Ayurveda Healing Truth: You've Been Taking Ashwagandha Wrong — The Gut Health Mistake Ruining Your Results

Hey there, sisters! This is Salila Sukumaran with yet another episode of Actionable Ayurveda, where we learn new ways to reconnect to our Ayurvedic intelligence, our inbuilt AI, for a juicy, glowy body and a life of purpose. Today, I want to speak especially to you. Yes, you, my fellow warrior woman. You who holds Zoom meetings in one hand and your aching lower back in the other. You who cares for everyone but forgets to ask, who is caring for me? So let's exhale together right now. We are stepping into season 5. A big thank you for being part of this journey. We made it to number 6 on top 10 Ayurveda podcast by Feedspot. As we begin this new season of Sacred Herbs, each week we will journey into the heart of one cherished Ayurvedic herb, unfolding its ancient wisdom, its timeless healing gifts, and how it can still find its way into our modern lives and nourish us. Today we begin with a super trendy Ashwagandha, the one who promises the strength of a stallion, a root that has quietly supported vitality, calm, and deep rejuvenation for centuries. Now I have seen a certain depletion pattern countless times. We women, we push through, in spite of warning signs to slow down. We have a tired, fatigued body even after 8 hours of sleep, a lack of enthusiasm for work, and a proclivity to say no even when we meant to say yes. And I have experienced this myself when I rush through my days. It's only human. But what I do know is that if I can help you identify the signs of depletion early, you can take some very simple steps that will make a profound difference to your health and well-being. So today I'm going to walk you through my own 5-step ashwagandha action plan that you can put into practice over the next 30 days. And if you follow it, I know it's going to make a huge difference because these are the exact steps I have taken in my own life and have helped hundreds of my patients implement in theirs. And the best part, everything I'm going to recommend is simple to do and most of it is completely free. I'll be sharing how one remarkable Ayurvedic herb, Ashwagandha, can become your secret ally in reclaiming your vitality. We will talk about the dos, the don'ts, and the contraindications so you don't make any mistakes. So brew your herbal tea, slip off your shoes, and let's journey together. What I'm about to share with you is going to help you perform better in every aspect of your life. Your brain is going to get sharper starting day 3 of starting on Ashwagandha. Your memory is going to improve over a period of a week of steady supplementing. Your focus is going to get enhanced in under 2 weeks, I promise. And these benefits are going to help you shine in that important board meeting. And when you have time afterwards to rest and recuperate, you will find yourself becoming more and more resilient over time. So let's begin with the first basic question. Have you heard of Ashwagandha? The name itself carries power, and many people mistakenly believe that Ashwagandha is an herb for men. It's not. There are no gender-specific herbs in Ayurveda. There's only gender-specific herbs for marketing. Ashwa means horse and gandha means smell. It is said so because the root smells of a horse, but it's not going to make you smell like a horse, I promise. However, it promises us the strength and vitality of a stallion. And yes, even us women need the strength and vitality of stallions to run our lives beautifully, gracefully. In my grandmother's sentiments, Ashwagandha doesn't just help you run your race, it helps you run it with grace. In scientific words— terms, it's called as Withania somnifera. The Latin species name somnifera means sleep-inducing. You can relate to the word insomnia, meaning lack of sleep. This holds a clue to ashwagandha's adaptogenic properties. It helps to ease and de-stress so we can sleep peacefully. Based on our Ayurvedic understanding, off the bat, you know, it will reduce Vata and promote balance of Kapha, helping us relax and sleep. In Sanskrit, we call such herbs as Rasayanas or rejuvenative tonics, and that's exactly what today's professional women need because we are juggling work, children, parents, hormones. It's no small task. And I'm sharing this wisdom today because I genuinely want to help you feel better. I have seen too many brilliant women dimming their light because their physical and emotional reserves are depleted. You deserve to thrive. Let me tell you a story. One of my clients, Priya, a 42-year-old tech lead in San Francisco, came to me in tears. She said, Salila, I cannot sleep. My anxiety is through the roof. I feel like a shadow of myself. So together, we gently introduced Ashwagandha, not as a capsule, but as a bedtime ritual. A scant teaspoon of Ashwagandha powder, simmered in a cup of warm A2 milk, with a pinch of nutmeg and cardamom, slowly sipped before bedtime. And within 2 weeks, she called me, laughing for the first time in months. Her sleep had improved, her energy felt stable, and the PMS that used to always bother her with anger, irritation, and upset with her children— nearly gone. Why? Because Ashwagandha balances Vata and Kapha doshas. Vata, the air and space dominant energy, is usually out of whack when we are multitasking endlessly. Just think of it as something that affects our nervous system. So Ashwagandha grounds that space and the wind energy, calms the mind, and when the nervous system is calm, it has extra reserves to pass on and nourish your reproductive tissues, which is what we call as Shukra Dhatu in Ayurveda. This is why it is a fertility booster, because first it helps calm the nervous system, helps sleep, and helps our body have extra reserves to improve our libido and fertility. Now let's explore why Ashwagandha is such a precious ally for us professional women. The ancient texts don't lie. This herb holds profound healing potential for our modern-day woes like a desk job and nonstop Zoom meetings. Remember, like I always say to you, You don't have to implement everything at once. In fact, if you try to change everything simultaneously, it might feel overwhelming, especially when your nervous system is overshot. What's right for you is unique for your circumstances and needs. How do I know these approaches work? Because I have been an Ayurveda practitioner working with thousands of women just like you. These are the exact protocols I have used successfully to help them reclaim their vitality, whether through my courses, my online social media or through my private cleanses. But I'm also a human being with the same pressures you face. I'm a busy practitioner, a podcaster, a mother, a mentor, a startup founder. I understand the challenge of balancing it all while trying to stay centered. As I walk you through these benefits and suggestions, simply note which ones resonate most with your current situation. So our ancient texts tell us that Ashwagandha is widely used in treating anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and adrenaline fatigue. This is why it appears in formulations like Mana Samithra Vatakam and Brahmi Vati. If you're a cleanse client of mine, you know that we take these medicines during the program. So imagine this, you're sitting at your desk, you're feeling a little foggy, and you make a special ashwagandha drink and you feel like a supercomputer just switched on in your head. That is what nootropics do for us, and that is what ashwagandha aims to do. These herbs are brain boosters that promise to make us smarter, sharper, and more focused. Herbs like ashwagandha are nature's original nootropics. Let's talk about ashwagandha for Restorative deep sleep. How many nights have you spent staring at that ceiling, your mind racing with tomorrow's presentation or today's unfinished tasks? The Ayurvedic texts are clear. Because Ashwagandha is useful in relieving anxiety and depression, and because of its calming effect on our nervous system, it is used in treating sleep disorders as well. For professional women whose mind won't quiet down at night, Ashwagandha creates that perfect condition for deep nourishing rest without the morning grogginess of synthetic sleep aids. So it's important not to just take it in the mornings. So it's key to not take ashwagandha in the mornings and always speak to a practitioner before self-administering large doses of herbs willy-nilly. I had a client for a brief time who was picking up this information from different sources, and when she came to me She was drinking a strong ashwagandha and turmeric decoction every morning, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. On top of that, she was also perimenopausal and her hot flashes were out of control. Now, I have worked with hundreds of women, even thousands, when I have online courses, and I will never forget her because she would go off of video to take her clothes off. So she could manage the extreme heat and sweating, which came and went several times every hour. When she began to work with me and we had a cleanse protocol for her, we took away all that, and she began to become happier and much more settled. She no longer had the hot flashes like before. Both Ashwagandha and Turmeric are of hot potency. It really is key when you take these herbs and how you take them and the quantity So I cannot stress this enough, you must work with a practitioner. You will be saving yourself a lot of trouble. Now let's talk about Ashwagandha for weight management. The modern professional woman often battles her midsection weight, doesn't she? Whether she's suffering from stress eating, hormonal fluctuations, or simply sitting at a desk all day. The Ayurvedic texts tell us For weight loss, Ashwagandha is supposed to be administered in powder form along with milk and water. It improves muscle strength and enables one to be more physically active. Hence, it is useful in weight loss. Even more interestingly, it also helps to relieve depression because many depression patients often put on weight either due to depression itself or due to antidepressant medication. In either case, ashwagandha is useful to both fight depression and related weight gain. I don't have to add a disclaimer here to work with a healthcare professional before self-diagnosing. Before I get into the final 2 benefits, I want to share with you the story of a patient who came to me last year. Sarah was a 38-year-old marketing director for a tech company and was working 60-hour weeks while raising 2 young children. She was pretty much nonstop on the go. She came to me complaining of insomnia, brain fog, and what she called as surprise tears, crying suddenly during work meetings without clear triggers. And her doctor had offered her antidepressants, but something in her hesitated. She said, I don't think I'm clinically depressed. I think my body is trying to tell me something. So we started her on a very simple protocol, which is how I like to roll. Start with simple. We made ashwagandha milk before bedtime. We added a morning oil massage for just 5 minutes, focusing on her feet, her navel chakra, her upper chest and throat, and a commitment to step outside for 5 minutes of fresh air between Zoom meetings and children's demands. I call these brief pauses as the sacred pause. If we are tightly wound in one direction due to overstimulation because of demands placed on us, we have to give time to our nervous system to unwind. It's not unlike a spring. And within 3 weeks, Sarah's sleep had deepened dramatically. Her mind felt clearer, and the random tears stopped as well. But the most profound change, she told me, was, for the first time in years, I feel like I'm actually living my life, not just schlepping through it. So let's continue on with our final 2 benefits. Fourth benefit I want to highlight is Ashwagandha for Immunity and Longevity. As busy professionals, we often push through illness, don't we? We take half sick days, work through colds, put our immune systems last on the priority list. And here's what the ancient wisdom tells us: all Ayurvedic herbs that have Rasayana or anti-aging properties increase Ojas and therefore immunity. What is Rasayana? Rasayana means that which helps us live a long, healthy life with a sound body and mind. Any therapy or medicine or diet that ensures optimal quality of ojas, or that immunity factor in the body, the subtle essence of kapha in the body, which means that the body is hydrated and juicy. This ensures healthy functioning of all body tissues, organs, mind, brain, psyche, emotions, everything through and through, all the aspects. So for the woman who needs to stay vital and strong through the demanding seasons of her life, Ashwagandha offers not just a quick fix but sustainable strength. Now let's talk about the 5th and the final benefit of Ashwagandha, the power it achieves when we combine it with other herbs. For those of who you want to take your healing even deeper, listen to this wisdom. I often get asked, "Can Ashwagandha be taken along with herbs like Triphala, Brahmi, or Shankhpushpi?" And the short answer is yes, these herbs absolutely can be combined. Why are herbs mixed in Ayurveda? The texts say that when two or more herbs are mixed in Ayurveda, They're carefully chosen for compatibility and increased potency. Think of it like a good marriage. A good marriage is more than the sum of the two people who have joined in partnership, and the coupling of these herbs is intentionally done. Not like my client I spoke about who mixed Ashwagandha with Turmeric, both heating potency herbs, and she took it during a time of perimenopause, when her body was already going through hot flashes. In Ayurveda, the sages have coupled herbs intentionally, so when they come together, they become even more powerful in their healing properties. Together, they can help with strength and immunity, improve our libido, can offer anti-aging and cell rejuvenation benefits. They have great anti-inflammatory properties. They relieve cough, cold, and asthma symptoms. They increase fertility. Now let me share how to incorporate this ancient wisdom into your busy life. The ancient text, Bhaishadji Ratnavali, gives us this beautiful prescription. Pitashva gandha payasardhram asam, ghrithena thailena sukham bunava. Krishasya Pushthim vapusho vidhate balasi sasasya yathambuvrshati, which translates to, when ashwagandha powder is consumed along with cow's milk for half a month, and then with ghee, and then with sesame oil, and followed with lukewarm water, it nourishes the body of even an initiated weak person, just like how watering nourishes a small baby plant. Isn't this beautiful image? We, who are depleting from giving so much of ourselves, nourishing back our bodies, just like warm rain nourishes a thirsty seedling. For busy professionals, I recommend starting with the simplest form, 1/2 teaspoon of high-quality pure ashwagandha powder cooked in a cup of warm milk with 1/2 cup of water, simmered till only the milk remains. This is called as a pakka and is taken before bed with 1/2 teaspoon of ghee. If you're dairy sensitive, almond or oat milk will work beautifully as well. And if you're vegan, skip the ghee and use organic sesame oil. Even Perfect medicines require wisdom and care in their use, and the texts mention that Ashwagandha may cause increased heat, aggravate gastritis, especially if taken alone with water for a long time, as we require the softening and the cooling properties of milk to tamp down on Ashwagandha's heat-producing qualities. Constipation in some people can be caused, especially if they're prone to constipation, so it's important to have have it with a little bit of triphala, with ghee and sesame. That's why the recipe that I've shared with you is done in a very intentional manner to combat all these negative effects. Some people may have increased heat sensation, especially if they are pitta dominant individuals. And additionally, please be mindful if you also experience excess body heat that does not settle within 2 to 3 days. You feel severe anxiety or unrest after taking Ashwagandha and there's no external reason for it. You feel drowsiness. So this is why we do not take Ashwagandha in the morning, we take it in the night. You have stomach upsets, diarrhea, or constipation. Some may experience an irregular heartbeat. This is very, very rare. Excessive lowering of blood pressure or blood sugar. This is also very rare. This usually means that you're already on some blood-thinning or blood pressure medication, and you're also taking Ashwagandha or Ayurvedic herbs without first consulting with a practitioner. So listen to your body with reverence. Your body speaks with a wisdom deeper than any podcast prescription or practitioner. And create rituals, not just blind habits that you go through. So ritual requires us to become intentional, slow down, tune into our body. When we are overworked and rushing and stressing, that's when we are neglecting the wisdom of the body. Our body might be screaming at us, but we do not hear the voice of our body. Ayurveda does not ask us to quit our jobs or move to the Himalayas to join a yogi in a cave. Ayurveda helps us remember that we have a certain solar rhythm, We have a certain lunar pulse, and it is our divine right to rest, replenish, and rise again and again. Ayurveda to me means the science of doing life really well. It's the art of remembering who you are beneath the noise of life. It is the divine intelligence that is here in your body, in your heart and mind, to fulfill your dharma, your sacred purpose. You are precious, your needs matter, your rest matter. Your body is a temple and the only one you've got. So through all these years of watching miracles unfold, I have come to realize that the herbs like Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Triphala, Tulasi, they are not just soulless supplements produced in a factory. They are messengers of love and healing from Mother Earth, calling each one of us back home. Before we part, I want to share this mantra with you. Place one hand on your belly and another on your heart and repeat after me. I honor my needs. I nourish my roots. I am already whole. Purnamadam, Purnamidam, Purnatu Purnamuduchate. Purnasya poornam adhaya, poornami vavashishyate. Om. As we close today's circle, may the gentle strength of ashwagandha stay with you, grounding, nourishing, reminding you of your inner completeness, your wholeness, Next week, we will open the pages of another ancient ally, Triphala, the timeless trio that has quietly tended to digestion, detox, and inner balance for millennia. This is Salila Sukumaran, your sister in ancient healing, reminding you, you don't need to do more. You simply need to pause and come home to your own wisdom.