An Ayurvedic cleanse to help boost fertility

Can you temporarily abstain from sex? Unthinkable? Caffeine and exercise may be easier to give up than sex. What many of us consider unthinkable (giving up sex), the stunning Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Travis Barker have recently done so. And there are many more, who have done it for the sake of the ‘Panchakarma cleanse’, an ancient ayurvedic approach to detoxing the body that appears to be gaining popularity in the west.

To practise Panchakarma, the couple temporarily abstained from sex, exercise, and caffeine. The reality star, 43, opened up about her IVF journey in a recent episode of The Kardashians, noting that she’s trying a new approach — the Panchakarma cleanse — to expanding the family.

“Our last egg retrieval was not successful, so the new thing that we’re going to be trying is a Panchakarma cleanse, which is Ayurvedic. It’s like 3,000 years old, which will get all of the toxins that are like deep within our tissue out of our bodies,” she confesses.

What is Panchakarma cleanse and how does it work

“Panchkarma, or detoxification and healing in Ayurveda, has been practised for over 5000 years and is part of ancient medical teachings. Panchakarma is derived from two Sanskrit words: pancha means five and Karma means action. And it is a detoxification process that cleanses the body of toxins, diseases, and environmental pollution and restores health,” says Dr. Ravinder Singh from Atmantan Wellness Center.

Panchakarma treatments work on the premise that the body has a natural capacity to process and remove toxins from the system. “This is important because it forms the foundation of your journey towards good health or a cleansed body. More importantly, it restores the body to a cleaner slate possible, free of toxins and naturally eliminating and further imbalances,” says Dr Ravinder.

Helps treat variety of ailments

Regular panchakarma detox ensures that the person’s system is in good working order and that toxins are not accumulating in the body.

“It can help treat and manage a variety of ailments including cardiac disorders such as blood circulation problems, hypertension, respiratory problems such as cold, cough, asthma, allergies; gastrointestinal issues, skin issues, joint problems, women fertility issues, insomnia, psychological imbalances, and functionality problems such as paralysis. Panchkarma restores the body’s natural healing system and boosts immunity, says Dr Ravinder.

Steps to restore and rejuvenate

Dr Ravinder explains

Poorvakarma – the first procedure performed before the main panchkarma, it involves softening of tissues to facilitate the liquefaction of lipid-soluble toxins in our tissues, allowing them to exit the system. This step mentally and physically prepares the body for the main panchkarma. In this step, the patient will go through the following procedures:

Pachan karma – Fasting and the consumption of medicated oil or ghee to dissolve fat-soluble toxins

Snehan Karma – Increasing the patient’s dose of medicated ghee and massages to stimulate the liquefaction of deep-rooted, fat-soluble toxins.

Swedana Karma – Deep Ayurvedic massages and steam baths for channel opening

Pradhan Karma – This is the main panchkarma; it is tailored to the patient’s age, digestive health, immunity, and so on.

Cleaning the body though the 5 karmas involves:

Vaman — in this case, vomiting is induced to clear parts of the respiratory tract and upper GI tract until the stomach is empty.

Virechana — Purgation to clear the lower gastric tract from the stomach to the excretory system.

Basti – herbal oil and decoction enemas to clear lipid waste from the rectal area and improve absorption.

Nasya – nose drops used to clean the sinuses and respiratory tract.

Raktamokshana – purification of the blood.

Note: Following the above procedures, the patient must follow a post-therapy diet in order to restore the tract.

This includes the following steps:

Sansarjan Karma — Post Detox Diet

Rasayana — therapy to enhance immunity

Shamana Chikitsa — lifestyle management and herbal therapies.