By: Amadea Morningstar RPP, RPE
Dr. Randolph Stone often recommended some combination of hot herbal tea with ginger, fenugreek, and peppermint. With fennel seeds and sometimes licorice root, this has become what we now call “Polaritea”. Yet long before we Americans became enthused about this combination of herbs, East Indians were using it to nourish rasa, the plasma. By keeping the plasma clear and well-hydrated, all the other tissues of the body can flourish. It is a tea excellent for preventing dehydration.
Hydration has gotten strong press both for improving immunity and preparing for the COVID 19 vaccine, should you choose to take it. If you do, here’s some other things to consider. There’s minuet amounts of fats and sugar in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the most effective of those available. The adjuvant polypropylene glycol, a common food additive, is also found in these. FDA LINK https://www.fda.gov/media/144414/download#page=2
It is detoxified in the liver.
How unwanted negative effects of vaccination could be mitigated is still a major topic of debate. In Ayurveda, keeping toxins from migrating from the plasma to other deeper tissues, like muscle or nerve, is considered an important way to mitigate effects of toxic exposure, even minor ones. Herbs are used to clear toxins like fats from the blood. Interestingly, fenugreek is one herb that does this well; it is used to reduce both cholesterol and other fatty deposits in the plasma. It is grounding and anti-diabetic. (Pole, p. 177) Fennel is soothing to the nerves and gut and also grounds energy downward. Ginger is used in Ayurveda to clear toxic wastes, ama, from the blood. (Pole, 175, 183) (Here we’re talking about clearing the additives, not the vaccine itself, from the blood.)
Dr. Stone often recommended a Health Building diet to regain health. As part of this, he stated, “ Do not eat anything fried nor cooked in fat of any kind, as that makes the food too rich and indigestible, causing fermentation.” (Stone, 50) His rationale was that the liver would metabolize better without this interference. If you haven’t yet had the vaccines and are thinking you could choose to, starting Polaritea a day or two before the shot and then drinking 1 – 2 cups/day in the week after, could support hydration and overall health. Similarly, eating cleanly before and in the weeks after could help support your metabolism.
Here’s one basic recipe for Polaritea. Dr. Stone used to sometimes recommend Himalayan Mountain Violet (Stone, 87) as part of the mix, yet I’ve yet to encounter it!
Polaritea aka Essential Rasa Tea
Time: 35 minutes or less Makes 3 cups plus
1 quart water
1 Tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
1 Tablespoon peppermint and/or marshmallow root
1 teaspoon licorice root, chopped or powdered (omit if hypertensive)
1 thin slice fresh ginger root
1 Tablespoon flax seeds per cup of tea (optional)
Bring water to a boil in a medium stainless steel pot. Put all the herbs in a quart Mason jar, pour the hot water over them and steep for 30 minutes or more.
Before serving, strain the tea.
Drink 1 – 2 cups per day, the larger amount if you are in dry conditions.
Watch a video on how to make Rasa Tea AKA Polaritea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDi-VC6Ref8
Effects: Balances all doshas, tridoshic.
This tea supports: plasma, nerves, female & male reproductive systems, lactation, ojas. Comments: Rasa/plasma is the raw ingredient for every other dhatu. Amadea recommends this tea almost daily in her practice, for nourishment and hydration.
Ingredients for Polaritea image thanks to Renee Lynn
Reprinted with permission from Easy Healing Drinks from the Wisdom of Ayurveda, Morningstar & Lynn, 2018. https://EasyHealingDrinks.com
Resources
Dr. Randolph Stone, Health Building
Sebastian Pole, Ayurvedic Medicine, The Principles of Traditional Practice
Amadea Morningstar, Ayurvedic Guide to Polarity TherapyAmadea offers a new course this month with her colleague Ralph Steele, Inclusion as Medicine. It benefits the CGC through APTA. See more details in this newsletter.