Balanced Living Ayurveda

We've all heard that it is important to drink more water. These tips below bring it to a whole 'nother level! (courtesy of Maharishi Ayurveda)


Healing Waters
Well water, pond water, rain water -- there are many types of water described in ayurvedic texts, and each has a therapeutic value, just as food does.
"Water represents soma, the nourishing, cooling quality that is associated with lunar energy," says The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians. "It helps with digestion, cools and balances Pitta dosha, supports Kapha, and counteracts the dryness of Vata. It nurtures, lubricates and also detoxifies when it flows out of the body as urine."
Water, when properly absorbed by the body, has several healing qualities:
1. Helps to remove fatigue (Shramnashana)
2. Enhances glow of skin
3. Prevents constipation
4. Increases stamina
5. Provides satisfaction
6. Helps the heart by pacifying Sadhaka Pitta
7. Helps digestion
8. Cooling
9. Always helpful to the body
10. Easy to assimilate
11. Life-giving
12. Antioxidant
Vaidya Mishra explains how the healing effects of water can be enhanced using ayurvedic methods.
Water for Cleansing
"Sometimes people have dry skin and unquenchable thirst even though they drink lots of water," says The Council. "The deeper physiology is not getting enough moisture."
The Council explains that this occurs when the person's agni is low and ama blocks the microchannels (shrotas) which carry water to the cells. In order to cleanse the channels and enhance moisture absorption, ayurvedic texts recommend boiling the water for various lengths of time, creating a therapeutic water called ushnodaka. Another method is to add spices or herbs to the water after boiling.
Why It Works
"When the water boils, it gets charged with heat, becoming sharper in quality (sookshma)," explains The Council. "This sharpness allows it to cleanse the channels and penetrate deeper levels of the physiology."
Spices create an added therapeutic effect by interacting with the water on the molecular level. Spices create different effects on the body through aroma and taste.
"It becomes easier for the body to flush out toxins and impurities because of the sharpness of the agni (heat) in the water and because of the sharpness of the spices," explains Ayurvedic Expert. "Over time, it cleanses the channels so the water is unobstructed as it travels into the body to hydrate the tissues, and travels out carrying waste."
Ancient texts talk about the difference in the rate of absorption of regular water vs. boiled water:
regular water -- takes about 6 hours if every channel is clear
boiled and cooled water -- takes about 3 hours to be absorbed, and helps open the channels
hot herbalized water -- takes about 1 1/2 hours, due to sharpness of agni and herbs and spices