Six Ayurvedic Tonics For The Season

The practice of Ayurveda offers some of our favorite methods for doing so. The healing tradition takes a holistic approach to health that teaches diet, lifestyle, and exercise techniques — including recipes for wellness-promoting tonics — to help us establish and maintain balance in our lives.

Ayurveda is a healing system that dates back over 5,000 years to ancient India. It provides daily self-care practices to keep our minds, bodies, and souls in optimal alignment with our unique dispositions or dosha types. You likely already know of some Ayurvedic practices that have become mainstream, such as drinking hot water with lemon, practicing meditation or yoga, and even partaking in sound therapy sessions or sound baths.

According to Ayurveda, every person comprises five universal elements: air, fire, water, earth, and ether. The elements are expressed in the human body via three life forces called doshas which control how our bodies work. Your composition’s predominant dosha (or doshas) determines what you need to thrive.

The three doshas are known as Pitta (fire), Vata (air), and Kapha (water). Pitta controls digestion, metabolism, energy production, and certain hormones linked to your appetite. Vata governs your essential body functions, like cell division, our minds, breathing, blood flow, heart function, and the excretion of waste and toxins. Kapha corresponds to muscle growth, body strength and stability, weight, and our immune systems.

Your most dominant dosha, or doshas, affect(s) everything in your life, including the foods that best suit your digestion and the types of exercise you are most suited for. Understanding how to sync your wellness decisions with your doshas can theoretically help bring your health and life into a more excellent balance.

Herbs and spices play a vital function in the tradition’s teachings. Tonics are medicinal beverages infused with herbs, spices, and fruits with wisdom rooted in Ayurveda. This holiday season, consider trying one of the functional beverages below while enjoying their anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, energizing, and even calming effects.

• 1 cup of warm water

• 1/2 lemon

• One tablespoon of honey

• One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Kickstart your morning with this detoxifying elixir — especially if you indulged the night before — and say goodbye to morning brain fog. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects and myriad benefits, including improved brain function. You will enjoy an immunity boost and a burst of energy combined with ACV.

• ½ cup chopped tulsi leaves

• 2 cups hot water

Combine hot water and tulsi in a bowl and mix well before covering with a lid and steeping for 15 minutes. Serve the brewed beverage warm or cool two-to-three times a day for a calming refresher for your senses.

• 1 cup of almond milk

• 1 tsp. Ashwagandha powder

• Two pinches of cloves

• Two pinches of nutmeg

• One teaspoon of cinnamon

• One teaspoon of vanilla powder

• One pinch of Himalayan salt

• One teaspoon of honey to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Then, pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat it on high until it boils and becomes frothy. Serve it hot and enjoy the stress-reducing benefits of Ashwagandha, mainly if you are dealing with stress or anxiety.

* If you are pregnant, please consult with your doctor before taking any adaptogens

• 4 cups of water

• 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks

Simmer the water with the cinnamon sticks over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Continue to infuse the water until it resembles the color of cinnamon. Cool, then use it as a concentrate to mix with ice and water to help boost your immunity.

• ½ teaspoon of Triphala powder

• 1 cup of warm water

• Spoonful of honey

• ¼ cup sweet fruit juice (optional)

Triphala is a mixture of dried fruits native to India: amla, bibhitaki, and haritaki. The resulting blend is rich in antioxidants and is often used to aid digestion, address the systemic imbalance, and support immune health.

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon coriander

• 1/4 teaspoon fennel

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cilantro

• 1/4 teaspoon rose petals

• 1 cup boiling water

Mix the cumin seeds, coriander, fennel, cilantro, and rose petals in a pot, before adding the cup of boiling water. Steep for five minutes with the top covered, then strain the herbs and spices. Serve cool, warm, or at room temperature to bring Pitta imbalances back to equilibrium. This blend is soothing to both the mind and body.