Rakta Moksha: Purification of the Blood.

The fifth action of panchakarma is purification of the blood (rakta moksha). Literally, rakta moksha means liberation of blood, or bloodletting; a more liberal interpretation is the cleansing or purification of the blood. In Ayurveda, both historically and in modern times, bloodletting is used in certain cases, either directly or by the application of leeches.

Rakta moksha is to remove toxins from the blood in conditions such as skin disorders, enlarged liver and spleen, and gout. However, in most Western countries, bloodletting is either illegal or considered to be quackery. Hence various other procedures, usually herbal, are used to cleanse the blood. For blood-carried disorders, such as allergy, rash, or acne, the patient could take burdock root tea as a blood purifier.

Ayurveda believes that toxins absorbed into the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal tract create toxemia, the cause of many disorders, such as eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and even the common cold. These toxins circulate throughout the body and may manifest under the skin or in the joint spaces, creating disease. Skin disorders, such as urticaria, rash, eczema, acne, scabies, leucoderma, and hives also respond well to blood cleansing, as do cases of gout and enlarged liver and spleen.

Excess pitta circulating as a waste product in the blood creates these disorders. Therefore, for many pitta ailments, using herbal blood cleaners or extracting a small amount of blood from the vein relieves the tension created by the toxins in the blood. This type of treatment is contraindicated in cases of anemia, edema, and weakness, and is not recommended for young children or the elderly. Although the above treatment should only be administered by a physician with Ayurvedic training, in some cases the symptoms of excess pitta are relieved by the donation of blood at a blood bank.