Anupana
by Kristen George, Ayurvedic Counselor
Anupanas are vehicles that increase efficacy of herbs, and, are responsible for delivering the herb to the respective dhatu(tissue).
Kumari svarasa as anupana for Amrit - Detoxification
Ingredients:
*Washed Organic Aloe Leaves
*Guduchi Powder
*Maple Syrup
*Mortal and Pestle
*Cotton Muslin Cloth Or Coffee filter
*Clear Glass container
The sanskrit name for Guduchi is Amrit, which means "imperishable." Amrit plays the role of an adoptogen, and is particularly useful for increasing the body's resistance to stress and anxiety, which affects the overall immune system, therefore having an immunity-boosting effect. It's tridoshic in moderation, and is particularly helpful for pitta disorders.
Pairing Amrit with Kumari enhances the detoxification effects, especially for rakta dhatu, liver issues. Kumari is very cooling in nature and is a good anupana for pitta.
Making kumari svarasa without a blender was much more difficult than I imagined! It's so slimy and sticky, and one must be very cautious when working with it. After peeling the skin off and having only the clear gel left, I chopped it finely and attempted to strain it through cheesecloth with very little success.
Next I tried a mortar and pestal, which helped, but it was still extremely chunky. Finally, after making a mess, I put it into an electric chopper and processed it into a fine liquid and strained it through the cheesecloth in the final step. This produced a nice liquid to use.
I took 500mg of dried guduchi and added enough kumari svarasa to make a loose kalka. Because it can be bitter, I added about 1/8 teaspoon of maple syrup to make it more palatable :)
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