How Does This Ayurvedic Herb Supplement Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Holy Basil is a warming herb with a pleasant floral taste. It brings lightness to the mind, clears the lungs, and generally improves circulation. The subtle floral aroma is soothing and relaxing, not overpowering, to most people.

Holy Basil is one of Ayurveda's favorite and most widely used lung tonics. As an adaptogen, Holy Basil also helps the body handle stress. This makes it a perfect herb for times of chaos and uncertainty.

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Holy Basil is also known as Tulsi. It is a medicinal, aromatic herb in the mint family. The scientific name for Holy Basil is Ocimum sanctum. "Ocimum" comes from a Greek word meaning "smell". So it's no surprise that Holy Basil has a powerful perfumey odor. One student wrote, "It was like eating potpourri, very pleasant, but if overdone could be a bit nauseating too." Another said, "the floral aroma filled the entirety of my mouth." And, basil plants are often kept outside or inside houses to purify the air.

The word "sanctum" means holy or sacred. Often, plants that are called holy are also good for human health, and that's why they have been given ritual significance. This is the case for Holy Basil. Conversely, plants called wolfsbane or death angel tend to be poisonous. In Greek Orthodox weddings, the bride and groom wear holy basil in their head wreaths - testifying to its hallowed or exalted status.
There are a few types of Holy Basil - several types of Green, and Purple. Purple Holy Basil is the strongest.

What does Holy Basil Taste Like?

Holy Basil is very aromatic with a slight flowery taste. The smell of Holy Basil is sweet and so is the aftertaste. The strong aroma slightly numbs the tongue.

When you drink Tulsi tea, your tongue can also feel quite rough, because of the astringent effect in Holy Basil. This roughness is counterbalanced with a slight slippery quality (called demulcent). One student said, "My teeth felt as if the enamel was super slick".

Holy Basil also has a mild bitterness and pungency. The combination of this gentle spiciness and aroma gives it a spreading quality in the body. A student said, "It felt the warmth spread through my whole body." This pungency also pushes heat upward. You may be able to feel a throbbing sensation in your head as blood flow increases there.

Warming, increases heat

Basil increases heat and pushes it upwards to the head. "My body temperature increased", one student observed. Another notes, "My eyes and head felt hot. My ears were warmer. My head felt full of blood. I could feel my pulse in my head - a sign that blood vessels in my head were dilated." One student said, "I felt it the most around my neck and my cheeks, which got rosy and warm. My heart rate increased a little. I can feel my pulse in my chest."

Vata and Kapha individuals will enjoy the rise in body temperature, since they are predominantly cold. Although Holy Basil is generally supportive for Pitta, it may aggravate Pitta in some individuals. Many Pitta individuals already feel heat in their head.

The heating effects of Holy Basil are not limited to the head. One Pitta student remarked, "My hot flashes with light night sweats continued and even became a bit more frequent. I started having hot flashes throughout the day as well." Another noted, "I was sweating a little bit under my arms with no exertion."

Increases Circulation

Generally, aromatic compounds relax nerves and smooth muscle tissue. This effect relaxes the smooth muscle tissue of blood vessels, opening and dilating them (called vasodilation). The effect increases blood flow, especially notable in the skin. "After eating Holy Basil, I could feel my pores opening up", said one student, "The increased blood flow was relaxing, and peaceful."

The mild pungency of Holy Basil may also stimulate the heart. Altogether the improved circulation heats and stimulates the blood (rakta). For Vata individuals who tend to have poor blood circulation, this increase of blood flow and heat can revitalize their whole body. Pitta people are already aggravated by heat. For Pitta's, increased blood flow can stress the liver, and lead to tension and irritability.

Encourages Menstruation

Since dilation of blood vessels increases blood flow, Holy Basil can be used to increase menstrual flow. In some cases it could cause a woman's period to come early. One student said, "My menstrual cycle started 1 week earlier this month." Another student said, "My period was heavier." Taking Holy Basil can be helpful for both Vata and Kapha individuals to increase their menstrual flow. Vata's generally have a light and scanty flow, while Kapha's flow can be stagnant and in need of movement. Pitta's already tend to have a heavier flow.

Relaxing, Clears the Mind

Holy Basil brings a calm yet alert quality to the brain. One student mentioned, "I felt calm in my head, a really comfortable feeling due to enhanced circulation to the brain."

Another said, "I feel lighter in my head, and my body feels more relaxed. Another mentioned, "It relaxes me at the end of a long work day." She felt her breath slowing down after consuming Holy Basil (Tulsi). It made her feel euphoric and relaxed. Another said, "Holy Basil gives me a concentrated feeling in the middle of my forehead. It is a heady and expansive feeling".

Holy Basil is special because it is both light and relaxing. Oftentimes relaxing herbs and foods have a heavy quality, which can make you feel sleepy (think mashed potatoes). But rather than putting you to sleep, Holy Basil is light. It improves creativity and focus. One student mentioned, "I had lots of creative ideas and was better able to focus and to get things done". Holy Basil's lightness doesn't prevent sleep, however. Instead, one student said, "It helps me fall asleep easily."

So why is Basil considered holy in the Vedic tradition? Holy Basil's name reflects the hallowed status of meditation in the Vedic tradition. Holy Basil activates the top of the head, called the adipati marma point. At the adipati marma point, several veins and parts of the skull meet. According to Vedic religious tradition, this is the point where divine consciousness enters the body of a human. "I experienced an empty feeling in the top of my head. Like I was spacey sometimes", said one student. Another student said, "It got me in worship/ meditative mode."

How about you? Is Holy Basil holy to you? Do you find Holy Basil expansive or merely ungrounding? Other faith traditions believe that God enters the person in their heart, not the head. In this case, Holy Basil happens to strengthen the heart too. So it seems the holiness of this herb is ecumenical!

A full discussion of this plant's holiness may be beyond the scope of the article. For now it's enough to know Holy Basil is a pleasant mood lifter that improves concentration. And, that Holy Basil's spacey qualities can aggravate Vata in some individuals.

Relaxes Muscles, Releases Tension

So far we have learned that Holy Basil increases circulation and opens up blood vessels. The aromatic compounds in Holy Basil relax smooth muscles and skeletal muscles everywhere in the body, too. Plus, opening the blood vessels provides plentiful blood to muscles, also relaxing them. In Chinese medicine this is called, "smoothing the liver."

One student said, "It had a relaxing effect on my muscles, I felt my right shoulder drop. Also I became aware of parts of my body where I usually carry lots of tension, like my neck, right shoulder and between my shoulder blades".

Holy Basil also helps release emotional pain which may be stored in tight muscles. One student mentioned, "Holy Basil helped me in releasing some pent-up emotions. It felt like it 'removed a plug' that had kept my heart sealed off". The relaxing and blood flow improving qualities of Basil generally bring awareness to these tense areas of your body.

Clears the Lungs

Just as Holy Basil clears your blood, mind, and muscles, it can have a similar effect on your lungs. As it improves blood flow, Holy Basil warms your lungs and dries excess moisture from them. These lung-lightening effects make Holy Basil very useful on damp, soggy days. "It makes me feel lighter in my mind and chest," one student observed, "I was able to breathe more deeply without constantly feeling this heavy weight on my chest."

Holy Basil is beneficial for respiratory conditions where your lungs need to be cleaned but are inflamed, such as in bronchitis or other lung infections. Another student noted, "I have a history of bronchitis, so my lungs are a weak area. [With Holy Basil], my chest felt more relaxed and expansive."

The ability of Holy Basil to lighten and clear mucus from your lungs is beneficial in many situations. A student on the West coast of Peru was hiking at an altitude of 10,600 feet (3259 metres) above sea level. She said, "Tulsi actually cleared my breathing and this was super helpful in high altitude."

Holy Basil balances your immune system and is often used as an anti-inflammatory in lung conditions. As an antihistamine, Holy Basil is especially useful for respiratory and gut allergies.

Dries the Body

Holy Basil has a mild diuretic effect. It can make you pee more and dry out your body. But it doesn't irritate your kidneys like other diuretics can. Instead, Holy Basil is soothing. One student noted that "Normally my kidneys ache with diuretics, but my kidneys feel warm and comfortable with Tulsi." Some students said their mouth was drier - this is due to the astringency of holy basil and the diuretic effect.

Strengthens Digestion & Dries Up Stools

Holy Basil strengthens digestion by increasing your digestive fire (agni). Strong digestion improves absorption of nutrients from your food and increases your immunity. Holy Basil's strength as a digestive aid also helps with decreasing gas and bloating. One of the students said, "I experienced less gas after consuming Tulsi".

Strong agni also increases your appetite. One student mentioned his appetite became stronger after drinking Tulsi tea. A few students experienced irritation to the stomach or slight nausea.

The astringent effect and mucus destroying aromatic compounds of Holy Basil can cause drier stools. Improved absorption of nutrients makes stools smaller. Some students experienced more constipation with Holy Basil. Others noticed Holy Basil darkened their stools as well. Vatas are more likely to experience this, since they are already prone to dryness and constipation.

Summary

Holy Basil is a purifying herb that clears the lungs and improves circulation. Holy Basil helps clears and rejuvenates the lungs by removing excess Kapha from the respiratory system. This allows easy, comfortable breathing. Holy Basil's lung-expanding effect is useful for increasing respiration in people who live at high altitudes or who have a history of respiratory illness.

Holy Basil also relaxes the mind while increasing alertness. It relaxes the nerves, blood vessels, and smooth muscle tissues in the body. Blood flow improves. With increased circulation comes more warmth. So Holy Basil might aggravate Pitta by increasing blood flow and heat.

Images of Holy Basil Leaf (Tulsi)

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