Panchakarma at GIAM in Dunedin, Florida
Abhyanga (Marma Massage) | Swedana (Sweat Therapy) | Shirodhara (Third-Eye Drip)
Basti (Herbalized Enema) | Lepana (Full-body Herbal Paste) | Pinda Sweda (Herbalized Rice and Milk Treatment) | Shirobasti (Herbalized Oil Head Bath) | Vamana (Physician-assisted Therapeutic Vomiting) | Raktamokshana (Blood Purification
As well as other treatments recommended by the physician-in-charge.
Panchakarma is a medical treatment and should be administered by a medical professional to ensure the safety and well-being of a patient’s health.
Namaste. In an effort to accommodate all individuals with unique personal and medical needs, The Gerson Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (GIAM) offers comprehensive, physician-supervised Panchakarma therapies in an individual private setting.
Panchakarma (“five actions”) is a several day to several week penta-biopurificatory treatment in a specifically designed sequence aimed at upregulating the removal of accumulated metabolic wastes and toxic substances from our cells, tissues, organs, and mind. It is renowned for its beneficial effects on overall health, longevity, and refinement of the mind.
In our fast-paced, stressful and toxic world, endogenous and exogenous physical and mental toxins accumulate causing deterioration in physiological and mental functioning. This eventually weakens our homeostatic mechanisms, which allow chronic, degenerative, and other as yet non-characterized diseases to develop. These can evolve into specific diseases, ultimately compromising an individual’s health. Panchakarma can help to reverse many of these negative effects of daily living.
Please read the description below and contact us if you have any questions.
Private Panchakarma Treatments With Dr. Scott Gerson
Dr. Scott Gerson offers four, six, or nine-day Private Panchakarma Treatments at The Gerson Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine, his Panchakarma facility located in lovely Dunedin, Florida. These treatments can be arranged at your convenience according to your personal schedule throughout the year.
GIAM’s Private Panchakarma Treatments are conducted for very specific reasons and confer a unique set of health benefits. These retreats have been conducted by Dr. Scott Gerson for more than 30 years in the traditional manner--following the Vatatapika style. The literal translation of vatatapika is “in the presence of wind and sunshine”. However what this implies is more than climate and weather conditions. Vatatapika Panchakarma involves individuals who, rather than be assigned their own isolated “hut” (kuti) where they live, eat, and have their treatments, instead convene together and interact during the duration of their therapeutic process. They have contact with others and engage in conversation, among other subtler forms of communication. This interaction can be energetically and psychologically positive or negative. If positive, it enhances one’s sense of self, self-esteem, and focus; if negative (the true potential benefit), it can throw attention on the workings of one’s own ego (ahaṃkara) and lead to a glimpse into the inner workings of one’s mind.
Despite the honored tradition of group Panchakarma, there are many reasons why Panchakarma is conducted privately and individually, even in India. These reasons may include
Individuals who are too physically ill to be comfortable in a group situation.
Individuals who are psychologically uncomfortable with strangers.
Individuals who need to keep medical conditions confidential for professional or personal reasons.
The medical condition requires closer personal attention by the physician than is possible in a group.
It is more affordable
What to Expect
You will be nurtured every day with Panchakarma treatments tailored to your particular needs as determined by Dr. Gerson. These will include hot herbalized oil treatments, steam treatments, herbalized baths, shirodhara. Additional treatments such as anuvasana and niruha bastis (enemas), vamana (theraputic vomiting), netrabasti (unctuous eye bath treatments), and a variety of other procedures and medicines may be administered as appropriate for your specific health status and constitution. Dr. Gerson is a Ph.D. Scholar in Panchakarma from the University of Pune and is considered one of the world's experts in the clinical administration of these treatments.
During the period of Panchakarma treatments you can expect to feel relaxed and will be invited to rest a lot as inner channels ("srotas") open to create feelings of freshness and renewal. Physical and emotional toxins lodged deep within the tissues, often for many years, are released along with their associated bodily symptoms. Time in this environment is powerful. It is often sufficient time to establish new patterns of eating, sleeping, thinking, and living which can continue long after the retreat ends.
How It Works
Your daily treatments take place at Dr. Gerson’s beautiful GIAM Panchakarma facility located at 602 Skinner Blvd. Dunedin, Florida 34698. Our telephone number is (727) 371 -1000. Our email is giam@gersonayurveda.com. Please do not hesitate to either call or email us with your questions.
You have the option to stay at any one of a number of hotels or B&B’s in the Dunedin area; rates are very affordable. Uber service and taxis are here in Dunedin, Florida as well, however, we recommend using Uber as it is more reasonably priced. Many places are within walking and bicycling distance.
You will be given an appointment time by us for when you need to arrive every morning; it is usually either 6:30 am, 8:30 am or 10:30 am. Dr. Scott Gerson will be present and will personally perform a minimum of 50 percent of the treatments. The additional treatments will be administered under his supervision by our expertly trained and experienced senior Ayurveda Therapists. After your therapy, you will relax a while and have an Ayurvedic lunch with Dr. Gerson, and perhaps, other staff members on designated days. On the other days, lunch will be on your own. After lunch, you will return to your hotel, perform any additional required procedures (i.e. herbalized enema), and then you have the remainder of the day free. GIAM offers a one hour, specially designed, gentle Ayurveda Yoga class at 5 pm for a nominal charge of $15 per class which Dr. Gerson feels is a perfect way to end your daily treatments, relax, and center yourself before your next days treatments begin again.
Depending on the day, dinner is either provided by us or on your own. If the latter, the staff will guide you with excellent local recommendations. The basic requirement is to eat a simple, plant-based light meal consisting of grains, legumes, and vegetables.
