Ayurveda has eight specialised branches and is often referred to as Ashtanga Ayurveda, one of which is called Rasayanatantra.
Rasayanatantra basically deals with maintenance and promotion of good health, but is beneficial only if the body is free of ailments, therefore the requirement of elimination was prescribed first. After elimination of disturbed doshas/imbalances in the body, the body becomes more efficient in assimilation of fresh prana and is ready for rejuvenation.
Besides other sources, the body also derives prana from the food we eat. During the process of digestion, the food gets transformed into various forms, the prasad (nutrients) is utilized by the body and the malas (waste) are thrown out.
Rasa (the nourishing fluid) is the first manifestation or dhatu produced from the prasad part of the digested food. Rasayanas are those preparations, which produce excellence in rasa dhatu. The main function of rasa is to nourish the body. Thus nourishing the rasa dhatu brings longevity, youth, good memory, strength, excellence of skin and complexion and radiance in the body because rasa dhatu nourishes all other dhatus in the body.
Here are two very easy-to-prepare and excellent rejuvenators.
Tulsi (holy basil) is one of the best immunity builder and rasayana herbs most easily available in India. It’s good for all prakriti types, but excess use is not advised for pitta constitution. So is honey. Honey, for rejuvenation and preparation of ayurvedic formulae should be preferably at least one year old. A teaspoon of tulsi juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey provides abundant pranic energy, potent to fight almost all kinds of infections and weaknesses.
Mulethi or licorice root powder mixed with warm milk is also said to strengthen jatharagni (fire of digestion), clear the complexion, and build immunity.
The desired effect of all rasayana therapies starts showing after regular use of at least 6 months.
The strengthening effects of tulsi and honey have been described in previous articles also, mulethi strengthens stomach and sexual organs but it should be avoided by people suffering from heart ailments, especially high blood pressure.
Ashwini Guru ji is the guiding light of Dhyan Ashram and an authority on Vedic Sciences. His book, ‘Sanatan Kriya: The Ageless Dimension is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto www.dhyanfoundation.com or mail to dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com for more
