When you think of Ayurveda treatment, the first thing that comes to mind is Panchakarma and body massage. What if I tell you it is because your mind has been tuned to think so, thanks to the commercialized version of Ayurveda you often see in the various forms of marketing.
Do not believe in a friend, uncle, aunt or an Ayurvedic doctor who tells you ” Got skin issues, bone & muscular issues, chronic diseases, or just random headaches? Go to an Ayurvedic center, get admitted, and do a 15-day Panchakarma & body massages!”
That’s not “real” Ayurveda; that’s more of “commercial” Ayurveda!
The truth
The truth is Ayurveda treatment is much more than Panchakarma and body massages.
A few diseases may need Panchakarma first, but that’s only in “a few” of the diseases. For the rest, it is only the last line of treatment.
Ayurvedic treatment for most diseases is about treating the root cause through dietary and lifestyle and medicines, if required. Still, if the patient’s condition does not subside, Panchakarma may be advised.
Panchakarma is all about detoxifying your body, i.e., removing the toxins (Ama) accumulated in your body. It is just one of the many parts of Ayurveda treatment. Panchakarma is really of no use unless the root cause of your health condition is addressed.
Why I do not support “commercialized” Ayurveda
This is my own story and experience.
Before starting my practice, I worked in 2 clinics in Dubai and one in Kerala. In all these three clinics, I have been asked by the management to prescribe mandatory body treatments and Panchakarma for every single patient, whether the patient needed it or not. For every treatment I prescribed, I was even offered decent commissions. This was totally beyond my ethics of practicing Ayurveda, and I never lasted long in any of these places.
From the point of view of the clinic, it was more commercially viable for them when they looked at their fixed and variable costs – the cost of rent of the facility, the salary of therapists, the medicines used for body treatments, the licenses, etc.
However, that is not authentic Ayurveda. Ayurveda is all about understanding the patient in and out. It includes understanding their body constitution (Prakriti), lifestyle, health conditions and prescribing a treatment plan that is best suited for them. If it does not get better, you can try body treatments.
If you have a disease, do not jump into getting admitted and doing Panchakarma and body treatments. First, consult an authentic Ayurvedic doctor who will help figure out the root cause of your health condition and offer you a personalized treatment plan that involves dietary and lifestyle changes and medicines, if needed. They’d recommend Panchakarma if it’s absolutely necessary.
Choose “real” Ayurveda
There are certain conditions where Panchakarma is vital and can’t be avoided. But today, it is misused to such an extent that every disease treatment starts and ends with Panchakarma and body treatments.
I never lasted long in any of these clinics as I would not change a bit from my ideologies and ethics of practicing a system in which I have invested my whole life in. That was the triggering point to not depend on any clinic and start my own. I know I am talking about a billion-dollar industry, but it is what it is.
Let us bring back real Ayurveda!
1 comment
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