Dr Milind Jani, founder of Pavilion Healthcare,
explores the links between herbal teas, yoga and ayurveda
I
n parts of the world, people have been
drinking herbal teas for centuries for
their various health benefits or simply
just to relax. For example, we all know
how popular mint tea is worldwide.
Floral teas like rose, jasmine and lavender
have a more romantic feel; however, in
Europe, sage tea has been popular among
women to help with natural hormone
balance – this includes symptoms that affect
PMT, periods and menopause.
Natural herbal tea is perhaps one of
the best and quickest ways to generate
health benefits for all manner of things.
That’s because the active ingredients – like
antioxidants, flavonoids and eugenols in
herbs – are absorbed much more quickly
in the form of warm teas. Herbal teas are
also very versatile as they can be drunk
anywhere. The delicious natural flavours of
ingredients like chamomile and fennel, or
with spices like cardamom and ginger, give a
satisfying fresh taste in addition to any great
health benefits.Ayurveda & tea
In ayurveda, herbal tea infusions or
decoctions are called Kashaya. The most
effective herbal tea that a person should
drink is determined by body type. You can
work out your body type according to
inherent characteristics, or doshas, with an
interactive body type and dosha analysis
(you can use the chart on the Pavilion
Health website, which also shows you how
to rebalance your dosha to maintain your
wellbeing). Ayurveda describes three doshas
(vata, pitta and kapha), which affect the
functioning of our body. One should strive to
maintain an equilibrium of his or her doshas.What exactly is a dosha?
Vata dosha is the motive energy, which
causes nervous and musculoskeletal
disorders like anxiety, stress, restlessness,
sleep disturbance and hyperactive state.
Pitta dosha is the factor which controls
the heat in the body, metabolism, hormone
balance, digestion and intellect. Migraines,acidity, burning sensations, inflammation,
liver problems and blood disorders are said
to be caused by pitta.
Kapha dosha is the formative element,
which supports cooling in the body, tissue
building, strength, obesity, reproductive
function. Kapha causes heaviness, lethargy
and stagnation.
Here are some specific practical ideas
on how to use our ayurvedic teas to
complete your holistic yoga practice and
see you through the day with more ease and
energy. The ideal tea is determined by four
important factors: time of day, your body
type, your activity level and the environment.1 Pre-Yoga/Start Of The Day
The Kapha Balance Tea is made with basil
and lemongrass blended with ginger and
black pepper. Alternatively, the Ginger Pick
Me Up Tea is a pure spice blend of ginger,
black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and
cloves; it helps circulation and easing the
muscles. Our Green tea with ginger, mintTea, yoga and ayurveda
Tea Special