Panchakarma Part 5: Enemas, Emotional Release & Everyday Ayurveda in Kerala
Discover Panchakarma, Ayurveda’s profound detox system. In this deeply personal...
Panchakarma Part 5: Enemas, Emotional Release & Everyday Ayurveda in Kerala
By Day 11 of my Panchakarma journey, I realised that this wasn’t just about treatments, it was about learning to flow with life, listen to my body, and embrace even the unexpected. This stage has been full of new experiences: Ayurvedic enemas, oil baths, dreams stirring up childhood memories, and little adventures out in Kerala. Even my clumsy fall on the stairs became part of the story!
This post is a continuation of my Panchakarma diary, where I’ve been documenting the reality of a 21-day Ayurvedic detox and healing program in Kerala. If you’ve ever wondered what happens during Panchakarma beyond the pretty brochures, here’s a glimpse of the real, messy, beautiful, emotional, and deeply transformative.
Exploring Kerala Beyond the Retreat
On Day 11, I took myself for a wander to Kovalam Beach, one of Kerala’s most famous coastlines. The shops, the bustle, the spice markets, all part of local life. I imagined I’d find spices cheaper here than at home in Australia, but to my surprise, some were more expensive. I did pick up a little saffron, mostly as gifts, but left the rest. Ayurveda teaches us to take what we need, not everything we want, perhaps that lesson was already working on me.
The weather has continued to be incredible. It rains at night, soft, rhythmic showers while I sleep, but the days have been mostly sunny, with that warm, humid air that Kerala seems to wrap you in. Overcast skies only make the palm trees and ocean more vivid.
Oil Baths & Daily Rituals
Treatments have moved into a more intense phase. Each day begins with an oil bath: warm, medicated coconut oil poured over my body until I’m drenched. At first it felt unusual, but now it’s like being wrapped in comfort. The skin drinks it in, and my nervous system seems to sigh in relief.
Then there’s a treatment where oil is pooled on my head inside a little well made of cloth and banana leaves. Sitting with that oil, I drift into altered states dreams become vivid, emotions surface, and the body lets go of long-held patterns.
The Enema Stage
Yes, this part is less glamorous. Panchakarma enemas are not like the medical versions we imagine. They use herbal decoctions and medicated oils, tailored to each person’s constitution. The purpose isn’t just cleansing the colon; it’s rebalancing the doshas and nourishing the tissues. For me, it means staying close to my room for a few days, honouring the process, and trusting what my body needs to release.
This stage has brought up not just physical detox but emotional release. Memories from childhood have surfaced in dreams, reminding me that healing is never only physical. A friend here, Greta from Switzerland, has been experiencing the same, old memories rising unexpectedly as the body clears. It’s strangely comforting to know I’m not alone in this.
A Little Accident
Life has its way of keeping us grounded, sometimes literally. I managed to fall up the stairs and rip the underside of my big toe. There was blood, some panic, and a flurry of staff unsure what to do. It’s not that kind of hospital here, but with iodine and bandages, we got through. It’s healing now, though I’ve been hobbling a little. Another reminder that healing is never a straight path.
Food as Medicine
One of my great joys has been the food. Breakfast here often includes puttu, a steamed mixture of rice flour and coconut, shaped into little logs and served with honey and steamed banana. Simple, nourishing, delicious. It’s amazing how Ayurveda transforms the way you relate to food: instead of chasing flavour highs, you begin to notice how each bite feels in your body.
I’ve also learned what not to eat. Coffee, even the light Ayurvedic version they allow here, has been keeping me awake at night. So I’ve let it go. Small choices like this remind me that healing requires listening, not forcing.
Emotional Detox
The deeper I go into Panchakarma, the more obvious the connection between physical clearing and emotional release is. When my body is flushed out, my mind seems to bring forward old patterns, old stories. A couple of days I slipped into feeling sorry for myself, even reaching for foods I knew didn’t serve me. But instead of beating myself up, I’ve learned to see it as part of the process. Healing is not about perfection it’s about awareness, and choosing again..
The People Who Hold Me
Two women have been caring for me throughout, Premeda and Avita, massaging, oiling, supporting me through each treatment. Their consistency and kindness have been extraordinary. One of them hasn’t had a day off since I arrived. The other just returned after her first break. Their dedication is humbling, and it reminds me that healing is always a shared act, someone holds space for you while you transform.
Everyday Kerala
Outside of treatments, life here is simple. Herbal teas, time by the pool, listening to birds and watching squirrels dart through the gardens. They call this place God’s Own Country, and I can see why. Every corner feels blessed with life.
I still want to visit an elephant rehabilitation camp nearby, and a couple of temples. Even within the structure of Panchakarma, there is room to explore, to connect with the land and culture around me.
Final Reflections
Part 5 of my Panchakarma journey has been about balance: between body and mind, between discipline and surrender, between exploring outside and listening within. Enemas, oil baths, and emotional dreams are not what most people picture when they think of “healing holidays.” But this is real healing. It’s gritty, surprising, sometimes uncomfortable, and yet, deeply rewarding.
If you’re carrying the weight of stress, trauma, or simply life’s pace, Ayurveda offers something profound: a chance to reset. It reminds you that the body knows how to heal when we give it space. That emotions surface not to torment us, but to free us. And that joy often lives in the simplest things, like puttu with banana at breakfast, or laughter with a new friend halfway across the world.
I have more days ahead, more treatments to experience, and more layers to peel back. But for now, I sit with gratitude: for the oil baths, the dreams, the food, the people, and even the clumsy falls. Because all of it is part of my healing.
Caroline x
