Panchakarma in Ayurveda, the Indian systems of medicine
Panchakarma therapy is an integral part of Ayurveda, the ancient medical system of India. According to Ayurveda, every person is born with a basic nature that does not change over time. In Ayurveda this genetic make up is known as one’s prakruti. The Sanskrit word Prakruti has different meanings. Outside the world of ayurvedic medicine, the word mainly stands for ‘Nature’ – the universe with all its phenomena. But the word is used in the ayurvedic medical parlance to denote a person’s constitution in terms of the three somatic humors – the tridoshas. The concept of tridoshas which forms the key stones of the vast structure of the ayurvedic science or the Indian system of medicine needs further explanation.