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Avipattikar Churna: Herbal Support For Digestive Imbalance

With summer around the corner, some of us are thrilled by warmer temperatures and the prospect of stone fruits, berries, smoothies, and salads. However, those who run warm, e.g. pitta types, may need to take caution to tame the internal fires as external temperatures climb. This means keeping the body temperature, emotional thermometer, and digestive fire reasonably chilled out. As I described in my post on agni, managing digestion is all about balance. You want to keep your digestive fire burning just right, not too hot and not too cool. If your digestive fire runs on the hot or acidic side, avipattikar churna may become your new herbal best friend!

Avipattikar churna is a fairly complex classical ayurvedic formula that is used for heartburn, hyperacidity, constipation with signs of heat, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastritis (Dass, 2013; Pole, 2013). In general, it is indicated for pitta-type digestive imbalances, which usually come with signs of excess heat. This formula also helps to normalize the apana vayu (the downward moving energy that governs down-and-out functions such as bowel movements and menstruation). Signs of disrupted apana vayu include vomiting, belching, and acid reflux.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog HERE.

Sitopaladi Churna: Sweet Cough Powder for Respiratory Support

With spring in full swing, consider yourself fortunate if you are not affected by seasonal allergies or other respiratory issues. On the other hand, if you do experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory allergy symptoms, you may find yourself looking for new methods of respiratory support. Or, perhaps you simply want to have some dependable herbal allies on hand in case of the occasional cough or cold. Sitopaladi churna is a classical ayurvedic formula that offers respiratory support for colds, coughs, and seasonal allergies.

Respiratory Support And Allergies: The Big Picture

Since Ayurveda is a holistic system, one always takes into account the big picture view before suggesting targeted herbs or herbal formulas to an individual. In this post, I will not explain the underlying causes of seasonal allergies in great depth. However, you may want to read my Herbal Academy post, Herbal Allergy Support Using Ayurvedic Herbs, for insight into the broader ayurvedic view on allergies, as well as some specific herbal supports.

Without going into great depth, it is important to remember that in Ayurveda, everything begins in the gut and in the mind. When digestion goes awry, other problems will inevitably ensue. Similarly, the mind is the subtle root of illness, and psychological burdens will ultimately have ripple effects if left unresolved. That said, balancing digestion and taking measures to unburden excess stress are foundational for any wellness protocol. However, in addition to diet and lifestyle, sometimes we need to call upon extra support, particularly during acute symptom flare-ups. Also, no matter how healthy our lifestyle, most of us come down with a cold virus every now and then. This is where sitopaladi churna comes in.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog HERE.

Triphala: Time-honored digestive support

Most herb lovers have their shortlist of herbal essentials. These are the single herbs or formulas that you are sure to keep in stock, the ones that you always throw in the travel suitcase or day bag. If you were stranded on a desert island, which three herbs would you want to have with you? After reading this post, the answer just might be triphala. Triphala, meaning “three fruits,” is actually a combination of three herbs: haritaki (Terminalia chebula) fruit, bibhitaki (Terminalia belerica) fruit, and amalaki (Emblica officinalis) fruit. It is a time-tested classical ayurvedic formula with many usages.

Three Fruits

The three fruits which triphala is composed of aren’t the kind of fruits you would want to mix into your yogurt or serve with whipped cream. What these fruits lack in taste appeal they make up for in health benefits—these fruits are as beneficial as they are bitter and astringent! What are these three fruits and what can we learn about their energetics and usages? By better understanding each component of triphala we see how these three remarkable fruits fit together to compose this renowned ayurvedic blend.

Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog HERE.

Agni: Understanding the Digestive Fire

Digestive fire or digestive strength is discussed with some frequency across different herbalism and wellness traditions. However, oftentimes we don’t take the time to really break down our understanding of what is meant by digestive fire. Ayurveda has a unique, well-articulated, and beautifully poetic model for understanding digestive wellness. In Ayurveda, one’s agni (digestive fire) is considered the cornerstone of health. In this article, we will explore the ayurvedic teachings on digestive fire—signs of balance, imbalance, and hints as to how to regain and maintain a strong, steadily burning digestive fire.

Agni (digestive fire), prana (life force), and ojas (vitality) are like the three legs of a three-legged stool: each one plays a key role in health—and if one goes, the whole stool topples over. However, in many ways, agni comes first, as without good digestion one cannot have sufficiently circulating prana (life force), nor can one build and maintain good ojas (vigor and vitality). Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog HERE.