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Your Panchakarma Program
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Pre-Panchakarma
— Diet and Internal Oleation
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Approximately one week to ten days before you
arrive, your panchakarma consultant will call you to instruct
you on pre-PK procedures including diet and internal oleation.
A pre-panchakarma schedule is included in materials mailed to you when you book your appointments.
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Internal oleation consists of taking
ghee or flax seed oil, in order
to prepare the doshas and impurities to be removed from the
tissues. This facilitates more effective cleansing during PK.
Please do not begin internal oleation until you receive instructions
from your panchakarma consultant. |
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Your First Day
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You will have an appointment with your panchakarma consultant
to receive an Ayurvedic assessment, read your pulse, take
your medical history and plan your panchakarma program.
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Daily Treatments
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Please be prompt to your appointments. Plan to arrive about
ten minutes before each of your scheduled treatment
times. If you arrive too late for your scheduled therapy time
and there is not time to perform your treatment and allow
time for the next client, you may forfeit your deposit for
that session.
You will receive Ayurvedic treatments based
on your prakruti/vikruti. Typically, this includes abhyanga,
a specialized Ayurvedic oil massage performed by two trained
and licensed massage therapists; swedan, an herbalized steam
bath; udhulana (dusting) herbal skin treatment with sandalwood,
chickpea or vacha powder; and shirodhara, a very calming and
balancing treatment consisting of a stream of warm oil poured
over the forehead while you are lying down. Clients then shower
after their treatment.
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Daily, after each set of treatments, you will need to shower and thoroughly shampoo the oil from your hair to prevent soiling the yoga props and equipment, the classroom walls, chairs and floor, and the PK house furniture, carpet and bedding.
These treatments profoundly relax the body and mind, improve
the flow of energy by opening the srotas (channels of circulation),
and prepare the body to eliminate excess doshas (vata, pitta,
kapha) or toxins (ama) on the physical, emotional and spiritual
levels. After a few days of these treatments, the doshas have
usually “ripened” in their sites of origin, and
are ready to be flushed from the system. Depending on your
doshic imbalance, you may be advised to do one of three things
to facilitate this elimination of the accumulated toxins:
1) herbal enema — for which you will be given the herbs,
equipment and directions to administer it yourself, 2) herbal
purgation — for which you will be given the herbs and
instructions, or 3) vamana, therapeutic vomiting — for
which you will need to be guided by a staff member and be
charged an additional fee (however this is rarely indicated).
You will meet daily with your panchakarma consultant
or his assistant to discuss how your program is going, answer
any questions you might have, provide you with information
about Ayurvedic diet, lifestyle and daily routine, and to
plan with you how to implement these principles in your life
when you complete the program.
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Possible Effects of Panchakarma
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While panchakarma is a physical process, it affects the body,
mind and spirit. When you begin your pre-PK preparation before
you arrive here, you may begin to notice shifts in your self-awareness.
During PK, your self-awareness may increase even further. It
is not uncommon for unresolved issues to come up which can sometimes
make one feel upset or uncomfortable, and sometimes de-toxifying
can be physically uncomfortable. It is important that you tell
the PK staff of these feelings so that we can assist this process.
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Some of the emotions you may experience may be sadness, grief,
anger, elation, joy or others. It is possible that you may
become aware of issues in your life that had been buried or
unresolved. Panchakarma may catalyze and also resolve and
release these emotions. The more aware you are of unresolved
issues in your life, the more effective PK can be. Meditation,
yoga and pranayama can be effective ways to help release these
issues from the mind and body.
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After PK
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Panchakarma is an ongoing process that continues even after
you complete your program here at the Institute. Physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual effects may be experienced in the weeks
and months following PK.
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It is important to recognize that these effects are a positive
cleansing and to process them consciously. If at any time
following PK you experience anything unusual that concerns
you, please call us.
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Food
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During your panchakarma, you will be provided with a special
diet of kitchari (a rice and mung dal dish) and special herbal
teas. The kitchari mono-diet has a de-toxifying action and is
nutritious and easy to digest. Kitchari is provided Sunday evening
during orientation and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday
in the Panchakarma (PK) department. You are
advised to come by the PK department before 5:30 pm and take enough kitchari for dinner that night and
for breakfast the next morning.
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All of the food and tea served is 100% organic.
Before and after your PK program, you will be responsible
for providing your own food. We have recipes for kitchari
and ghee in the materials mailed to you when you book your sessions. It is best to avoid cold
drinks, cold food, dairy, caffeine and refined sugar before,
during and after PK.
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Post-PK Diet
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| If you are new to Ayurvedic eating and diet, it can be discouraging
to realize that some of the food in your house and many of your
favorite dishes are on the list of foods to avoid—the “No”
side of the Food Guidelines. We find that moderation is a virtue
when changing one’s diet. If you can stay on the recommended
diet 60 to 70% of the time for a long time (months), this is
much better than following the diet 100% for one week and never
returning to it again. |
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Be easy with yourself. Observe what effects are produced
by foods in the “avoid” category. Try keeping a
food journal, listing the times you eat, what you eat and
how you feel physically and emotionally before and after eating.
This can be helpful in noticing your response to certain foods.
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For Women
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| Panchakarma is contraindicated for women during their menses.
Women, please take care to schedule panchakarma safely outside |
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of your menstrual period. If menses unexpectedly takes place
during panchakarma, the program will be adjusted accordingly.
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Your Panchakarma Appointment
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| An appointment for panchakarma does not necessarily
indicate an appointment with Vasant Lad. If you do not see Vasant Lad, you will see his associate, Mr. Ed Danaher, who has been
a panchakarma consultant for more than fifteen years with Vasant Lad. At the time of scheduling, the person scheduling your PK
program will let you know whom your appointment is with. |
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If your appointment is with Vasant Lad in the morning,
his advanced Gurukula student interns may be present during
your consultation. (This is part of their education.) Each intern
has signed a document honoring client confidentiality. A significant
benefit of a morning appointment with the interns present is
that Vasant Lad will lecture on your situation and you will hear
more detailed information than is usually given in a private
consultation. |
Contraindications
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There are certain medical conditions for which
PK is contraindicated (not advised). It is therefore important
for you to complete all forms and return them as soon as possible.
We need time to review the information to determine if PK
is contraindicated for you before you make final travel plans
to attend.
Upon your arrival, if we determine that you have a contraindicated
condition—one that no one was aware of, or that has recently
developed, such as pregnancy—it may be necessary to suspend
PK treatment until such time as we feel PK is indicated, if
at all during your visit. Alternative treatments may be indicated.
These will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Ayurvedic
Consultant.
If the following conditions exist, panchakarma
may not be advisable. Such conditions will be reviewed with
a PK Consultant to determine if panchakarma should not be
taken.
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- Pregnancy
- Menses
- Lactation
- Lympho-Sarcoma
- Cancer of the Lungs or Testicles
- Melanoma
- Angina Pectoris
- HIV or AIDS
- Emaciation
- Extreme Obesity
- Hypertension
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Any Active Infectious Disease
The Ayurvedic Institute is not a medical facility.
Panchakarma clients are expected to be healthy enough to be
able to take care of their own basic needs. If this could
be an issue for you, please inform us and we can discuss possible
options.
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Therapist Teams
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| Men will have their PK treatment with a male-female
team. Women may have PK with either two females or a male-female
team. If you are |
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female and have a preference, you must inform us of this
when you schedule. Your massage team cannot be changed once
your appointment is booked.
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Travel and
Housing Arrangements
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Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements
until your PK appointment has been confirmed.
When making travel arrangements for PK, it is ideal to arrive
the day before your first PK session and to leave the day
after your last session. This gives you time to “decompress”
from traveling when you arrive, and time to let the last session
really sink in before dealing
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with the hectic atmosphere of daily living when you leave.
The Ayurvedic Institute is located at 11311 Menaul NE, just
East of Juan Tabo Ave. These are major cross streets and are
known to all taxi and shuttle drivers. Our phone is (505)
291-9698. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday,
9 am to 5 pm.
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Airport Shuttle Service
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From the airport (if you aren’t renting a car), the least expensive way to get to the Institute is the Sunport Shuttle, located inside the airport on the Baggage Claim Level across from Southwest’s Baggage Carousel No. 3. You can make advance reservations at 866-505-4966. |
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You can also phone them (505-883-4966) to take you to the airport when you leave. It costs approximately $30 for a cab and about $22 for the shuttle.
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Maps
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| If you are renting a car, obtain an Albuquerque
city map from the car rental agency. The city map will get you
to the intersection of Juan Tabo and Menaul. Once there, the
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enclosed in the booklet mailed to you will help you find
the Institute and the Panchakarma House.
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Check In with The Institute
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| When you arrive at the Ayurvedic Institute on
the first day of your PK, please check in at the front |
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desk of the Panchakarma department to let us
know you’re here and to ensure that all paperwork is complete
and understood. |
Grocery Stores Nearby
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| On Juan Tabo, about 3 blocks north of the Institute, is
a grocery store. Albertson's is on |
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the southeast corner of Juan Tabo and Candelaria.
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Restaurants
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| A listing of good restaurants (including East
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Indian cuisine) is available upon your arrival.
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PK House
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| We have limited accomodations available just next door to
the Institute. Reservations are |
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handled at the time you book your panchakarma program.
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Motels and B & B’s
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| A listing of motels and bed & breakfast
inns is available. The nearest is 4 - 5 miles from the Institute;
therefore you should consider renting |
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a car. Albuquerque is very “spread out”
and our bus system is minimal. Some of the B & B’s
will make arrangements to drive you back and forth to the Institute
for an additional fee. |
What
To Bring
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Panchakarma is best done in a reflective state of mind. We
suggest bringing a journal, books to read that are conducive
to healing, and that you avoid TV and loud music. Also, it
is best to
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minimize tourist activity while doing PK. Generally, people
find that they need to rest a great deal during PK and it
is important to do so.
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Hats
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| Typically, PK clients receive the shirodhara
treatment, a constant stream of warm oil poured onto the forehead.
It is a good idea to |
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bring a scarf or a cap to wear (that you don’t mind
getting oil on) to keep your head warm and to “contain”
your hair.
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Climate and Weather
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Albuquerque’s climate is typical of a high altitude
desert. It is very dry and often windy. We have four seasons;
with snowstorms in the winter, the spring can be unpredictable,
and very hot summer days contrast with cool summer nights.
Dressing in layers is the best approach to our changeable
weather. If you’re coming in the winter, be sure to pack
a winter coat, gloves, hat and warm socks!
Dress is very casual in New Mexico. T-shirts and sweat suits
are completely acceptable.
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| Albuquerque's Average Temperatures |
| Month |
Hi/Lo (F) |
Hi/Lo (C) |
| January |
47/22 |
8/-6 |
| February |
53/26 |
11/-3 |
| March |
61/32 |
16/0 |
| April |
71/40 |
21/5 |
| May |
80/49 |
26/10 |
| June |
91/58 |
33/15 |
| July |
93/65 |
34/18 |
| August |
89/63 |
32/17 |
| September |
83/55 |
28/13 |
| October |
72/43 |
22/6 |
| November |
57/31 |
9/-6 |
| December |
48/23 |
9/-6 |
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PK Orientation
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| On Sunday evenings there is a PK client orientation,
which includes a tour of the facility, |
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a brief talk on the basic philosophy of Ayurveda
and what to expect during PK. Please confirm with us that you
plan to attend. |
Vasant Lad’s
Classes and Seminars
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While you are a PK client, you may attend any or all of Vasant Lad’s Ayurvedic Studies Program lectures at no cost to
you, when they are in session. They are held Monday through
Thursday from 6 to 9 pm. The weekend seminars are not free.
A listing of these
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seminars is available on request.
If Vasant Lad is not lecturing, the PK department will provide
one or more evening lectures by Vasant Lad’s more advanced
students on the basics of Ayurveda, daily routine and panchakarma.
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Classroom Etiquette
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| It is customary to show respect for the teacher
by removing your shoes at the door of the |
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classroom, and by not presenting the soles of
your feet to the altar, the lecturer or to other students. |
Yoga Classes and Private Instruction
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Special PK Ayur*Yoga classes are offered for
PK clients at no additional charge. A current schedule of
classes will be available when you check in. Please advise
the instructor about your yoga background and of any injuries
or limitations.
Specific yoga postures may be recommended for
your condition. You can also make an appointment with one
of our yoga therapists to receive private instruction on the
postures while you are here. There may be additional fees.
Refer to the PK Fee Schedule for details.
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The yoga therapist will go over all the recommended postures,
ways to prepare to do the postures, specifics on technique,
and give you written materials. If you are interested in
scheduling an appointment with the yoga therapist, please
let the PK Department know before you arrive, or immediately
at the time of your arrival.
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