Panchakarma: What it is and why it heals
Panchakarma: Why It Might Be Exactly What You’ve Been Searching For
A Sleepology by Anandi® Perspective with Notes from My Personal Journey
If you’ve been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, wired-but-tired, emotionally stretched or simply “not yourself,” you’re not alone.
Modern life pulls us in every direction, and the first thing to collapse under pressure is usually the nervous system… followed by digestion, hormones, sleep, mood, and finally our sense of self.
Ayurveda — India’s ancient system of wellbeing — has understood this for thousands of years. And one of its most extraordinary therapeutic processes is Panchakarma, a deeply restorative treatment that resets the body, mind and nervous system from the inside out.
I’ve just completed a full Panchakarma programme in Kerala, and it has been one of the most profound healing experiences of my life. Before I share my personal diary, let’s start with the basics that everyone wants to know:
- What is Panchakarma?
- What happens during it?
- Is it gentle or hardcore?
- And most importantly… what’s in it for you?
Let’s take this step by step.
What Is Panchakarma?
Panchakarma literally means “five actions” — the five therapeutic cleansing methods used in Ayurveda to remove deep-seated toxins, rebalance the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), and restore the body’s natural intelligence.
But if the word “cleansing” worries you, let me reassure you:
👉 Panchakarma is not a fast, a juice cleanse or deprivation.
👉 It is nourishment, softness, oil, warmth, rhythm, care and restoration.
👉 It is the opposite of punishment — it is kindness to the nervous system.
The therapies are performed by highly trained Ayurvedic therapists under the supervision of a doctor. And they begin with the most gorgeous, grounding, rhythmic massages you can imagine. (Sometimes with four hands — and trust me, this feels like being held by the universe.)
The purpose is simple:
to remove what no longer serves you, and rebuild what makes you you.
Why Do People Do Panchakarma?
Because life has worn them out.
Most of my clients come to me with:
- Feelings of burnout
- Sleep disorders
- Anxiety or overthinking
- Digestive issues
- Emotional fatigue
- A sense of being “disconnected” from themselves
Ayurveda calls this Vata aggravation — when the nervous system becomes dry, erratic and over-stimulated.
Panchakarma is the antidote.
It calms the wind.
It restores rhythm.
It nourishes the system back to life.
It gives you back your inner ground.
What Actually Happens During Panchakarma?
1. Oleation — internal and external oiling
Before any detox can happen, the body must be softened.
You drink small doses of medicated ghee over a few days (yes… I did this, and it was surprisingly grounding).
At the same time, you receive daily warm oil massages — long, flowing, rhythmic strokes that calm the nervous system before doing anything deeper.
Oil = Sneha, which in Sanskrit means both oil and love.
You are literally being bathed in love.
2. Swedana — therapeutic steam or heat
Once everything is softened, gentle heat helps mobilise what the body is going to release later.
This often includes poultices, herbal steam, warm compresses and incredibly soothing treatments like Njavarakizhi (rice bolus massage in herbal milk).
3. The Main Actions – Panchakarma itself
There are five classical actions in Panchakarma, but you don’t normally do all five. The doctor chooses what you need.
For many people, it’s gentle purification through the gut — not scary, not painful, just deeply restorative and clearing.
4. Rejuvenation (Rasayana)
My favourite part.
Once the body is clear, the real magic begins:
building ojas, the subtle energy responsible for vitality, immunity, emotional resilience and beautiful sleep.
Think oil baths, nourishment, steady breath, deep rest, and a sense of inner fullness returning.
But… What’s In It For You?
People always want to know this — and rightly so.
Here’s what Panchakarma can do:
✔ Reset the nervous system
If you’re feeling wired, anxious, easily overwhelmed, or unable to switch off, this is one of the most powerful resets available.
✔ Improve sleep dramatically
When ojas rebuilds, sleep becomes deeper, softer and more natural.
I felt this myself by day 10 — I slept more deeply and beautifully for the first time in months.
✔ Clear the mind
Rumination quiets.
Clarity returns.
You feel more you.
✔ Heal digestion
Bloating, heaviness, constipation, acidity — all improve as the gut resets.
✔ Bring radiance back
Eyes clear.
Skin glows.
Energy becomes softer and lighter.
✔ Emotional release
Old hurts, stress and emotional residue gently rise and clear.
You don’t force it — it happens naturally.
✔ Reconnection with self
This is the part no one expects.
You begin to hear your inner voice again… the one that gets drowned out by life.
My Personal Experience (Just a Glimpse)
When I arrived in Kerala for my Panchakarma programme, I felt like a rag — tired, depleted, overwhelmed, carrying far too much.
Within days of being nourished, massaged, oiled, and carefully looked after, something extraordinary began to happen:
I felt myself turning inward.
The outside world stopped pulling at me.
A deep calm starting rising.
My breath softened.
My sleep deepened
I’ll be publishing my full Panchakarma Diary soon — raw, honest, emotional, transformative — but this is what I want you to know:
Panchakarma is not a luxury.
It is a reset — for the exhausted, the overthinkers, the sleep-deprived, the emotionally stretched and the spiritually hungry.
It is nourishment.
It is clarity.
It is coming home to yourself.
Final Thought
If you’re tired of feeling tired…
If you sense that something deeper inside you needs tending…
If you long for a reset that isn’t just physical, but emotional and spiritual…
Then Panchakarma might be exactly what your nervous system has been asking for.
And if my journey is anything to go by, it will give you back not only your energy…
but your inner ground.
If you’d like to know more about Panchakarma, but have no idea where to start drop me a note and we can chat!
I want to chat about Panchakarma