This appendix briefly explains the preparation of herbs and special remedies such as medicated oils and ghees and offers suggestions on their use. For a complete description of herbs and their uses, as well as thorough directions for the preparation of herbal remedies, please refer to The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. David Frawley (see Reading List).
Ayurveda believes strongly in the use of whole herbs, foods, and plants. Isolated active ingredients or chemically produced analogues are not equivalent to natural whole food sources. For sources of herbs, see Resources.
If you are going to be taking an herbal mixture for several days, weeks, or even months, to save time you will probably want to prepare a fairly large quantity. Then each time you use it, take ¼ to ½ teaspoon unless otherwise directed.
In this book formulas for herbal mixtures are given in “parts” rather than in milligrams or teaspoons. For example, a formula may call for
herb 1 2 parts
herb 2 3 parts
herb 3 ¼ part
Choose your own measure, according to how much you want to make. If, for example, you are measuring in teaspoons, you will use
If you are making a large batch for long-term use, you can measure in tablespoons. A 1- to 2-month supply will require 2.5 to 5.0 ounces of herbs, a palm-size quantity. Again, when you take the herb each time, use only ¼ or ½ teaspoon, as recommended.
Most of the herbs mentioned in this book can be obtained in bulk or capsules at a good natural foods store. Always try to get organic, nonirradiated herbs. Special Ayurvedic herbs and herbal formulas are available from The Ayurvedic Institute, the suppliers listed in the Resources, and some Indian groceries.
Herbs are almost always taken with a vehicle or medium (anupana) to facilitate absorption by the body and to carry the quality of the herbs to the specific tissue or site of the disease. The most common vehicles used in Ayurveda are water, milk, honey, aloe vera, and ghee. Raw sugar may also be used at times. The vehicle varies according to the herb, the illness or condition being treated, your constitution, and other factors. Typically, you might take your herbal dose with a spoonful of ghee or honey; mixed in a cup of warm milk; or placed dry on your tongue and then washed down with some warm or room-temperature water.
Most of the recommendations in this book suggest which vehicle to use. If none is suggested, use warm water. I do not recommend using capsules because taste is important (see this page), but if you must use them, you can buy some empty 00-size vege-capsules (available at most natural food stores) and fill them with the herbal mixture. This is better than not taking the herbs at all, and may be more convenient when you are traveling or at work.
Triphala (“the three fruits”) is a wonderful remedy consisting of three of the most important Ayurvedic herbs: amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki. Amalaki works on pitta dosha, bibhitaki on kapha dosha, and haritaki on vata dosha. This compound is rejuvenative and strengthening for all three doshas and all seven dhatus; it balances ojas, tejas, and prana and is also an excellent, mild laxative.
Take triphala in the evening, at least 1 hour after your evening meal. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon triphala powder to about 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes or until the water is cool enough to drink. You may strain out the herbs before drinking or just leave them at the bottom of your cup.
You may not like the taste of triphala at first—it may taste quite bitter. But if you use it regularly, your health is bound to improve, and you will eventually find that the taste becomes less unpleasant.
Triphala can also be taken in these ways:
Two pounds of butter will make one quart of ghee. Put the butter (sweet and unsalted, organic if available) in a heavy, medium-size pot, turn the heat to medium, and heat until the butter melts, taking care not to burn the butter.
Then turn down the heat, cook until the butter just boils, and continue to cook at this temperature. Do not cover the pot, as it is important to boil the water out and separate the solids. The butter will foam and sputter for a while and then begin to quiet down. Stir it occasionally with a stainless steel spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan.
In 12 to 15 minutes your ghee will begin to smell like popcorn and will turn a lovely golden color. Whitish curds will form and separate from the clear ghee. When these whitish curds turn a light tan color and the boiling quiets down, the ghee is ready. Take it off the heat immediately, for it is most likely to burn at this stage. The cooking time should not be longer than 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the kind of pan and the heat source.
Let the ghee cool until it is just warm. The solid curds will have settled to the bottom of the pot. Decant the clear ghee into a container, and discard the curds left on the bottom.
Ghee can be kept on the kitchen shelf. It does not need refrigeration. Its medicinal properties are said to improve with age. Don’t ladle out the ghee with a wet spoon or allow any water to get into the container, as this will create the conditions for bacteria to grow and spoil the ghee.
Ghee increases digestive fire and improves absorption and assimilation. It nourishes ojas, the subtle essence of all the body’s tissues, strengthens the brain and nervous system, and improves memory. It lubricates the connective tissue and makes the body more flexible. Ghee carries the medicinal properties of herbs to all seven dhatus. It pacifies pitta and vata and is okay for kapha in moderation.
NOTE: People who have high cholesterol or who suffer from obesity should be cautious about using ghee.
Ghee is a highly effective anupana (vehicle) for carrying herbs to the deeper tissues of the body. Hence many remedies are made by cooking herbs into ghee. Examples include shatavari ghee, brahmi ghee, tikta ghrita (bitter ghee), triphala ghee, and many others. The process is quite lengthy, and you will probably prefer to purchase these medicated ghees (and medicated oils as well). But if you wish to make it yourself, proceed as follows:
First, make the ghee, as described above.
Next, make a decoction of the desired herbs by cooking 1 part dry herbs to 16 parts of water, or about ½ ounce of herbs per cup (8 ounces) of water. Boil the herbs slowly over a low flame until the water is reduced to one-quarter its original amount. For example, 4 cups would be reduced to 1, or 1 cup to ¼ cup. Then strain out the herbs. This process takes several hours. The liquid can be used as a prepared medicinal decoction, but in this case, you are going to use it for your medicated ghee.
Finally, mix equal parts of ghee and the herbal decoction, and cook it over a low flame until all the water evaporates.
Medicated oils (amla oil, brahmi oil, bhringaraj oil, garlic oil, clove oil, and others) are made the same way, except that you use oil instead of ghee in the final stage.
Neem oil is an herbalized oil made from cooking neem leaves in a base of sesame (usually) or some other oil. It is not pure neem extract, which would be too strong. Neem oil is generally available from suppliers of Ayurvedic products.
The general rule is to use remedies until your symptoms disappear. This may take from a few days to a few months, depending on the severity of the disease or condition, how long you have had it, how motivated you are to get well, and other factors.
In addition to taking your remedies, please also look into the underlying causes of your condition. You may need to rethink your diet, daily routine, exercise program, and so on. Simply taking herbal remedies, without making some changes in your lifestyle, will probably not be sufficient to override the behavior patterns that caused your illness in the first place.
So use your common sense. If the condition is chronic, it is unrealistic to expect that something that has persisted for years is going to disappear in a week or a month. On the other hand, if your condition is serious, and you are diligent with your remedies and make appropriate lifestyle changes, and still the symptoms persist, you need to see your doctor for help.