Take-On Your Seasonal Cough and Cold With Kantakari and Abhrak Bhasma

There are so many reasons we are prone to catching colds and developing coughs, particularly at the seasonal junctions (you can read more about this in my article: “Why do you get sick in “ritu sandhi” – when the season shifts from Summer to Autumn?” on my blog https://www.svayurveda.com/?s=ritu+sandhi). There are 11 SVA things you can do to prevent catching a cold anytime of the year. But if it’s already here, if you already caught one, what can you do?

To help you manage and gain relief from this common disorder, I formulated a new powerful herbal syrup:  SVA Kantakari Cough & Cold Syrup, fortified with Abhrak Sahasra Puti Bhasma.  The main ingredient in this syrup is kantakari (Solanum xanthocarpum), used in ayurvedic India for centuries to manage many types of ailemnts, and particularly coughs and colds.  One synonym for kantakari is “Vyaghri,” which means “makes you roar like a tiger” – as  Kantakari strengthens the voice and the lungs. You can even just repeat the name, kantakari, and pay attention to the vibrational charge you release from your throat area, to experience the power it carries!

In the cough syrup, along with kantakari, I have included eight other powerful herbs, spices, and minerals, in order to deliver a safe, natural, and effective herbal remedy for the common cough and cold.  Please note, unlike over-the-counter medications, this herbal formula is not a cough suppressant.  Rather, it naturally addresses the etiological factors associated with coughs and colds and the resulting physiological imbalances.

But why do you get a cough or a cold?  In the SVA tradition, we never manage any condition  without first understanding the etiological factors, as the Charak Samhita teaches us to. 

Hetu means etiological factor; Lingam means symptom; Aushadhi means remedy or treatment; Gyanam means the knowledge of these factors.  Swastha Atur Paranayam says that Hetu Lingam Aushada are in the protocol of the wise physician to give health back to the sick and maintain the well-being of the healthy.  This sutra comes to us from non-other than Lord Brahma himself, the original author of the entire ayurvedic science!  My family tradition of Ayurveda never engages in any protocol without first addressing the hetu as prescribed by this sutra.

As we’ve learnt, we tend to be more prone to catching a cold when the season is changing, in the early Fall or Spring seasons. During seasonal transitions when temperatures shift, the agni, or digestive fire, is known to fluctuate, making the body prone to ama or toxic build-up.  Ama, as we know, is the breeding ground for all illnesses.  In the early spring there is yet another factor that can induce cough and colds. But we can gain even more insight into this through SVA, and understanding how the 3 primordial energies of Soma, Agni, and Marut, interact with our bodies and nature.

During the cold of winter, in SVA terms a Soma predominant season, kapha dosha naturally increases in the physiology.  Soma, as we know, is the raw material for kapha. Kapha itself can be found predominately in the chest area.  So the natural accumulation of kapha, especially shleshaka kapha in the chest, starts happening in winter.  By the time spring arrives, this heavy, channel blocking shleshaka kapha becomes further provoked and ‘melts.’ Much like the accumulated snows of winter melt and flow during Spring. The accumulated shleshaka kapha flows and floods the micro-channels of the lungs. But there is even more.

SVA teaches us that in order to transform Soma into “ojas” and kapha dosha, we need sufficient Agni (metabolic fire.)  In some regions of the country Soma is so predominant that Agni can’t keep up with this transformation process.  Instead of ojas and kapha, the Soma gets partially digested and transformed into a mixture of kapha and ama (physical toxins) called shleshma. This toxic mixture also melts and flows in the Spring but does so – if at all — more like molasses than water, slowing down and muting out all metabolic cellular processes in the body overall.

Besides seasonal accumulation of shleshaka and shleshma, several other etiological factors (see article on “Eleven Tips To Ward Off Your Seasonal Colds“) either directly or indirectly make conditions fertile for cough & cold.  In general, these factors alone, or in combination with the impact of ritu (season), involve a combination of several sub-doshas taking center stage in the drama of cough and cold.

Ayurvedically speaking, udana vata subdosha governs the throat, lungs and speech. The overall bodily structure, on the other hand, is governed by shleshaka kapha, providing lubrication.  The whole chest is the seat of avalambaka kapha, which governs the functions of the chest, heart, lungs, and lower back.  Avalambaka in particular supports the structure and function of the lungs, and it also stabilizes and supports the connection between udana and prana vata, which governs the chest and respiration (as well as the brain, head, and mind). Prana Vata is the governing force for udana vata. This connection comes directly into play when, due to digestive imbalances, ama starts circulating through the lungs, and in a later stage mixes with shleshaka kapha to form shleshma. When udana is out of balance, it has a drying effect on shleshma, causing it to dry up and clog the lungs. When the crusty molecules of shleshma plug up the tiny, micro-sized channels of the lungs, then elasticity is impaired and circulation is diminished. This is the condition often found in dry, unproductive severe coughing.  The body reacts (sometimes with great force) to expel shleshma from the lungs and respiratory pathways but is unable to do so.

So, when you have contracted a cold, and have a cough, you can try my ayurvedic formula to help correct things. The SVA Kantakari Cough & Cold Syrup, fortified with Abhrak Sahasra Puti Bhasma, will help address your doshic imbalances in several ways. Here’s how:

 

·         the herbal synergy will dilate the srotas (physical channels) of the respiratory system to ease breathing and evacuation of accumulated shleshma;

·         it will enhance coordination between the physical and vibrational channels carrying Prana in the form of oxygen to support breathing;

·         it will moisten and lubricate the dry (yet sticky) bronchial channels, to give relief from dry hacking coughs;

·         it will bind and flush out the shleshma and amavisha (reactive toxins) from the lungs;

·         it will restore the intelligence of the respiratory channels – making them pro-active once more in deciding what material to keep and what to evacuate;

·         it will supply deep nourishment and support for the delicate tissues and overall structure of the lungs;

·         it will boost your immunity naturally and provide support for the optimal functioning of the lungs and the entire respiratory area.

 

Ingredients and their actions:

·         Kantakari (Solanum xanthocarpum)  – a beneficial plant from the nightshade family, that helps open the physical bronchial channels and enhances coordination of the vibrational channels between the lungs and mind;

 

·         Vasa (Adhatoda vasica) – known as phphus shleshma hari (phphus is Sanskrit for lungs)  Shleshma (ama & shleshaka mix) is the main factor congesting the micro channels of the lungs.  “Hari” means to take away.

 

·         Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus)  – Lubricates the bronchial channels without clogging them;

 

·         Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis)  – moistens the channels of the lungs, binding amavisha and garvisha to evacuate them out of the respiratory tract;

 

·         Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) – A mildly thermogenic channel opener, supports immunity of the lungs and the blood tissue. It also supports the intelligent functioning of the channels.

 

·         Pushkarmool (Inula racemosa) – Aromatic root that opens channels and removes toxic mucous molecules;

 

·         Abhrak Sahasra Puti Bhasma – A supremely rejuvenating substance that requires years to make through the controlled process of the repeated ‘burnings’ of mica – a shiny silicate mineral with a layered structure, found as minute scales in granite and other rocks, or as crystals. In Ayurveda, we favor black mica (krishnabhra).  This thousand times ‘burnt’ Abhrak is a potent yogavahi – carries the medicinal properties of herbs and spices deep into the cellular system. Abhrak Bhasma is a Maha Rasayana (rejuvenator) for the whole body but specifically for the lungs.

 

·         Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) – Opens the physical channels with its penetrating thermogenic properties, burning ama along the way;

 

·         Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – amongst its many wondrous properties, is a potent physical channel opener;

 

·         Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) – nurtures the lungs and provides sweet flavor for palatability;

 

·         White Grapefruit Extract (Citrus paradise) – a natural preservative with nurturing properties;

Directions: Do not consume without mixing with water. For young adults ages 10 to 20 years: use ½ tsp. mixed in 2 ounces of warm water. For adults ages 20 & above: use 1 tsp. mixed in 2 ounces of warm water. Use no more than 2 – 3 times daily. Sip the mixture slowly, allowing the syrup to coat the throat. This formula is great for symptoms of congestion, cough, or a cold.

Precautions: This is a highly concentrated powerful formula. Do not administer to children under the age of ten. Do Not use if pregnant or lactating. Do Not consume as-is without mixing in warm water. If cough/cold persists – with or without fever – consult your medical physician. If already using any other medicines for an existing condition, consult with your physician before adding this herbal formula to your regimen.

Disclaimer: This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only, and may not be used to replace, or compliment medical advice.