‘Pancha’ means ‘five’ and ‘karma’ means ‘action.’ This five-fold purification therapy aims at correcting the imbalance of the doshas – Vata, Pitta, Kapha in order to maintain their inherent equilibrium. During each season of the year, one or more of the doshas accumulate, which causes an imbalance and makes the body prone to illness. It involves five cleansing procedures: