Stress Ease—Life's Perfect Companion

Stress in the Modern World

Stress: “an organism's total response to environmental demands or pressures.” Stress occurs when the environment is “perceived [by an individual] as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being.”¹

We are beginning to understand as a culture that stress is our own response to a stimulus. By realizing that we can choose our response to stress or learn to modify stressors, we find ourselves more in the control seat and still within our adaptive capacities.

But how many of us continue to find ourselves in situations that challenge our well-being? It is simply a fact of life that this will occur in everyone's life.

Ayurveda is full of tools and techniques to manage our response to demands and pressures. For a great read on this topic, see our Stress Management guide. But we also want to highlight one of our products, Stress Ease. This blend is helping many users manage stress and the associated fatigue (just take a look at our product reviews!). Keep reading for more insight on how stress impacts the body and how Stress Ease works.

What Happens When We're Stressed

When stress occurs, our body's neuromuscular system—the nervous and muscular systems working in tandem to control all movement—goes on alert. Muscles tense, breathing rate increases, and your senses become more alert. In this moment, the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” part as opposed to the parasympathetic system, responsible for “rest and relax”) has been activated.

This is a normal, healthy response to perceived threats. However, when we experience stress regularly, keeping our sympathetic nervous system reactive to any perceived threat (traffic, a pressing work deadline, an argument), this becomes draining for the body and mind.

Because the nervous and muscular systems affect literally every cell in our body, the effects can be quite vast. We can experience fatigue, weight loss or weight gain, digestive issues, mood changes, discomfort, difficulty with concentration and attention, sleep difficulties—just to name a few.

Fostering Stress Relief with Ayurvedic Herbs

In Ayurveda, to counter-balance the highly active nervous and muscular systems, we invoke the qualities of warmth, grounding, soothing, and stability. This can be approached holistically through lifestyle and diet (see our Stress Management Guide for more). Herbs are also incredibly important. 

Stress Ease is formulated with nourishing tonics and adaptogens, all of which were intentionally chosen for their unique qualities. Here's a look inside the formula and the role of each ingredient: 

Ashwagandha Root (Withania somnifera)

This is the quintessential adaptogenic herb for stress that is incredibly popular even outside Ayurveda, amongst western herbalists and physicians of all backgrounds. Studies on ashwagandha show that it can help modulate the levels of stress hormone cortisol when experiencing occasional stress, helping with energy, restful sleep, and an overall sense of well-being. Many researchers are also looking at ashwagandha and overall health of brain tissue, finding that it can help maintain the proper structure of these tissues.² 

The research really does go on and on—and there is more coming! Recent testing on our ashwagandha powder used in this formulation shows that it not only meets United States Pharmacopoeia standards for withanolide content (the active constituent in ashwagandha, responsible for its many benefits), but it exceeds it—likely due to our high standards for organic farming.

Shatavari Root (Asparagus racemosus)

Shatavari is another Ayurvedic adaptogen. While it's not quite as well known as ashwagandha, awareness of this herb is growing fast, as is the research on the benefits of shatavari, including its ability to support stress resilience, support healthy energy and sleep (a key component to stress recovery), and a positive mood.

In Ayurveda, shatavari is considered a fantastic nutritive and tonic that helps nourish and rebuild where replenishing is needed. It is also cooling, which helps counter heat buildup that can contribute to the pitta type of stress. The sweet and unctuous qualities of this herb make it an excellent rejuvenative (rasayana). 

Gotu Kola (Brahmi) (Centella asiatica)

Gota kola is—you guessed it—also an adaptogen. If there is one herb that caters specifically to soothing, nourishing, and regenerating the mind, this is it! All literature points to a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system. A known nootropic, gotu kola has its own long list of benefits, including helping bring clarity, maintain memory, intelligence, and concentration in periods of stress.³

Amla (Amalaki) (Phyllanthus emblica) 

Amla is a fascinating herb: it has the ability to help maintain cell structure and integrity through its very high, antioxidant tannin content.⁴ When we're stress, there is a boost in free radicals in the body. These free radicals are what cause dysfunction in the body. Amla is a rich source of tannins that help maintain a healthy level of free radicals in the body, thereby assisting in natural internal cleansing. It is also a fantastic herb to pacify pitta.

Guduchi Stem (Tinospora cordifolia)

Guduchi also helps cleanse natural toxins but it is additionally well-known in Ayurveda to support the immune system, which we all know can take a hit during periods of stress.

Gokshura Fruit (Tribulus terrestris)

The kidneys and adrenals are the organs that will work to support you when your stress and vata levels are high. Gokshura is a fantastic tonic to support these situations. It is rejuvenating to the reproductive organs and the nervous system with its sweet taste and cooling quality.⁵

Arjuna Bark (Arjuna terminalia)

Our heart center is often the first place impacted with stress, whether the stress is from an immense amount of pressure to perform or from grief and loss. Arjuna is “the remover of all sorrow” in Ayurveda. It also is one of the best-researched herbs that can maintain healthy heart functioning.⁶

Mucuna Seed (Kapikacchu) (Mucuna pruriens)

Most people know of kapikacchu as a natural source of levodopa, a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine.⁷ A broader look shows that it rejuvenates and calms the nervous system, which helps with high amounts of vata (particularly in the nerves and mind). It promotes calmness as well as a healthy state of relaxation.⁸

Ginger, Pippali, and Cardamom

These last three herbs are incorporated to help make the entire formula digestible. They were chosen from all digestive herbs because they all are nourishing and they support agni (digestive fire.

How to Use Stress Ease 

Find a time that works for you to Stress Ease into your daily routine. It can be taken with or without food any time of day. Some choose to take it right in the morning for to support a sustained sense of equanimity and healthy energy levels throughout the day. Since it's caffeine free and stimulant free, you can even take it right before bed. It's up to you to decide when you want to take it! 

For higher levels or more prolonged stress, you may need to take it for a longer period of time to start to feel the effects. So be patient! The herbs in this stress relief supplement will work for you as you go through life's normal challenges.