Purvakarma: Preparation With Oiling and Sweating

What purvakarma is

Purvakarma means "preparatory actions". In Ayurveda, the main cleansing procedures are preceded by snehana (oleation, using oils or ghee) and swedana (fomentation, meaning sweating), and followed by samsarjana, a specialized diet. [2] A research paper from an Ayurvedic college describes snehapana as the essential step before vamana and virechana. [3]

How the tradition explains it

In the tradition's words, oiling and sweating loosen doshas from the tissues and move them toward the gut, where they can be removed by emesis or purgation. [4] This is a traditional explanation. We found no biomedical study confirming that doshas move in this way.

The two parts

• Snehana (oleation). Oils or ghee are used on the skin (see Abhyanga) or taken by mouth as snehapana. Taking oils by mouth is described as the internal form. [5]
• Swedana (sweating). Heat treatments that cause sweating; see Swedana and Steam Therapies.

What research shows

Authors of one review note a concern among doctors and patients that taking oils or ghee by mouth could raise blood fats, and say improper oiling can bring complications such as high blood lipids. [5] That is why people with high cholesterol or heart disease should speak to their clinician before any such program. Because participants in these studies know what they are taking, expectation can affect the results.

Questions to ask before considering it

• What training and credentials do the people giving it hold, and which regulator or professional body stands behind them?
• Will a doctor review my health history and medicines first, and who monitors me during the course?
• What would make you stop, and where do I go if I feel unwell?
• Where do the oils, ghee and herbal products come from, and have they been tested for metals?

Practitioners

In the US there is no state license for Ayurvedic practice. [6] See Choosing an Ayurvedic Practitioner and the overview.