The culture journal
Explore Indian heritage through clear introductions to sacred places, thoughtful readings of familiar texts, and practical guides to living traditions.
10 articles in this topic
Panchakarma · 1 min read
The name Panchakarma points to five actions. Open two descriptions, however, and the lists may not agree at first glance. One may count two forms of basti separately; another…
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A brochure may give the main procedure a whole page and leave preparation in a footnote. In descriptions of Panchakarma, purvakarma means measures that precede a principal intervention. Snehana,…
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An elder oiling a child's limbs before a bath, a therapist working in a clinic and a guest booking a spa massage occupy three different settings. The word abhyanga…
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A damp towel gives good evidence that someone has been sweating. It does not identify which substances have left the body in meaningful amounts. This distinction is easy to…
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The word cleansing can conceal a fairly stark fact: vamana involves intentionally inducing vomiting. Translating the action plainly helps a reader understand why a historical account should not be…
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A number printed on a retreat chart may count bowel movements. That number tells us something about what happened after a purgative. It does not establish that a chronic…
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Two visitors can return from different clinics and both say they encountered the word basti. One may be describing a Panchakarma procedure involving administration by the rectal route. Another…
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A bottle can carry a familiar ingredient and still be completely unsuitable for the use someone has in mind. Nasya refers to administration through the nose in Ayurvedic practice.…
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The part of a treatment programme that takes place after the advertised event rarely makes the brochure cover. In Ayurvedic accounts, paschatkarma refers to aftercare. Some texts discuss a…
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A vessel hangs above a treatment table. A narrow stream falls towards the forehead. The image is so recognisable that it can stand in for an entire retreat in…
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