By Rippan Sandhu
Herbal tea has a long history in the east as both an all-season refresher and as a health drink – not hard to figure out why! With an infinite number of herbs, aromatics, and spices that you can steep, naturally brewed herbal tea can be tailored to your individual needs.
One of the best ways to enjoy herbal tea is to consider your own unique constitution. In Ayurveda, we believe that each person is made up of a unique combination of the three life energies, or Dosha – Vata, Kapha, and Pitta. As Vata is formed from air and ether, Pitta from water and fire, and Kapha from water and earth, these three unique energies have unique qualities and finding out where your dominant dosha lies can help you keep your body in balance.
Take our easy quiz here to find out – and keep reading to learn how to use herbal teas for your dosha!
TEAS FOR KAPHA
Kapha is in full excess during springtime – think of the heavy dampness of the air, the pollen being set out on the breeze, and the moistness of the coming rain. These are all characteristics of kapha! Because of this excess, it’s doubly important for you to balance this dosha if it’s your dominant energy. An imbalance of kapha can lead to sluggish digestion and congestion of the lungs. To counteract the dampness and coldness of kapha, steep warming herbs and spices in hot water to wake your digestive fire. We love ginger, which is pungent, potent, and heating – perfect for banishing accumulated toxins and dampness. To make a simple at-home kapha tea, simply grate fresh ginger into hot water and bring to boil in a sauce pan. Strain the tea through a sieve, and add honey to sweeten.
Spa Ayurda also has a gourmet Kapha blend of Ayurvedic herbs such as shankhapushpi, holy basil, ginger, and black cardamom here – perfect for stimulating the mind and the body.
TEAS FOR VATA
Vata is characterized by lightness, movement, and coolness. This is the energy that permeates throughout the cold winter, and even as the days get warmer, some of this energy can still remain – so take care that your dominant vata doesn’t imbalance your constitution! An imbalance of vata results in insomnia, fatigue, and constipation. Your main mission would be to ground your body and heat it up from the inside! Clove is a wonderful aromatic that livens up your circulatory system and metabolism, and helps to raise the heat of your body. Simply steep ground clove or clove oil in hot water, and enjoy!
Our Vata tea, is available at Spa Ayurda, it’s a reinvigorating gourmet blend of clove, county mallow, black cardamom, and long pepper to stoke your digestive fire and add a soothing grounding to your inner energy.
TEAS FOR PITTA
Pitta is the energy of your metabolism and digestion, and characterized by heat, sharpness, and acidity. Pitta is the energy of summer, so as the days grow longer and we get closer and closer to the blazing New Zealand summer, you should take especial care to cool down your dominant pitta. An imbalance of this hot energy can lead to heart burn, inflammation, and even high blood pressure! Your main goal is to calm this tempestuous dosha. Arjuna, a cooling and astringent ancient Ayurvedic herb, is powerful in balancing overheating of the body and protecting the cardiovascular system. Arjuna can be found in powdered or loose leaf form, which can be steeped in hot water to be enjoyed twice daily!
If you struggle to find this herb at your local supermarket, we’ve gone the hard miles for you and sourced a special mix of arjuna, sandalwood, ginger, and vetiver grass to cool down an overheated pitta energy. Available at Spa Ayurda now!