by Sheyna Haisman-Holmes

Tulsi or Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a valuable plant within the Mint household that’s revered in Ayurveda. It grows in India, in addition to elements of California, Oregon and extra. It is not uncommon for folks in India to have a tulsi plant of their properties that they have a tendency to and use as wanted. This holy plant is usually planted outdoors of temples in a construction known as a Tulsi Vrindavan. This plant is worshipped because the goddess Tulsi/Tulasi/Lakshmi. Tulsi is the earthly manifestation of Lakshmi who’s the goddess of fine fortune. By way of worship of the tulsi plant, Vishnu and his many kinds are additionally worshipped. The woody stalks and roots are was mala beads for ritual, the place the tulsi plant can dance with and potentize our prayers.

Tulsi tastes of a mix of basil and mint with a pungent and astringent impact. It’s a warming herb that may assist stability the physique temperature. There are several types of tulsi with barely completely different scents and qualities. There’s Rama, Krishna, Vana, Kapoor and Amrita tulsi. These varieties have completely different rising ranges, leaf measurement, coloration, and ranges of eugenol (oil of clove) & rosmarinic acid. They’re usually blended collectively in loose-leaf tea and sure varieties are used for hydrosols, tinctures and different medicines.

Actions & Qualities of Tulsi:

-Clears & helps the lungs

-Improves circulation to the extremities. This may help in instances of Raynaud’s Syndrome (poor circulation to extremities)

-Will increase circulation & blood movement to the mind

-Clears the thoughts

-Adaptogenic, serving to the physique to handle and address stress

-Uplifting, warming, sattvic

-Can encourage menstruation by stimulated blood movement

-Promotes alertness, psychological readability, creativity and focus

-Promotes sleep and calming down of the system

-Stimulates the crown and the entrance of the mind

-Mildly sedative

-Drying, clear, cellular, gentle

Tulsi helps kapha dosha essentially the most with its warming high quality and focus enhancing motion. Taken in extra, it may be barely aggravating to pitta dosha in a vitiated case. In folks with a excessive vata dosha, tulsi could also be ungrounding with the quantity of expansiveness that may happen. It may be slightly drying, which might trigger constipation, until the stool is free and may gain advantage. The astringency and gentle bitterness could cause the mouth to really feel tough or dry, but it surely additionally has some demulcent qualities that deliver moisture and softness.

There are a lot of methods to work with tulsi. Tea is a most popular approach that comes with the soothing good thing about tea ritual and heat. It may also be taken in tablets, tincture, and powder or absorbed topically by the pores and skin in infused oil. Common consumption of tulsi can have profound and useful results on the physique that align with the foundations of Ayurveda. Ayurveda targets the prevention of illness by way of life habits which can be usually easy, however finished with regularity.  🙂

9/13/23