A Panchakarma treatment

...calms the mind and detoxifies the body.

Usually, I start the end of winter with a week of fasting.

This time, I decided to do a Panchakarma treatment in Sri Lanka.

Basically, all illnesses are caused by an overload of the body and/or the mind. This can be due to acidification of the body, toxin exposure, mental overload, or a combination of these factors.

For this reason, Panchakarma treatment from Ayurveda is very helpful in many illnesses. This includes digestive system disorders, cardiovascular system disorders, skin disorders, joint disorders, as well as migraines, depression, and many other diseases. Even chronic illnesses respond very well to this treatment.

Panchakarma is not only recommended for sick people, but also for those who want to maintain their health and improve their quality of life. Panchakarma regulates premature aging processes and makes you physically and mentally fit.

Translated literally, Panchakarma means 'Five Actions'. It is a healing process based on five different measures. Each measure is used to remove toxins, as the goal of a Panchakarma treatment is to intensely cleanse the body and the mind.

The detoxification procedures take place through the intestines, the mouth, the nose, and/or the skin. Custom-made laxatives, herbal enemas, emetics, nasal cleansing, and/or bloodletting are used for this purpose.

The treatment is supported by detoxifying massages and steam baths,

1. Preparation (Purvakrama) consists of herbal juices internally and massages and steam baths externally

2. Main treatment (Pradhanakarma) aims to release toxins in the first phase. The digestive system is purified and the doshas are balanced. One of the five detoxification procedures is then applied.

For beginners, all this might sound terrible, but if done properly, it's not necessarily a wellness treatment. However, Sri Lanka is already influenced by the West, so the treatment here is somewhat different and not as strict as in India.

However, I have been fasting for years to get rid of my allergies, which has worked wonderfully.

Here in Sri Lanka, I just want to take precautions and focus my attention on the beautiful things that I encounter in Sri Lanka.

Today, for example, we are invited to attend a typical Buddhist festival.

At the beginning of the ceremony, a white umbrella decorated with stones is opened. Then everyone receives a bowl with flowers in their hands and walks in a long line to the self-proclaimed temple (which were actually our treatment rooms located outside the complex).

Before we are allowed to enter here, we take off our shoes and one by one, we are blessed by the priest with a prayer. While he recites the prayer, he anoints our forehead with oil.

We are allowed to sit on the prepared coconut mats, with the monk in his burgundy robe sitting in front of us.

Now prayers are said intensively. I sit in a cross-legged position and meditate for what feels like 30 minutes. I'm very close to slipping into a kind of trance when suddenly the prayer ends. Later, we are shown the scriptures written on palm leaves, which the monk recited from memory. Now we all receive a white bracelet around our wrist, which is supposed to protect us from illnesses. Finally, similar to the Christian faith, everyone lights a candle and silently makes a wish...

In the end, you don't really need a god to believe in yourself or in the goodness of people or to learn humility.

Traveling itself is the best way to do that. It shows you that you are just a very small human being among many, who will disappear from the earth after a short time. Religion may protect you from self-conceit. But traveling does the same. Both will teach you gratitude and humility. That works quite well as a substitute for faith. 🙏🏼