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  2. Volume 3 | Issue 4 [October-December]
  3. ROLE OF PANCHAKARMA IN PREVENTIVE AND LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: RITUCHARYA AND SHODHANA
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Tushar Tapadiya

ROLE OF PANCHAKARMA IN PREVENTIVE AND LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: RITUCHARYA AND SHODHANA

Preventive and lifestyle medicine seek to reduce the burden of chronic disease through sustained changes in diet, activity, sleep, stress and environment [1, 2]. Ayurveda has a long tradition of preventive care described through Dinacharya (daily regimen), Ritucharya (seasonal regimen) and seasonal Shodhana, in which Panchakarma procedures are used to eliminate accumulated Doshas at appropriate times of the year [3, 4, 5]. This article reviews the classical concept of Ritucharya and seasonal purification, the modern science of seasonal and circadian biology, the potential of Panchakarma as a periodic preventive and health-promotive measure, and the safeguards needed. Evidence for preventive benefit of seasonal Shodhana in healthy people is limited and largely indirect. Panchakarma may serve as a structured lifestyle-reset opportunity but should complement, not replace, established preventive services.