the aging process and even relieve longstanding chronic conditions.

Receiving PK is for many people a powerful milestone on their healing journey.  The results are usually long-lasting and the treatments promote a positive jumpstart toward having a more healthy and joyful self-care regiment.

A variety of luxurious healing bodywork therapies are applied during the cleanse, such as hot oil lymph massages, cleansing herbal body scrubs, gentle steam therapies, rejuvenate treatments for all the sense organs, general skin purification and rejuvenation, Marma (Energy) therapy plus dietary and herbal support are part of PK. Each healing experience is fully tailored to you each day and a customized treatment program is designed by Corinna Maharani, a Ayurvedic practitioner and PanchaKarma expert with 30+ years of experience with this work.

“Corinna is one of the foremost experts in Pancha Karma in North America.” Vaidya R.K. Mishra

The entire process unfolds over a period of 5 or more days, each day carefully builds upon the next, weaving a tapestry of powerful and luxurious healing modalities into one unforgettable experience. PK also impacts the nervous system where it helps to release negative, stuck emotions. It can soften and release blockages in the body-mind system that hinder accessing inner peace and an overall joyful experience of this lifetime. The treatments bring about a deep sense of wellbeing and in just a few days, patients usually experience the famous “PanchaKarma Glow”, a healthy radiance that can be felt and observed outwardly.  PanchaKarma is not a frivolous pursuit though, as in its original core PK always remains deeply spiritual with the power to transform. 

It is recommended to receive treatments at the change of the seasons in Spring and Fall, during times of transition, after recovering from an illness or from stress and generally for all who wish to optimize and maintain good health. For chronic conditions and for long-lasting results, PanchaKarma should be received up to two to three times a year.

 

THREE STEPS TO A PANCHAKARMA CLEANSE

Step 1: Personal Consultation

An Ayurvedic consultation, done by Corinna Maharani CAP (Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner) will help determine your body-type, present constitution and personal goals. Corinna Maharani is a longstanding expert in PanchaKarma and together with her team guided hundreds of people successfully though this life altering experience. During the consultation, a treatment plan is carefully crafted for you and all PK preparations thoroughly discussed.

Step 2: Home Preparation

Several days before the first day of your PanchaKarma begins you gently prepare the body by following a simple Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle regime at home. The diet usually consists of cooked, easy-to-digest foods such as rice, vegetables, lentils, soups, stewed fruit, herbal teas and other tasty things. Unlike other cleanses, PanchaKarma does not stress the body by putting it into a fight-or flight or starvation mode; all is designed to soothe and nurture. You do not need to fast! Corinna may advice you to take additional herbs, decoction or medicinal, herbalized oils to further support your cleanse during the preparation days. All these details will be explained in your initial consultation with Corinna.

Step 3: PanchaKarma Treatments

PanchaKarma is offered as a collection of individual Ayurvedic treatments that are strung together like pearls, harmoniously flowing from one profound experience to the next. Each fully personalized PanchaKarma cleanse consists of a variety of luxurious and also highly medicinal treatments, combining rejuvenate ancient Spa like therapies with the powerful and transformative type of treatments that make PanchaKarma truly the gem of all Ayurvedic Sacred Bodywork™ techniques. Each day treatments may flow from feeling very rejuvenating to being more cleansing on other days. Each experience is honoring the unique being that you are and you will be guided through the process step by step.

  • PanchaKarma sessions are offered daily at 9am or 2pm. Treatments unfold over a series of typically 5 days, but can be experienced in just 3 days or up to 21 consecutive days.

  • Each PanchaKarma day last for about 4 hours and extra rest and restorative activities will support the healing process and allow the body to integrate and restore.

  • PanchaKarma can be experienced in an out-patient setting where you simply visit us for up to 4 hours per day to receive the treatments, or we can arrange your residential stay. PanchaKarma always includes one nurturing Ayurvedic meal per day, ether lunch or dinner.

  • Cost: $1’500/3-days or $2’295/5-days ($400 for every additional day)

  • The PanchaKarma is a very rounded, highly curated treatment experience. Yoga, meditation and other additional service can also be added per request.

  • Enjoy being totally submerged and enjoy your residential stay with us! Please inquire about our comfortable retreat housing option. Lodging is not included in the price but we like to offer our recommendations to you. PanchaKarma treatments that include room and full-board cost $100-200 extra/per day, depending on type of accommodation.

Sample treatment day during a PanchaKarma Cleanse 

PK Treatments usually start out with a foot bath, tea service and a daily check-in with Corinna. You will receive an Ayurvedic pulse reading, and after a discussion and refinements to your treatment protocols have been made, you are ready for your PanchaKarma!

Fresh flowers greet you in the treatment room, while herbalized oils are warmed for the massage or Shirodhara. The aroma of sesame oil and exotic herbs gently fill the air. The day often begins with a luxurious massage. Warm oil or herbal pastes are gently massaged into the skin, and then hot towels are applied to open and purify the skin, leaving you feeling fresh and renewed. An herbal steam bath might then follow to soften the underlying tensions. Other sessions include Shirodhara (warm oil pour across the forehead), treatments for the rejuvenation of the sense organs like the eyes, ears and nose, cleansing and nourishing body scrubs, scalp and head treatments, localized herbal applications, and gentle cleansing procedures with herbs, oils and herbal infusions. 

Abhyanga

is the classic Ayurvedic oil massage that uses the skillful application of medicinal oils with specific nurturing strokes. It activates the energetic centers (Marma points), breaks up impurities, and stimulates arterial and lymphatic circulation. It can be performed by one or two synchronized practitioners working in tandem.

Swedhana

is an herbal medicinal steam therapy that can be administered locally to specific body parts or for the entire physiology. (Except for the head, which is always kept cool). It allows oils to penetrate deeply into the tissues and also removes toxins.

Shirodhara

is the pouring of medicinal liquids (oil, buttermilk, ghee) across the forehead. It specifically nurtures the pituitary gland and therefor relaxes the entire nervous system by brining the whole being, body-mind-spirit, to feeling a profound sense of peace and calm.

Marma Therapy

Marma Therapy uses sound, touch, aromas, medicinal oils and intention to help direct the flow of Prana (Life-force) for profound healing. We apply Marma therapy during PanchaKarma as an extra relaxing technique and to restore the energetic balance. Learn more about Marma here.

Udvartana

is a brisk massage that uses herbal powders and pastes to stimulate the release of toxins and supports the removal of excess fatty tissue. Udvartana can be used dry or when mixed with oils. It stimulates the lymphatic fluids to cleanse while the herbs absorb deeply into the skin, further detoxing the body.

Pinda Swedhna

is a cooling therapy using herbal rice bolus bags warmed in a specialized milk decoction and vigorously massaged into the skin to reduce inflammation and rejuvenate the body.

Nasya

is the classic sinus and nasal treatment designed to open up the channels of the upper body to allow more Pranic energy to enter. It includes an enlivening Indian head massage, localized steam, and the use of an assortment of nasal concoctions.

Netra Tarpana

involves the use of a variety of methods and techniques such as the bathing of the eyes in ghee, eye drops, and purification through herbal smoke to alleviate eye conditions.

Karna Purana

uses a specific ear massage and the application of herbal decoctions to relieve earaches and other ear related problems.

 

Watch this brief clip to see some of the most luxurious treatments perform at the Sacred Space in Summerland, CA

 

This video shows a series of Panchakarma therapies performed at Sacred Space, Santa Barbara.

 

Explore the time-tested Benefits of PanchaKarma 

In Ayurveda we believe that gentleness is the key to detoxification. The body does not like being off balance too much and for too long, as our bodies try to maintain homeostasis, a balanced state in which everything functions properly. Typical fasts and detox regiments can be harmful and can alter this homeostasis.

Harsh cleanses are hard on the body and cause many severe side effects such as:

  • Liver glycogen stores can be depleted

  • Alterations can occur in the mineral and electrolyte balance in the blood.

  • Muscle and bone tissue can start breaking down

  • Changes can occur in the acid-alkaline balance

  • Imbalance can occur in the fatty acid composition of cells

  • Immune function may be impaired.

  • The adrenals are often overtaxed, which means that the body ages and will hold on to each calorie ingested after the fast and store it as fat, due to the cortisol-insulin reaction.

But PanchaKarma functions differently and uses specific steps that take care to properly remove the toxicants without harming the body in process!

 

Pancha Karma and Modern Research

Using high-tech laboratory techniques, Robert Herron, Ph.D., and John Fagan, Ph.D., conducted a two-month longitudinal study on subjects receiving five days of Pancha Karma. There were significant positive results. Compared to tests taken prior to treatment, blood levels of the highly toxic PCBs and Beta-HCH were reduced by 46 and 48 percent respectively. 

Without this detoxification program, the natural expected drop in PCB and Beta-HCH over a two-month period is only a fraction of one percent. No other method has been scientifically verified to reduce fat-soluble toxins in the human body without causing negative side effects. Normally these fat-soluble substances remain in the body for many years, but Pancha Karma provides us with a healthy alternative for coping with a toxic world.

Another study researched the effects of a three-to-five-day Pancha Karma cleanse. After three months, the total cholesterol numbers of the individuals had dropped acutely, while HDL (the good cholesterol) rose 7.5 %; free radical damage fell significantly, blood pressure dropped, and problems with anxiety improved. Vasoactive intestinal peptide, a coronary vasodilator, increased substantially. These findings confirm the efficacy of Pancha Karma for cardiovascular health.

 

According to the studies of the National Institute of Health in 2002, the Benefits of Pancha Karma include: 

  • Decreased cholesterol, by lowering toxic lipid peroxide levels

  • Decreased rate of platelet clumping and thus lymphatic congestion

  • Decreased levels of 14 major toxic and cancer-causing chemicals from body tissues 

  • Significantly raised good HDL cholesterol levels

  • Reduced free radicals, the leading cause of all disease

  • Significant reduction in physical complaints, irritability, strain, psychological inhibition and emotional instability

  • Decreased anxiety, aging and reduced doctor visits 



The Concept of Ama and the Benefits of PanchaKarma

In Ayurveda, toxins that accumulate in the body are called ama. Symptoms of ama accumulation are lethargy, low energy, generalized aches and pains, lack of mental clarity, heaviness in the body, digestive problems (such as constipation, gas, bloating, or heartburn), weakened immune system, frequent colds and sinus infections, coated tongue, body odor and more.  With the tremendous industrial growth of the past century, thousands of toxic chemicals have been introduced into our food, air, drinking water, and almost every manufactured product. As a result, we are exposed to a potentially huge toxic overload during our lifetime. Regular PanchaKarma cleanses help the body eliminate ama or toxins, for rejuvenation, strength and balance.


Who can Benefit from PanchaKarma ?

According to Ayurveda, PanchaKarma is beneficial for individuals who want to stay healthy or suffer from any of the following conditions: low energy, weight gain, arthritis, generalized body pain, fibromyalgia, sciatica, menstrual disorders and menopausal symptoms, aging, emotional and psychological disorders (such as depression and anxiety), chronic fatigue, hypertension, dizziness, migraines and headaches, allergies, frequent colds, flu, sinus problems, asthma, gastrointestinal conditions, endocrine disorders, autoimmune disorders, insomnia, and stress. Pancha Karma can be performed as a post-treatment for cancer to remove toxic residues of malignancies and also to detoxify from all the chemicals we ingest. Please note: We do not diagnose or treat disease, as that is always reserved to a medically trained professional!


Testimonials:

  • “I’ve had Panchakarma treatments at 5 different facilities over the past decades and can say truthfully that Corinna is the best practitioner I have ever experienced. I feel refreshed and restored at a level that I have never previously experienced. Corinna and her assistant Aimee are truly Panchakarma artists in the way they created an experience that is totally immersive.  No area is left to chance: The custom-tailored a treatment regime to my body type and health concerns; the deeply present state of mind they hold for the client during the treatments; the harmonious colors and décor of the treatment rooms; the soothing music and the subtle scents of the aromatherapy; the delicious, dosha-specific lunch they made for me after treatment. All are all part of a realignment of my body/mind/spirit to the rhythms of Nature that I continue to benefit from after the treatments have finished.” — JB, Carpinteria

  • “Our Pancha Karma experience was beyond words for us. It has been so transformational! We have such honor and respect for the quiet wisdom, love and perspective Corinna has brought to us. ”— Erin and Jan, New Mexico

  • “My digestive symptoms are gone and also my sleep has improved a lot since my PK. I have more energy and better mood. I was in very bad shape when I walked into Corinna’s office and her fabulous treatments and recommendations helped me tremendously.” —Mariana M. Cajaiba, SB, Doctor

  • “Corinna and Maharani Ayurveda are truly an embodiment of the highest of Ayurvedic principles and practices. I always look forward to the next treatment." -- Jean W., CA