Increasingly, one hears the term “detox” being bandied about as a desirable affect of any number of spa treatments. Clearly, with the over or under consumption of nutritious foods, any number of chemicals we are exposed to in the air we breathe and water we drink, there is good physical cause for us to need a good cleansing now and then.
Ayurveda teaches that there are a number of ways to detoxify; fasting, simpler eating, using such common spa methods as saunas, steams, and massage, the less commonly used methods of colonics, and detoxifying herbs are ones we are most familiar with. In the practice of Pancha Karma (“pancha” meaning five and “karma” meaning actions), colonics are replaced by low volume herbal and oil enemas, along with emetics (therapeutic vomiting), purgatives, nasal treatments, and blood purification. Of course, in the spa industry, we hear of places that are offering Pancha Karma. If these five practices (enemas, emetics, purgatives, nasal treatments, and blood purification) are not being practiced, then more than likely these spas are offering Ayurvedic massages and steams – classically known as Purva (meaning “preliminary”) Karma. These can have detoxifying benefits, but do not go as deep as Pancha Karma.
Even though this is the case, each of us has seen people do a series of massages, steams, and other treatments that culminate in having detoxifying effects. Aches, pains, and breakouts on the skin are not uncommon as the tissues of our bodies release some of the toxicity that they have been accumulating and holding onto. But, what is at the root cause of this accumulation and holding onto? And, what about some of the other forms of detoxification we also see in our clients: feeling weepy, disoriented, an upsurge of unexpected emotion? What about the mental/emotional aspects of detoxification and how can we as spa therapists and spa owners address what can sometimes manifest as an embarrassing moment for the client or a confrontation at the front desk?
According to the Tibetan tradition of Ayurveda, the root causes for our aches and pains, the stress we embody in our physical, emotional, and spiritual manifestations that leads us to suffer in a variety of ways are Three Poisons. These Three Poisons are ignorance, attachment, and aggression. Simply put, we don’t understand what is going on or how things work, we have our preferences or the way we want things to be, and we get annoyed and defensive when someone disagrees with us.
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With an educational background and training that is as conventional as it is ‘alternative,’ Robert Sachs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a licensed massage therapist, yoga instructor, and has been a student of Indian and Tibetan spiritual and healing traditions since the early 70s. Along with his wife, Melanie, Robert runs Diamond Way Ayurveda, the foremost promoters of Ayurveda in the spa and beauty industries. Robert and Melanie live in San Luis Obispo, Calif. They have three children, Kai Ling, Harriet Christina, and Jabeth David-Francis. For more information, please visit www.diamondwayayurveda.com, or call 866-303-3321.
