In this interview, Ayurvedic practitioner Salila Sukumaran speaks with Meghana, a recent graduate of Salila’s DIY at‑home Ultimate Panchakarma cleanse. Meghana recounts her background as a graduate student and working professional in Atlanta who, after moving from a pampered upbringing in India, experienced severe digestive issues—including chronic heartburn, bloating, weight gain, poor sleep, and stress‑related shoulder tension—due to neglecting her health while pursuing her degree. After a year of following Salila’s online content, she enrolled in a 21‑day home‑based Panchakarma program that combined daily pipali (long pepper) intake, Vamana (therapeutic vomiting), Virechana (purgation), and Vasti (enema) under Salila’s remote guidance via WhatsApp. Meghana describes the physical challenges of the protocol (e.g., pipali‑induced facial flushing, intense heat, and the demanding Vamana/Virechana/Vasti phases) and highlights Salila’s responsive support (hourly texts, personalized remedy adjustments, video tutorials). She reports rapid improvements during the cleanse—restful sleep, sustained energy, reduced heartburn (confirmed by testing spicy foods), weight loss of 2–2.5 kg, and better stress handling—benefits that persisted for 6–8 months post‑cleanse. Her fiancé and peers noticed the changes. Meghana contrasts this DIY approach with a prior 7‑day traditional Panchakarma in India, noting the latter’s intense muscle manipulation, exhaustion, and lingering soreness, which made her reluctant to repeat it. She emphasizes the empowerment gained from self‑administered practice, the affordability relative to travel, and the ongoing community support through a dedicated WhatsApp group where graduates mentor newcomers. Concluding, Meghana strongly recommends the cleanse, acknowledging its difficulty but asserting that the health gains outweigh the effort, and encourages both women and men to join, highlighting the program’s value as an investment in personal well‑being.
Chapters
Hi everybody, we have Meghana with us. Meghana has just graduated from the DIY at home Ultimate Panchakarma cleanse with me. Meghana, please tell us who you are in your own words. Describe yourself, please.
Okay, hi everyone, I am Meghana. I am somebody who, like Salila Sukumaran said, I just completed the Panchakarma cleanse. I am a working professional in Atlanta. I came to America, it's been almost a little over 2 years now, and I was a nice pampered child living at home, having mom taking care of my food, and she used to provide me these healthy meals when I used to go running. And basically I had— I was living at home and everything was taken care for me. But then when I came to America for my master's, I had to do a lot of things by myself. And of course, because the course was so like So it's— it was so hard. There was no time to take care of my health and my studies at the same time. So I decided to sacrifice my health for the sake of getting a degree and getting a job in America. So, and a result of, you know, not abuse— of not taking care of my body for 2 years had left me in this space where I had constant digestive issues for the last 1 year. I had a lot of acidity, bloating, and, uh, I even like put on a lot of weight in just the last 5-6 months. And yeah, I just felt like I was constantly having heartburn no matter what I ate. Sometimes I used to have a good day, and some days— most of the days it was just a lot of digestive distress. And eventually I realized that No amount of home remedies of just jeera water or Googling how to have these like quick remedies of getting rid of acidity, nothing of that helped. And I had been following Salila Sukumaran for almost a year now, and after consistently seeing her posts for a year and following what she does, I decided to put my faith in her as my Ayurvedic practitioner. She doesn't like me call her a doctor even though I want to. Yeah, so that's how I came and met Salila Sukumaran.
Wonderful, thank you so much for finding me, Meghana. Tell us about what made you jump into the cleanse program headfirst.
Okay, so my first consultation with Salila Sukumaran was the hour-long consultation where we went through my food habits and figured out that the Agni in my is even though I'm a Pitta body, my Agni is really, really low because of all the digestive issues that I'd been having. So she talked me through what sort of food I should eat and what was good for me in— I mean, what foods I needed to eat to get my digestive fire back up. And she was— can I say you? Yeah, you were there with me throughout the whole— you were there guiding me for the next 21 days after our first consultation. On what I should eat, and I used to report to you about how my tongue was and what food I was eating and if it actually sat well with me. And I was actively— and then I started drinking the Gut Bestie, and Salila had a lot of tips that she gave me to improve my digestive issues. And then within a month, I was able to see a good amount of progress in my health. But I was all— I am also preparing for my wedding, which is going to happen in less than a month from now. So I figured, let me do this cleanse. I mean, she's told— she, she gave me the testimonial of somebody else named Jill, and she introduced me to a few other people who had also done the cleanse. So I realized I'm not the only one, and there are other people who have been there, done that. So that gave me confidence to actually jump into it.
Wonderful, wonderful. Walk us through what your experience with the cleanse itself was.
Okay, I'm not going to sugarcoat it and say that the cleanse is amazing. Yes, you will feel amazing at the end of it, but it is going to be hard. Like, the 21 days or 20 of— or 24 days of your cleanse is going to be tough. Like, initially the days are gonna go fine. The pipali is probably going to have different reactions on your body. And I've spoken to other people and how Pippali reacts with them. I mean, reacted for them. And looks like every one of us had a different reaction to Pippali. I got this beautiful Pippali blush where my skin was all red and little blotchy on my cheeks. So it looked like I was constantly blushing for almost the entire time I took my Pippali. And it looked good to the other people, but then I felt a lot of heat in my body for that. It was fine. I mean, the best part about it was whenever I told Salila Sukumaran that I was having a few symptoms that I wasn't supposed to have, like maybe I had a day of heartburn, she gave me a remedy, remedy about how to take the pipali in a different way. So the best part about Salila Sukumaran is she'll tell you how to change it for your body. And yeah, the cleanses, the pipali You will feel like the Pipli days are hard, but they're not. They're actually some of the easier days. And then you have the Vamana and the Virechana and the Vasti. These are— these do sound daunting, but you should have consolation in the fact that there are other people who have done it and they are okay and they are able to see the benefits of this cleanse. So Whenever you are scared about thinking about the Virechana, Vasti, and the Vamana, just know that you can always talk to us and we will give you tips on how we did it. Salila Sukumaran will also give you tips on how she did it. She will be— she'll share tips on— I mean, she'll give you videos of other people of how to do the Vamana and all of that. So it has definitely helped And oh, the Vasti Virechana Vamana days are when she's like totally hands-on there, texting you every hour if you have any problems. So there's that going too.
Wonderful. Meghana, tell us about what you were facing before the cleanse and how you are now after the cleanse.
Okay, so before the cleanse, like I said, I had a lot of digestive issues. Like no matter what I ate, I used to be bloated. No matter what I ate, I had constant constant heartburn, and I even had heart palpitations for a little bit there. And it had— I realized that these were all symptoms of a really aggravated digestive system. And yeah, it was just— I was not feeling good no matter how much I exercised. I did not lose weight. But, and yeah, it was— I didn't feel good overall. Like, I have read a lot about how having digestive issues also help also plays a role on your mental health. And I could definitely feel like I was just taking it one day at a time. I had no energy when I woke up in the morning. I realized that I didn't have the good food habits. And in the middle of the night, I used to wake up to pee at least twice a night. So that made sure that I was not getting a restful sleep in the morning. And yeah, it was a bleak period. I did not feel good on a day-to-day basis. But then post cleanse, actually I started feeling these effects even during the cleanse. I slept perfectly at night. Like, Salila Sukumaran has this rule, she says eat dinner by this time, make sure you're asleep by 10, and you end up following it because you have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to do the Abhyanga the next day. And then you do this for 21 days, you end up picking up these good habits. So during the cleanse, I slept like a baby. Even with like 5 hours of sleep, I could go about functioning my whole day and still have energy at the end of the day. And this is just the effects of the pipali. And post cleanse, it has continued to— I get very restful sleep at night. And I am happy to say that it has been at least 6 or 8 months now, but I don't have any heartburn. Like, I have tested my body after the cleanse by eating a little spicy food. And I still don't have heartburn. And that, I think, is like my personal biggest win. Yeah, that was my cat.
Sorry.
That's okay. Yeah.
Yeah. So did you mean 6 to 8 weeks or did you mean 6 to 8 months?
Oh, I mean, I was having heartburn for a very, very long time. Like, I used to have like bad days and then it used to go away probably. But then in the last like 4 or 5 months, it was almost like every day I used to feel heartburn. But yeah, post cleanse, No heartburn.
Amazing, amazing.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, I feel good after the cleanse. High energy, and I'm able to handle stress better. For some reason, before the cleanse, anytime I got stressed, I used to feel it on my shoulders. They used to feel really tight and they used to hurt. Like, of course there are days at work when it's super stressful, but then post cleanse, yes, there have been stressful days, but then my shoulders are not tightening up. And I used to feel like this little bit in my stomach if I used to feel stressed before. I don't feel it now. And that was actually quite surprising. I'm like, am I not stressed? But then I realized I was. But then it's just my body is better at handling it.
Yeah. I need a quick 2-second break to let a friend in. I'm going to pause recording and I'll be back in 2 minutes. Of course.
Yeah. Back on.
Okay, Meghna, you were telling us about this constant heartburn that has been resolved. Your energy is back. The way you handle stress is much better. Your life seems to be like things are more free-flowing now, up and up, up and up. Great. Is there anybody in your life who's noticing these changes in you?
Yes, um, my fiancé is definitely noticing these changes in me. And yeah, he's been saying that too, like I have lost weight, like 2 kgs to 2.5 kgs in probably the last 2-3 months, and without even like a lot of trying. Like I think that, I mean, I learned a lot from Salila Sukumaran about what I like, how to eat for my body. And I realized that I used to mindlessly eat before, and so she taught me. I mean, it is not— she didn't give me any medicines or teach me or any of— I mean, she didn't give me any Ayurvedic medicines to, you know, fix me or anything of that sort. She just told me what tiny tweaks I need to make in my lifestyle. So this wasn't really a diet, it was something that was so simple I could put it into my lifestyle like overnight. Like I just had to look at how much I was eating or what I was eating. Like those are simple things that we can do without really fearing that, oh my God, I'm going on a diet and all of that.
So Ayurvedic medicine reminds me that you did do a panchakarma in India under an Ayurvedic physician. Would you like to contrast the two treatments that you had?
Um, yes. So the panchakarma treatment I did in India was the usual 7-day treatment where I had the— I used to have the medicated ghee, I used to have the oil massages, the steam, the whole shebang of a panchakarma. But I think it was so stringent, and I also was getting muscle manipulation done every single day for 7 days, so my body just tensed up and there was a lot more stress and I was in a lot of pain by the end of the Panchakarma. By the end of the Panchakarma and I was by the end of the 7— yes, I did the Vamana, the Virechana, the Vasti, everything, but by the end of the 7 days plus the manipulation, like by the end of it, I was just brutally exhausted to the point where I did not feel good. I did not feel this whole up and up thing that I feel right now. I was just tired, and I was— and I, I just rebelled, and I was like, I don't, I don't want to follow this really strict lifestyle of taking like 5 pills every day post the cleanse, or following this really strict diet. I'm like, let's just end it, because it did not make me feel good physically and mentally, going through that much of muscle manipulation. It just left my body really, really sore for a few months after, actually.
Yeah, I remember you telling me it was a struggle to fly back home. You were in pain the entire time when you were getting on the flight and while you were coming back to America. And what I see is that when you already have a lot of dhatukshaya, your tissues are depleted and your Agni is depleted, then your body is not able to digest Ayurvedic medicines.. And those muscle manipulations, when somebody else does to us, our body is not able to withstand that. The body doesn't have the strength to withstand it. So the best remedy is that most of us try at home, gently massaging ourselves, lovingly reconnecting with our own bodies, and then building up our Agni to a place where it's digesting food, and then it can digest the Ayurvedic medicines, and it becomes strong enough to digest it. Now, would you recommend this cleanse to someone?
Yes, I would highly recommend this cleanse to someone. And I know that it's scary to hear from someone off the internet when they say, yes, I did this cleanse, I feel amazing after. But trust me, you will. And the fact that— and the cleanse is going to be hard, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, but it's worth it. Like they say, no pain, no gain. Little pain here, there's going to be a lot of gain at the end of it.
Yeah, Meghana, it was so brave of you to take a chance on this in spite of your bad experience with the panchakarma with a physician in India. Uh, do you feel empowered to take care of yourself now after this experience?
Yes, very much so. And I feel like the panchakarma was this idea for us where it was, you have to go to an Ayurvedic practitioner and get it done, you have to get it done in India. And I feel like I'm going to spend a few years in America, so if I need to go to India and spend 7 days doing the panchakarma, it would have been a little intensive. But yes, this one, this whole home DIY panchakarma made me feel like I can have this, I can do this cleanse by myself. Sure, it might not be as effective as getting it done from an, from a practitioner in India, but if I'm able to get to 60-70% of it, I feel like that's still a win. Yeah, yeah.
The value that you paid for this, the investment that you made in yourself to do this cleanse, do you think it was worth it?
Yes, it was definitely worth it because at the end of the day, I wanted to feel good about— I wanted to feel healthy. And no, and my health is more important than the money that I invest in. Yes, it is a big monetary investment, but it was worth it, definitely for me.
All right, any parting thoughts on somebody who's sitting on the sidelines and wondering about whether this is a good idea or not?
Ah, just jump in. Salila Sukumaran is gonna connect you to the few of us who have done our cleanse. We will be there to help you, answer your questions. You— so we'll be there supporting you. So if you are thinking about taking the leap, take it. You have a lot of strong women around you who are going to support you. And yes, women for us right now, but if you're a man watching this, we'll still support you.
Yeah, Meghana is talking about the WhatsApp group we have just specially for this cleanse, and everybody who's like, who joins the cleanse also gets directions from the graduates from the cleanse because I've created this program as a self-empowering program that we have access to. Because the reason we all fall off our wagons, our horses, is because we don't have— we are no longer in touch with that same group anymore. So if we are there and if we see someone struggling, we, we feel like jumping in and helping them. We remember the time that we spent.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, and we also then, when we walk into the kitchen, we look at our food, what we are making for the day, we are like, I better be doing better too, because I remember how good it was when I was taking care yourself.
Yep, yep, that definitely— yes, I agree. I completely agree. Wonderful.
What is the one thing you are absolutely thrilled now that this cleanse has brought about for you?
Um, I'm able to enjoy food again, and that was a big thing for me. Like, I have always loved food, experimenting with food, whether it's been cooking or eating outside. Street food especially. And for the last year, I was restricted based on my spice levels. Like, I ate something spicy, it would hurt, it would burn. Or yeah, there was a lot of food restrictions in the last year. Like, it felt like nothing was sitting well with me anymore. But then now I'm able to enjoy my food, and for me, that is— I'm really excited and happy about that. Yeah.
And now you're going to be enjoying your wedding banquet.
That's going to be amazing. Of course, yeah, excited about getting to eat all of that without bloating.
Important, very important. But thank you so much for giving us your time, Meghana. We wish you the very best, and please stay in touch.
