Ayurveda seeks to bring a sense of peace and well-being for all people. The mind is central in this experience. Yet, so many people have challenges in maintaining tranquility of the mind—there are never ending to-do lists, challenges making ends meet, children's numerous extracurricular activities, disputes with family and friends, and constant stimulation from media. The result is the chattering mind that keeps on chatting away when trying to rest or sleep, or the mind that is jumping around from one topic to another when really needing to just focus on one task at hand, or just an overall sense of spaciness and feeling lost amongst thoughts and fears.
The first place to look for support with stress management is in changes to your daily routine. Incorporating small pauses throughout the day to focus on your breath—even if just for one minute—can have a profound effect on the mind and body. While diet and lifestyle are absolutely important in cultivating the right response (read this free guide for more information!), herbs are a great way to complement those efforts. Herbs were used by the ancient seers of Ayurveda to help maintain the mind's equilibrium in response to stressors, and we can use those same herbs to find support with our busy modern lifestyes.
Tranquil Mind is packed with some of the most famous herbs for calming the mind and helping the body establish greater equilibrium. One of the main herbs in the formula, bhringaraj, is cooling and relaxing, and helps whisk away pitta in the mind. Brahmi/gotu kola is another important player in Tranquil Mind, and it is one of the best herbs for soothing the body's response to fear and anxiety. Skullcap and chamomile work synergistically to calm the nervous system and provide a sense of stability. Ashwagandha and vidari kanda ground the entire body, bringing heaviness where there is too much light and dry quality. Ashwagandha itself is also a well-known adaptogen (it helps the body maintain balance in the face of any stressor).
Ayurveda puts high emphasis on finding mental balance. It recognizes that the mind and body are connected; if the mind is not stable, the body will surely suffer soon after. Ayurveda, however, recognizes that the solution is not necessarily in eliminating the many stressors in our life. After all, not all of them are avoidable and not all of us have the luxury to work less or have less things on our plate.
If you find yourself wishing you could learn to walk through storms without being thrown around by the winds, give this herbal support a try. Take it consistently for a month, since the herbs work at a root level to eliminate excess doshas and ama in the mind. Combine the herbal support of Tranquil Mind with subtle (or major) changes to your daily habits and routine, and you will discover that finding some mental peace is totally possible.
