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temperaments. Kapha plants are heavy, dense After digestion, sweet and salty tastes are

with water; their leaves are thick, full and both converted into the sweet post-digestive
shiny; they contain sweet, sticky sap. Pitta effect, which promote elimination of urine,
plants are bright-colored with moderate stool and intestinal gas. Sour stays sour after
strength and sap and are often poisonous; they digestion and causes an increase in acid and bile
have sharp thorns and a fiery quality. Vata secretion. Bitter, astringent, and pungent tastes
plants have small, scanty leaves with rough, get converted to pungent, which increases gas,
dry or cracked bark, and a spindly appearance constipation, and impairs urination due to their
with little sap. If the natural attributes of the drying effects. Finally, every herb has its own

selected plant complement the individual’s special quality that supersedes all other qualities
pathophysiology, then healing is manifested. 4 and affects the metaphysical and electromagnetic
realms. For example, while milk dampens
In Ayurveda, plants are classified by their digestive fire (agni), ghee kindles agni.
elemental properties, tastes, heating or cooling
energy, post-digestive effect, and special qualities. Together, the energetics of a plant act in
All of these are interwoven to form the plant’s symphony on the imbalanced doshas to
essence. The five main elements of which all generate an amazing capacity for healing!
matter is composed are: ether, air, fire, water and Say for example, you’re experiencing spring
earth. In turn, each of the six tastes are made up allergies due to excess kapha melting under
of two elements. Sweet consists of earth + water; the sun’s hot rays. Besides cutting out fats (like
sour of fire + earth; salty of fire + water; pungent dairy, oils, meats) from your diet, eating a piece

of fire + air; astringent of earth + air; and bitter of fresh ginger and turmeric before meals will
of air + ether. Taste also has the ability to transfer lower kapha and reduce allergy symptoms. Or,
cold or heat to the body. Sweet, bitter (as in the if your vata is high due to excessive travel or
saying “bitter cold”) and astringent herbs are exposure to dry winds, drinking tulsi tea in the
cooling to the body. While pungent, salty and afternoon will help lower vata. Below is a table
sour herbs are heating to the body.4 showing plants and their effects on the doshas.

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