Pancha Karma is designed specifically for the each person, in the time that the person will go through it. So, a springtime Pancha Karma will be different from an autumn Pancha Karma. Clients who regularly go through Pancha Karma find that each one is different and what may have worked in the past doesn’t always work this time. We are different at each time of life, and so our self-care practices need to be updated.
When you receive a Pancha Karma from us, we carefully consider your Ayurvedic constitution, your health history, and your current imbalances as we design your unique protocol. For some clients we design Pancha Karmas that are wholly nourishing. For other clients we design Pancha Karma to be cleansing. For other clients Pancha Karma is about re-igniting the digestive fire. And for yet other clients Pancha Karma is about some combination of all of these intentions.
Pancha Karma is not a cleanse or a detox, although one or both of these actions generally do happen. Pancha karma is a time of intentionally balancing the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas, generally reducing the excessive levels of one or more of the doshas. It is also a reset, a chance for you to review the way you have constructed your life and discern if you want to continue with those choices or make new ones.
We consider every aspect of a Pancha Karma:
- what your diet will consist of
- what herbs you will take
- which treatments you will receive—and how many times you will receive them
- which herbalized oils to use in your treatments
- the details of your prep for Pancha Karma
- the details of your post-Pancha Karma re-integration
When you receive Pancha Karma with us, you get:
- specialized care from intentional and well-trained practitioners
- determination of your Ayurvedic constitution
- a detailed intake including a health history
- a personalized handbook with important information to guide you through your process
- delicious and healthy recipes
- detailed guidance on how to prepare for Pancha Karma
- 2–3 hours of nourishing treatments, daily for 5 days
- check-ins to answer any questions and assess your progress, daily for 5 days
- step-by-step instructions for how to transition out of Pancha Karma
Format
We generally schedule Pancha Karmas 3–4 weeks in advance of the actual treatments. This gives enough time to do an intake appointment, go over your health history, review your goals for the Pancha Karma, design your program, and solidify everyone’s schedules.
Pancha Karma involves some amount of prep work on your part (ie: before you come to the Ayurvedic Health Center for treatments) as well as post-Pancha Karma work. An entire Pancha Karma period (including prep, treatments, and post work) often lasts 4½ weeks.
We schedule all Pancha Karma treatments for a consistent daily block of time, Monday through Friday.
Logistics & Considerations
During the days of receiving treatments in our office, we recommend that you wear clothing that you love less—because it WILL get oily. You will leave our Center every day with oil on your body and head. We particularly recommend that you wear a less-loved, close-fitting knitted hat to protect your head (this is especially important in the cooler months).
We are unable to offer you the use of a shower.
We can provide instructions for laundering your clothing, but it will be forever altered by contact with the oils we use.
You will have 1–4 days of treatments to do at home at the conclusion of the Pancha Karma treatments that you receive in our Center. These are a part of the package, and we completely prepare you for them.
Additionally, you will have 1–2+ weeks of post Pancha Karma integration work to do—ie: you will not be going to a Super Bowl party the next day, gorging yourself on beer, nachos, hamburgers, and pizza. We will give you explicit guidance around how to re-integrate foods into your routine and re-kindle your digestive fire.
It may be advantageous for you to take a custom-designed herbal formula for some or all of the duration of your Pancha Karma. There is an additional cost for having the formula made up at a local herbal apothecary that we work with.
Vehicle parking while you are receiving the in-center treatments is generally best done at the city’s parking garage located at the corner of Holly & Commercial Streets. Park on the lower level and use one of the kiosks to pay for 3 hours of parking.
Unless other arrangements are made, you will need to provide specialized food for yourself during your Pancha Karma. You will be given a comprehensive meal plan + recipes.
We do not have the space to provide “residential” Pancha Karma; ie: we cannot provide lodging for you. If you do not live in or near Bellingham, WA, you will have to find suitable lodging nearby. There are many local options. We recommend somewhere with a kitchen so that you can prepare your meals, and we recommend somewhere that will be peaceful for you.
If you are coming to our Center for Pancha Karma from a distance, we recommend that you rent a car for ease of transportation. Car-sharing services, taxi cabs, and mass transit are options, too.
Financials
Our Pancha Karma includes a basic protocol of therapeutic modalities. Other modalities may also be included, based on the client’s needs. The fee for Pancha Karma will be adjusted accordingly. The fee for our Pancha Karma includes a discount from our usual fees.
When you are ready to commit to a Pancha Karma, we take half of the fees up front at the time of scheduling as a deposit. The remainder is due on the first day of in-person treatments, before treatments begin.
We accept cash, cards, and checks.
The deposit is refundable (minus an administrative fee of $500.00) up until the close of business (5:00 pm PT), one week (7 days) prior to the appointment where we review your individualized protocol (generally held 2-4 weeks prior to the in-person treatments).
Once the remainder amount has been remitted, all amounts paid to-date are non-refundable.
The acceptance of a deposit constitutes an agreement with this document and the information contained within it.
