Photo by Katherine Hanlon
Do you experience ebbs of overwhelm or anxiousness? These imbalances of the mind, manifesting from the seat of vata, are especially cumbersome during the winter season.
It’s important to embed habits into our day that can help us feel more grounded and rejuvenated, and Ashwagandha is a fantastic herb just for that, and much more. The roots of Ashwagandha plants are most commonly taken for their medicinal capabilities, since plant roots are especially grounding and building in nature. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, meaning it has properties that can support our response to stress and fatigue. Adaptogenic herbs act on the endocrine (hormonal) system to regulate and balance our stress response. Whether you feel overstimulated or overly sedated, Ashwagandha can aid with it’s normalizing effect. Isn’t it amazing the innate intelligence of some herbs, recognizing the body’s need to calm down or become more alert!
Ashwagandha is said to have the “smell of a horse,” as it provides the vitality and strength of a horse.
Our bodily nervous system has two main components that Ashwagandha enacts on: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. You may have heard of “rest and digest” response, signaled by the sympathetic nervous system, and “fight or flight,” signaled by our parasympathetic nervous system. Ashwagandha can help bring one into balance by way of these nervous system pathways. This deeply restorative herb helps with overall resilience and strength in the face of immediate or long-term stressors.
The nourishing effects of Ashwagandha are best experienced when an accumulation of ama, metabolic waste, is not already present in the body. Since Ashwagandha is a building herb, it can lead to further accumulation of ama if used improperly. Those with diseases of excess including mucus, obesity and diabetes may not have the digestive strength necessary or may not need Ashwagandha for their well being.
References
Lad, Vassant. The Yoga of Herbs. The Lotus Press, 1986.
Published 1/21/25
Article by Kaylee
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