Herbs
- Guduchi
Latin
-- Tinospora cordifolia
Sanskrit -- Guduchi, Amrita, Soma-valli
Hindi -- Gulancha
English -- Heart-leaved Moonseed
Parts Used:
Stem and root.
Each part has a different therapeutic value and must be prepared in its own
way for maximum benefits.
Traditional
Ayurvedic Uses:
Considered the
best herb for clearing the microcirculatory system and other bodily channels
(Shrotas). It is especially effective and unique in its ability to remove
both exogenous and endogenous toxins (from external and internal sources).
Therefore it is very often included in comprehensive Ayurvedic formulas, since
such toxins interfere with all bodily functions and are a factor in almost
all diseases. It clears out brain toxins that hinder mental activity.
Guduchi also
has a direct Medhya Rasayana effect, which means that it enhances all aspects
of mind power, including comprehension (Dhi), memory (Dhriti) and recollection
(Smriti).
Because of its
ability to cleanse the channels, it aids delivery of nutrients from your foods
and from the herbs in a formula.
Guduchi balances
and purifies fat tissue, to make fats easier to break down. Fats are an important
raw material for building healthy bones.
Guduchi also
aids all other aspects of healthy metabolism (the 13 Agnis). It aids digestion,
assimilation and proper formation of all the bodily tissues (7 Dhatus).
It helps balance
liver function and aids proper assimilation.
It aids purification
of the urinary tract and intestines, by balancing lubrication (Shleshaka Kapha)
and the downward energy of the body (Apana Vata).
By supporting
proper function of Shleshaka Kapha, Guduchi also aids proper communication
and coordination between all the various cells and their many related functions
for better overall health. This has the added benefit of nourishing the mind-body
connection and enhances the psychoneuro immune response (called the PNI).
Guduchi is also
a powerful Rasayana (longevity enhancer) even by itself, but especially when
combined with complementary herbs. It increases the quality and quantity of
Ojas, the master coordinator between mind and body. It helps consciousness
slide into the physiology and aids development of full potential.
Guduchi has another
rare effect -- it balances all three laws of the physiology (Vata, Pitta,
Kapha) at the same time.
Guduchi has a
Keshya effect, which means that it directly nourishes the hair for better
quality and strength.
Guduchi has now
been researched to verify its powerful immunomodulatory effects, meaning that
it enhances overall immune function.
When you cut
a fresh sprig of Guduchi from the tree and hang it from a cord in the air,
it will continue to grow without any visible means of support, gathering its
life energy from the five elements in its environment. This makes it very
valuable for its ability to bring life into the body. For this reason it is
sometimes called Amrita, the Sanskrit word for immortality.
The ayurvedic
physicians of Maharishi Ayurveda do not recommend the use of single herbs
for self-care due to several important reasons.
One of the specialties
of ayurveda is the science of herb combining that has been perfected over
thousands of years of clinical practice. From this ayurvedic perspective,
the study of herbs from scientific research which is based on single ingredient
formulas is not very practical. This is because an herb can give a number
of different effects depending on the other herbs it is combined with as well
as a number of other factors such as dosage, how the herb was processed, etc.
If one focuses just on the results of a study based on one ingredient, while
it may be interesting, it does not give the full insight into the complete
range of effects available from that particular herb.
