Ayurvedic Insight

According to Ayurveda, diet and herbs are an integral part of creating a balanced body and mind. In this traditional, holistic medicine of Ayurveda, the ancient seers, or Rishis, were the first to study the plants and note their therapeutic qualities through direct perception and communion with nature. Since then, years of experience have proved the value and importance of using herbs and medicinal substances to balance the physical, psychological, and spiritual body.

With about six hundred different herbs recorded in Ayurvedic texts, each categorized by their unique qualities and actions they have within the body, herbology can seem overwhelming. There are some general guidelines in Ayurveda to help you use herbs effectively to support health, including dosage, time of administration, and substances or mediums with which to take them.

Even before we can begin taking an herb, it is most important to choose herbs that are of high quality. They should be farmed responsibly without the use of pesticides, harvested and procured with awareness and respect. Plants are considered to have a vital life force or prana. This prana is easily transferable to humans when we ingest them, the energy of the plant unites with ours. The spirituality of Ayurveda holds that all living beings are of one consciousness and to meet the plants with the reverence of being a part of the same whole will release their optimal healing potency.

An important difference between Ayurvedic use of herbs and Western herbal treatment is that Ayurveda uses the whole plant. It recognizes the plant as an energetic being in which all parts work together as opposed to separating out an active chemical which can produce a specific action in the body. Just as whole foods are more easily recognized and digested by the body than are isolated nutrients in vitamins, so too, the whole plant contains properties that when utilized in its natural form create a stronger potency when all parts are working together as a whole.
 
Generally an herb is not taken singly, but in compound formulas. When combined with other herbs, many herbs can create a synergistic effect in the body. Each herb adds to the others' efficacy, greatly increasing their healing powers. There are certain traditional formulas or combinations developed by the ancients that are considered Ayurvedic mainstays such as Triphala, Dashamula, and Trikatu. Many new formulas continue to be developed, offering nourishing tonics and rejuvenatives that meet the needs of people today.

Herbal formulations can be given in many forms. Widely popular in our society is the pill form. It is easy to carry along with you to work or when traveling. Each tablet is a pre-measured dose, making it easy to adjust to the right amount for your body. A more traditional form of administration is the powder form, or churna. This is particularly useful when an herbalist or practitioner is preparing a specific blend for an individual. Triphala, for example, is combined traditionally by many practitioners with equal parts amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki, making a formula that balances all three doshas. The proportions can change with regard to the individual's constitution and the condition to be treated. Adding more amalaki can help to support individuals with excess pitta in their digestive tract, whereas adding a greater amount of haritaki can help relieve vata-type indigestion symptoms. Other forms of Ayurvedic herbal preparations are fresh juice, decoctions, infusions, guggulus, jams, medicinal wines, and medicinal oils.

The time of administration can affect the strength and action of the herb within the body. As a general rule, herbs that target the colon, kidneys, reproductive organs and eliminative functions of the body should be taken before a meal. Herbs that work on the digestive functions and middle part of the body, targeting the stomach, spleen, liver, or small intestine, should be taken with meals. Herbs for the upper part of the body such as the heart, lungs, and brain should be taken after meals.

Taking herbs with a special medium, or anupana, such as ghee (clarified butter), aloe gel or juice, milk, or honey can strengthen their effect in the body. Different anupanas are used for different doshas to enhance the effect of herbs and direct their action deep into the tissues. Generally ghee, with its lubricating qualities, is recommended for vatas because of their tendency toward dryness. Ghee is also recommended for pittas in certain conditions, such as with fever-reducing herbs. Milk, a good anupana for pitta, carries the herbs to the blood and plasma, sites of pitta dosha. Milk also sweetens bitter herbs generally recommended for pitta. Aloe with its bitter quality is balancing for pitta if sweet herbs are taken. Honey, generally recommended for kaphas, has a therapeutic action of expectorant while gently warming and scraping excess fat.

Since Ayurveda bases treatment on the conditions of the individual, there is no standard dosage for herbs. Some factors that a practitioner will consider when determining dosage are constitution, age, height, weight, strength of digestion and duration of the condition being addressed. When self-administering herbs, it is best to start with a low dosage, such as 1/4 teaspoon or 1-2 tablets once or twice a day and gradually increasing amount to reach desired effect.

Achieving a definite result with herbal remedies is dependent on several factors. Mainly the strength of the condition being treated and the strength of the individual will determine the length of time it takes to see a transformation take place. Though some sensitive individuals may notice a change within a few days, generally, a week to two weeks is a good amount of time for most to see an effect within the body.

In Ayurvedic medicine, though herbs are a valuable key to affecting physiological balance, they are part of a bigger treatment picture. It is important to remember that the cause of the imbalance must be identified and removed, the body must be cleansed of toxins, or ama, and the constitution be brought back into balance through diet and lifestyle changes, carefully selected herbal formulas, and with the spiritual practices of yoga, meditation, and pranayama.

Let thy kitchen be thy apothecary;
and, Let foods be your medicine.

1/2 to 1 fresh leek (the lesser amount for pitta)
5 to 6 inches mild daikon radish, (1 cup grated)
2 T raw sunflower seeds
1 T sunflower oil
1 c sunflower sprouts
1 t rice vinegar
Black pepper to taste

Wash all the vegetables well. Slice the leek and grate the radish. Warm the oil in a medium-sized skillet and add the leek. Saute until tender. Add the daikon and sunflower seeds and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the daikon is tender. Put the sunflower sprouts in a cool salad bowl and pour the sauteed mixture over them. Add the rice vinegar and pepper and stir.



Recipe reprinted with permission from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar, Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, WI 53181.(c)1995 All Rights Reserved.

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