last updated on 09/02/2026
You know that a Panchakarma treatment deeply cleanses, but can’t imagine what actually happens on a single treatment day? Here, you’ll find the complete process at the European Ayurveda Resort Sonnhof, day by day, from arrival to departure.
Key Information: Panchakarma Treatment at Sonnhof
- A Panchakarma treatment at Sonnhof lasts between 7 and 28 nights and is divided into three phases: preparation, elimination, and rebuilding.
- Day 1 is dedicated to diagnosis. Anamnesis, pulse, eye, and tongue diagnosis, as well as your body analysis, determine the therapy plan for all subsequent days.
- From day 2, therapies and massages follow. The cleansing day, Virechana, usually takes place in the second half of the week.
- The rebuilding phase after elimination is an integral part of the treatment and is crucial for how long the effects last.
- Daily, three to five yoga and meditation sessions are available, along with full Ayurvedic board featuring ingredients from the family’s own Lindhof farm.
- No two treatment days are alike. The plan is continuously adjusted based on your reactions.
Read More on the Topic:
- All treatment variations, services, and prices can be found on the Panchakarma Treatment at Sonnhof page. Here you will find the current price list.
- How to prepare one to two weeks in advance is detailed in the Treatment Preparation section.
- What our Ayurveda team reads from your pulse is explained in Pulse Diagnosis.
- The effects and process of the most important treatment, the Abhyanga Massage, are shown in this article.
- What your constitution means for the treatment can be read under Vata, Pitta, Kapha.
- The Treatment Finder guides you to the right treatment in six questions.
How does a Panchakarma treatment at Sonnhof work?
Panchakarma, meaning “five actions” in Sanskrit, describes a medically structured cleansing procedure that goes far beyond a wellness treatment. At Sonnhof, every treatment follows the same three-part structure, regardless of whether you stay seven or 28 nights. The length of your stay determines how much time is allocated to each of the three phases.
| Phase | What Happens | Typical Timing in Treatment Course |
| Preparation (Purvakarma) | Snehana (internal oleation with ghee and external oleation through massages), heat applications, light bland diet. Ama, or metabolic waste products, are released from the tissues. | Day 1 to approximately Day 4 |
| Elimination (Pradhanakarma) | Virechana, the cleansing day with a herbal purgative drink. If necessary, supplemented by Nasya, a cleansing of the forehead, sinuses, and head area. | usually second half of the week |
| Rebuilding (Paschatkarma) | Nourishing applications, herbs, gradual dietary rebuilding. Tissues and the immune system are strengthened. | last days of treatment and the weeks at home |
Ama is the Ayurvedic term for undigested residues that accumulate in the tissues and, according to Ayurvedic teachings, are at the root of many ailments. Agni refers to the digestive fire, meaning your body’s ability to process food and impressions. Both terms will frequently come up in conversations with the Ayurveda team during your treatment.
Day 1: Arrival, Anamnesis, and Pulse Diagnosis
The first day is an arrival day, generally without treatment. However, a treatment or consultation can be scheduled upon request. Your room is available from 2 PM; for earlier arrivals, reception will store your luggage, and you can already have lunch at the hotel (until 1:30 PM).
On the day of arrival, you will have your first consultation with the Ayurveda team. This includes a detailed anamnesis, pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, and body analysis.
What exactly happens during a pulse diagnosis?
During the pulse diagnosis, our Ayurvedic doctor (Dr. ind. Gaurav Sharma, Rajat Vashisht, or Deepa Naik) palpates your pulse with varying pressure, thereby accessing multiple pulse levels. From this, they deduce which Dosha is out of balance and which organ system needs support.
The examination is supplemented by a discussion about diet, digestion, sleep, and your current life situation. At the end, your personal therapy plan with the applications for the coming days is established.
The evening is yours. Many guests use it for an initial yoga or meditation session and the three-course dinner, where you can choose between a vegetarian or vegan main course.
“Most guests arrive with a full mind. That’s why we don’t treat them on the first day. We listen, feel the pulse, and let the body settle in first.”
Dr. ind. Gaurav Sharma, Ayurveda Specialist at European Ayurveda Resort Sonnhof in Tyrol
Day 2: Snehana, Internal and External Oleation
The second day is your first actual treatment day. It begins with Snehana, the Ayurvedic oleation therapy.
Internally, you receive a tailored amount of ghee, or clarified butter, on an empty stomach in the morning. The ghee travels through the metabolism into the tissues, making bound metabolic waste products mobile.
Externally, Abhyanga, a full-body oil massage, often performed synchronously by two therapists at Sonnhof, follows. The oleation is the preparation for everything that follows in the next few days, because only dissolved residues can later be eliminated. Yoga, meditation, and lectures, as well as relaxing walks in our beautiful nature, are naturally also part of the program.
Additionally, there is the Ayurvedic diet. At lunchtime, treatment guests receive a three-course meal. In the evening, there is rice soup and/or a main course. You abstain from alcohol, coffee, raw food, and sugar during the treatment.
Days 3 and 4: Warmth, Herbal Poultices, and Initial Reactions
During these days, the program intensifies. Oil massages are followed by heat applications such as Swedana, an Ayurvedic steam bath that opens the pores and transports dissolved residues towards the digestive tract.
Depending on the therapy plan, Udvartana, a massage with herbal powder, and Jambira Pinda Sveda with warm lemon-herbal poultices are now applied. Between applications, you rest, drink hot ginger water, and go for walks. For your information: Shirodhara, the well-known forehead oil stream, is performed at the end of the treatment here.
Why do you sometimes feel worse on Day 3?
Fatigue, headaches, or slight irritability around the third day of treatment are normal side effects because the metabolism is mobilizing residues that have not yet been excreted. In Ayurvedic teaching, this is considered a sign that the treatment is taking effect.
This is exactly what therapeutic support is for. Your Ayurveda team daily inquires about sleep, digestion, and mood, and adjusts the applications if your body needs more rest.
Day 5: Virechana, the Cleansing Day
Virechana is the core of the treatment and the only day you won’t receive a massage. In the morning, you drink a herbal purgative, then you stay in your room and near the bathroom.
Throughout the day, there will be several bowel movements. You drink warm water, eat nothing or only a thin rice soup, and remain in continuous contact with the Ayurveda team, who document the number of eliminations.
How does Virechana work from a scientific perspective?
Virechana targets the small intestine and liver, i.e., the organs where fat-soluble metabolic products are bound. An experimental study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine in 2015 showed a 46.4 percent lower fat content in stool and significantly lower blood sugar in rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome after Virechana. This was an animal study, so the results cannot be directly transferred to humans.
In the evening, many guests feel empty, light, and pleasantly clear. Sleep on this night is often the deepest of the entire treatment.
Days 6 and 7: The Rebuilding Phase Begins
After elimination, your digestive system is sensitive, and the digestive fire is working on low. Therefore, you gradually reintroduce food, first with Kitchari, a soft-cooked dish of rice and mung beans, then with soups and steamed vegetables.
The applications now change character and become nourishing. Oil applications, Basti treatments with herbal oils, Marma massages, and foot massages rebuild tissues and calm the nervous system. Mental Detox, Emotional Release, and individual consultations accompany you throughout the day.
The rebuilding phase is crucial for how long the effects of your treatment last, and it does not end with your departure. For home, you will receive herbs and dietary recommendations that extend this phase by several weeks.
That something measurably changes during this time is shown by a controlled study with 119 participants, published in Scientific Reports. After six days of a Panchakarma-based program, the plasma metabolomic profile of the intervention group was significantly altered, with a statistically significant decrease in twelve phosphatidylcholines.
From Day 8: How does a longer Panchakarma treatment continue?
For treatments of 14 nights or more, the rhythm of oleation, warmth, and rest repeats at a deeper level. Instead of a single elimination, your therapy plan may include a second cleansing phase.
The classic additional procedures also only find their place in longer treatments. Nasya, the cleansing of the forehead, sinuses, and head area via the nose, and Basti as a series over several days are among them.
With increased length, the proportion of coaching, yoga, and meditation also grows. Those who stay 21 or 28 nights have time to practice Ayurvedic nutrition and a morning routine so that they can maintain it at home.
What does a typical treatment day look like from morning to evening?
Between treatments, there is more time than most guests expect. The following daily framework is a typical structure, which shifts depending on the therapy plan and weekly program.
| Time of Day | What’s on the Schedule |
| Early Morning | Tongue cleaning, warm water, activating yoga or meditation session |
| Morning | Ayurvedic breakfast buffet, followed by the main treatment of the day, usually oil massage with heat application, then rest period |
| Noon | Three-course lunch. The main meal is consciously placed at noon when the digestive fire is strongest. |
| Afternoon | Walk or mindfulness hike, Vata snack with tea ceremony, second application or consultation |
| Evening | Quiet yoga or meditation session, lecture or Sacred Circle, dinner for treatment guests with soup and/or Ayurvedic main course, early sleep |
Daily, at least three to five yoga and meditation sessions are available, from Detox Yoga to Breathwork and Kundalini Yoga. The current weekly program is provided at reception upon arrival.
The spa with saunas, infrared cabins, and pool is open to you. During the elimination phase, we advise against swimming, as the body needs warmth during this time.
Departure Day: Final Consultation and Plan for Home
On the last day, the final consultation takes place. Your Ayurvedic doctor will again feel your pulse, discuss what has changed with you, and provide recommendations for diet, daily rhythm, and herbs.
Check-out is at 11 AM. Plan your return journey so that the day remains calm, as the body is more open and sensitive than usual after a treatment.
The first two to three weeks at home are still part of the treatment. Light, warm food, early sleep, and little alcohol noticeably extend the rebuilding phase.
Differences Depending on Treatment Duration and Focus
In an actual Panchakarma stay, not every day is the same. A 14-day treatment looks different from a 21- or 28-day treatment, and we set different priorities depending on the symptoms. The goal remains that your body receives exactly as much cleansing as it can handle in the available time, and then has sufficient time to rebuild.
| Treatment Variant | Treatment Days | Applications | Consultations |
| Panchakarma “Light” | 6 | 12 | 3 |
| Panchakarma “The Classic” | 9 | 18 | 3 |
| Longer Variants (De Luxe, Superior, Supreme) | up to 28 nights stay | extensive, with a second cleansing phase | several |
What changes with 14, 21, or 28 days?
The longer the treatment, the deeper the cleansing reaches, and the longer the rebuilding phase takes place at the hotel instead of at home. For seven nights, the focus is on preparation and one elimination; from 14 nights onwards, additional procedures and a second cleansing phase may be considered.
Shorter treatments are suitable for an initial introduction and for people who cannot take a longer break from work. Those with chronic conditions generally benefit more from 14 nights or more.
What focus areas are possible?
Your therapy plan is based on the reason for your stay. For exhaustion and sleep problems, calming applications like Shirodhara and Marma massages dominate; for digestive and metabolic issues, the focus is on elimination and dietary rebuilding.
For joint and back complaints, we work more with herbal poultices, Basti applications, and heat. Those who wish to address emotional issues can combine the treatment with Mind-Detox coaching or Breathwork.
“Two guests can arrive on the same day, book the same treatment, and yet experience completely different weeks. We tailor the plan to the person in front of us.”
Elisabeth Naschberger-Mauracher, European Ayurveda® Expert & Managing Director of European Ayurveda Resort Sonnhof in Tyrol
Medical Supervision During Your Panchakarma Treatment at Sonnhof
Medical supervision is included in the treatment price and begins on the day of arrival with anamnesis and pulse diagnosis. It concludes with the final consultation on the last day. In between, the Ayurveda team is available for questions and adjustments to the therapy plan.
Who provides your medical care?
The Ayurvedic medical direction at Sonnhof is led by Dr. ind. Gaurav Sharma, who has been with the hotel since the establishment of its Ayurveda department. The team also includes Ayurveda specialists Deepa Naik and Rajat Vashisht.
All three conduct consultations and pulse diagnoses and create individual therapy plans. The entire expert team is introduced on our website with photos and professional backgrounds.
Is there also conventional medical support?
Yes. Dr. Alaettin Sinop, a specialist in general medicine with a focus on natural healing methods, is available at Sonnhof as a conventionally trained physician. His qualifications include acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine and herbal therapy, manual medicine, neural therapy, and neurocybernetic techniques.
His focus is the Ayurveda PLUS Treatment, which combines conventional medicine, Eastern healing arts, and complementary medicine. If you have pre-existing conditions or take medication, this is the appropriate framework. For your information: You can book Dr. Sinop at any time, and for a 14-day treatment stay, he is also involved with acupuncture. He is usually at the hotel on Tuesdays (please check with reception).
What is included in the medical supervision?
Included are the initial consultation with pulse diagnosis, the individual therapy plan, therapeutic support during the treatment, the final consultation, and herbs for the duration of your stay. Nutritional and lifestyle coaching are also included. One consultation and a final discussion are fixed inclusions.
Brief discussions can be utilized as needed but are not fixed inclusions in the treatment. The longer the treatment stay, the more discussions are included. The number of consultations therefore depends on the booked treatment.
In case of acute complaints, reception will arrange contact with doctors in Kufstein, which is about a 20-minute drive from our location in the Thiersee Valley.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about the Panchakarma Treatment Process
What happens during a Panchakarma treatment?
A Panchakarma treatment proceeds in three phases. First, the body is prepared for cleansing through ghee intake, oil massages, and warmth; then, the dissolved residues are eliminated via a purgation day (Virechana); finally, the tissues are rebuilt with nourishing applications and a light diet.
How many treatments do I receive per day?
On a regular treatment day, you typically receive one to two applications, mostly in the morning. On the cleansing day, Virechana, an abdominal massage takes place.
How long does a Panchakarma treatment last?
At Sonnhof, a Panchakarma treatment lasts between 7 and 28 nights. Seven nights is the minimum for a complete cleansing with elimination; from 14 nights, the treatment goes deeper, and the rebuilding phase takes place at the hotel.
What do I eat during the treatment?
You will receive a light, warm Tridosha diet with Kitchari, soups, grain dishes, and herbal teas, predominantly organic and with ingredients from the family’s own Lindhof farm. Alcohol, coffee, raw food, and sugar are omitted during the treatment; fish is not provided (except in cases of acute protein deficiency).
Do you feel unwell during a Panchakarma treatment?
Around the third day of treatment and on the elimination day, fatigue, headaches, or circulatory fluctuations may occur. These reactions are temporary and are managed by the Ayurveda team, who adjust applications as needed.
Can I work during the treatment?
We advise against it. The daily rhythm of treatment, rest periods, and meals hardly allows for continuous work blocks, and the effectiveness of the treatment depends on the nervous system truly winding down. Wi-Fi is only available in public areas, not in the rooms.
How do I prepare for the treatment?
One to two weeks before the start of the treatment, gradually reduce coffee, sugar, alcohol, and red meat, drink 1.5 to 2 liters of warm water or herbal tea daily, and eat warm, cooked meals with the main meal at midday. The complete treatment preparation with packing list and evening ritual is available on our website.
Is the Panchakarma treatment at Sonnhof medically supervised?
Yes. Every Panchakarma treatment begins with a consultation and pulse diagnosis by the Ayurveda team led by Dr. ind. Gaurav Sharma and ends with a final consultation. For conventional medical questions, Dr. Alaettin Sinop, a specialist in general medicine with a focus on natural healing methods, is available.
From what age is a treatment at Sonnhof possible?
Sonnhof is an adults-only establishment; stays are possible from 16 years of age.
Sources
- Vinjamury SP, Vinjamury M, Sucharitakul S, Ziegler I: Panchakarma. Ayurvedic Detoxification and Allied Therapies, Is There Any Evidence? Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-24565-7_7
- Chaturvedi A, Rao PN, Kumar MA, Ravishankar B, Rao N, Ravi M: Effect and Mechanism of Virechana Karma (Therapeutic Purgation) Over Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2015. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2156587215596283
- Peterson CT et al.: Identification of Altered Metabolomic Profiles Following a Panchakarma-based Ayurvedic Intervention in Healthy Subjects. Scientific Reports, 2016. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep32609
