Do you love drinking tea? Knowing your Ayurveda constitution can definitely help you understand your body more and what it needs to maintain healthy and in balance. As herbs and spices are always important in following an Ayurvedic lifestyle, knowing which tea suits your dosha will help create a balanced internal state, be kind on your digestive system and give your body, mind and soul what they need. Below are some teas best suited for each dosha.
*If you don’t know your predominant Ayurveda dosha or constitution, click here to find out more about each one.
Vata is the creative thinker, with never-ending ideas but many worries. When out of balance, people with their predominant dosha as Vata, tend to have poor blood circulation, dry skin and anxiety. They don’t do very well in cold climates, so during winter they could really struggle. As they love warmth, hot drinks are a great idea for Vatas. Ginger tea is a lovely warming tea that promotes blood circulation and it’s comforting for people with this dominant dosha. It also strengthens immunity and relieves fatigue and nausea. As the Vata digestion tends to be quite sporadic, ginger tea is great for increasing appetite, therefore helping them create a healthier type eating routine. Vatas tend to think and overthink a lot and because of this, they can often experience insomnia and poor sleep. For this reason valerian or lavender tea are great to calm the nervous system and promote a restful state, helping vatas get a better night’s sleep.
People with a predominant Pitta constitution are the doers, those who take action confidently and usually lead quite active lifestyles. When Pitta is out of balance though, they can become a little bit sensitive to everything and this manifests through their behaviour but also physiology. Their skin starts to react, experiencing rashes or breakouts. Their digestion becomes affected and can have diarrhoea or burning pains in the stomach area. They can get easily angry or frustrated which impedes their great ability of executing and doing. As Pittas are hot by nature, representing the fire element, the teas best suited are those with cooling qualities and sweet or bitter in taste. Therefore, peppermint tea is a great option because it has a cooling effect, meaning you can drink it in summer also. It is a great digestive aid and it relieves an upset stomach. Peppermint tea is also a good anti-stress tea, and since Pittas tend to be workaholic types, this is a great way to bring balance to those long days at the office. Another tea to help balance Pitta is chamomile tea, great for relaxing the mind and the body. Pittas have great sharp minds and they need to nourish their nervous system with relaxing effects so that they don’t experience mental burnouts. Chamomile tea can help with this and it is also bitter in taste, which Pittas love.
Known as the nurturer of the three, the Kapha dosha tends to be slow and heavy. As people with predominant Kapha dosha can experience poor appetite and can feel sluggish when out of balance, they need a tea which stimulates their nervous system but also their digestion. Green tea is a great option for Kapha predominant people because it has warming quality but it is also a great stimulant and increases energy and productivity. It has antioxidant properties detoxifying and cleansing the internal organs. As Kaphas can easily put on weight, green tea also helps burn fat the healthy way and improves digestion.
White tea is another top pick for Kaphas. It is known as the purest form of green tea, a high natural anti-oxidant and great energy booster. As most predominant Kaphas can have a sweet tooth, white tea lowers the risk of insulin resistance and helps fight bacteria in the body. It is a great detoxifier of the body and this can help Kaphas improve and maintain their digestion and stool movement.
There are also teas that are known as tri-doshic, meaning that they are well received by all three doshas and can help create balance in the body. Cardamon tea suits all three doshas, being a great antioxidant and assisting in improving complete digestion, helping get rid of all the excess ama (food that has not been digested properly). It increases blood circulation and it’s also good for the skin. Fennel tea is also a tridoshic type, helping with digestion as the fennel seeds are known to relax the muscles and improve the flow of digestion. It maintains overall good health in the body and it boosts the immune system. Tulsi tea also known as basil tea is rich in antioxidants and it’s a great natural remedy to stress, anxiety, and colds. Also known as holy basil, or the queen of all herbs, basil tea is great for maintaining an overall balanced mental, physical and emotional self.