Panchakarma the Experiment: Exploring Different Doshas

When I read that Ayurveda would be part of our syllabus at Axis Yoga, I was so excited. I didn’t really know anything about Ayurveda, but I was thrilled to learn. As with all things Yoga, the more I learned, the more questions I had. But still, I wanted to know what Ayurveda had to offer me. To find that out I must know my Dosha.

At the beginning it seemed as if I may be Tri-doshic. So again, more questions. If I’m Tri-doshic, how do I know what is a balanced symptom of one Dosha versus an unbalanced symptom of a different Dosha. Instead of looking at the Doshas and their qualities, I decided to look at the unbalanced symptoms of each Dosha and see what looked familiar to me.  Again, I was across the board, I had imbalances associated with all three Doshas.  I had read about the Panchakarma in our required reading and it seemed like a good way to balance everything in one shot and maybe shed some light on my Dosha situation.

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Panchakarma the Experiment: The Cleanse

Upon reading about the Panchakarma it didn’t seem that difficult a cleanse to execute. I have done cleanses before, namely the Master Cleanse, and I thought I could sail through this one with ease. But, I was wrong. Ghee was my initial choice for my internal and external oleation. My first attempt with the ghee internal oleation was horrific. It made me gag and the smell was more than I could bare, but I persevered. I continued this morning ritual with a ghee oil pull and tongue scraping for the first three days as prescribed.

On the fourth day I discontinued the internal oleation and replaced it with the external oleation. I also began eating the monodiet of kicheree on this day. Even though I was no longer drinking the ghee, but massaging myself with it before showering, the smell was too much! All day I would burp ghee, everything smelled like butter and not in a good way. I felt as though I were made of the stuff! On the fifth day of my cleanse I woke up with a strange but minor red spot on my chest. After my shower it was a huge red streak headed for my heart. It forked off in two directions and my first thought was that I had some strange infection. So I emailed a picture to our amazing Ayurvedic instructors asking if I should be concerned. As I looked at it it didn’t seem to look all that much like an infection so I settled down. It was concluded that this heat induced spot, over the lymph on my left side was Pitta provoked Ama being released via my skin.

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Panchakarma the Experiment: Discovering Doshas

Now I had some indication of what Dosha I needed to be dealing with. I started to adjust my cleanse toward relieving Pitta.  I changed on the sixth day from using ghee for oleation and oil pulls to coconut oil. Oh what a relief! The coconut oil tasted and smelled so much better, it was amazing! It was so much better in fact that I started to massage with it after my shower, it was that much more tolerable to me. In addition to the oil pulling, tongue scraping and external oleation I was drinking Triphala tea with added Fenugreek (more than recommended:) I love how the fenugreek tastes). I found all of these things to be very tolerable and continue them on a regular basis since the end of the Panchakarma. From days four through nine I continued with the monodiet also, this was not tolerable.

I consider myself a fairly accomplished cook and my kicheree turned out horrible. In reality it probably wasn’t horrible it was just dry and sticky, it tasted fine. I really enjoyed it a couple of times with added cilantro (for Pitta) and ginger. But then I got bored with it and almost found it easier to not eat. I would go through phases when I wouldn’t consider putting most food into my body to considering eating a french fry off the sidewalk. A couple of times I had vegetable broth or fruit juice to ease my way, I admit. It was harder than I anticipated eating the same thing all day for several days in a row.

On the second to last day I drank a few teaspoons of castor oil instead of doing the Basti, per the recommendation of our esteemed teachers. I don’t know which would have been worse. I won’t say much here other than it worked.

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Panchakarma the Experiment: Conclusion

In doing this Panchakarma I have noticed many differences in myself. I used to have a propensity to sleep too much, what I thought was a Kapha quality. It seems though that my sleeping was most likely an excess of Ama. I’m up at 6 am now without alarms or the desire or ability to go back to sleep. Believe me I tried. My temper is more in check and I’m just generally happier and calmer. I crave raw foods and I have a healthy increase in appetite. I have gone from eating maybe once a day to being noticeably hungry a few times a day. In reestablishing my diet I defiantly notice when I’m not doing something conducive to my body, almost immediately it lets me know.  I have naturally begun to spend more time chanting and meditating too.

As to my Dosha status, I’m still not really sure. I defiantly exhibit Pitta qualities these days but in my youth I was very Kapha. Maybe as I approach my golden years I will be more Vatta and thereby Tri-doshic. Maybe I am Dual-doshic. We’ll see. I was defiantly Pitta provoked and full of Ama, now I have the tools to continue to balance myself and stay balanced.

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Balancing Your Dosha

During the Ayurveda portion of the Axis Yoga Teacher Training program, students follow  lifestyle recommendations for their particular dosha to help increase general health or address a specific issue. This student made changes to try to improve heartburn and acid reflux.

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Balancing Your Dosha: Experiment

For my Ayurvedic experiment I chose to modify some of my eating, hygiene, and sleep habits in order to accommodate my particular dosha or constitution. (Pitta with a tad of Vata and Kapha) I had already modified some of my eating habits and foods as I had issues with heartburn and acid reflux. I eliminated intake of all caffeine drinks, both coffee and tea products, as well as soda. I replaced these drinks with more water intake and also drinking hot water with lemon, enhancing body alkalinity.

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Balancing Your Dosha: Diet

I tailored my diet to specific foods with respect to the Pitta dosha, eating more cool, sweet, and juicy foods and less acidic, sour, spicy, salty, and oily foods. The list below are the food items that I focused on before and during the experiment.

Protein

Eggs, chicken, tilapia, salmon,

Shrimp, and some beef

Grains

Eliminated wheat or at least reduced intake by 70 %.

Added more rice.

Vegetables

Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, lettuce, mushroom, squash, zucchini, salads

Fruits

Apples (copious amounts) banana, dates, coconut, grapes, and melons

Nuts & Seeds

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Dairy

Unsalted butter,milk, soft cheeses

I am going to add buttermilk, sweet lassi, and ghee.

Herbs & Spices

Turmeric, small amount of pepper

I am going to add cumin, dill, fennel, lemongrass, and mint.

Beverages

Water, lemon water, hot lemon water, fruit juices (Odwalla)

Results

I have had less heartburn and acid reflux. A more conscious approach to food selection prompted more consistency in my eating habits as well, which appears to maintain my energy level(s) during the course of a day. In addition, I have actually lost weight by being more conscious of the foods I consume. I will continue with my dietary changes, and will expand foods as listed above.

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Balancing Your Dosha: Hygiene

I focused my attention to doing a daily mouth rinse with sesame oil, and using a scraper on the surface of my tongue.

Results

The daily mouth rinse with sesame oil gave my mouth and gums a “full” feeling, which was quite a different feeling than just using water or a mouth rinse. Nothing else to report after two weeks time.

Scraping the tongue twice daily appeared to minimize unpleasant taste or mouth odor. The color of my tongue seems to be a bit pinker as a result of the daily regimen. The color of the mucous that I scrape from my tongue appears to have lessened over the course of two weeks. The color and consistency of the mucous has remained about the same, which is a dull pasty white, however it appears more pronounced at the beginning of the day.

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Balancing Your Dosha: Sleep

Typically, I would go to bed each night between 1:00am and 2:00am. I purposely began going to bed no later than 10:30 each night. The results follow.

Results

As a result of going to bed earlier each day during this last two weeks, I have found that I am more rested in the morning. My dreams have become even more interesting, sometimes long and convoluted with respect to the subject matter. Although I found it difficult to make this change, I adapted fairly quickly.  I will probably continue with this earlier sleep time as my energy level appears more consistent, particularly during the morning hours.

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Balancing Your Dosha: Conclusion

I would have to conclude that my Ayurvedic experiment has convinced me that the changes I’ve made have been beneficial with respect to my overall health. I plan on continuing the study of Ayurveda in order to maintain and expand upon what I have learned and implemented.

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