Why You Should Cook Your Water!
Moving into the colder and darker months, it's so vital that our Jatharagni (digestion) be as strong as possible, so that we can stay warm, we can digest the heavier, more nourishing foods that will be required, and so that our immunity can thrive & thwart off any incoming pathogens.
Ushna (hot/warm) Udaka (water) is the practice of cooking your water. Cooked water warms up your digestive system. It softens the tissues to let go of excess gunk. It helps clear the channels of ama.
While water carries the qualities of heaviness & coolness, cooked water is light & warm, making it much easier to digest.
By putting fire to the water we will drink, it becomes transformed or 'digested.' Then, this cooked water will stimulate digestion, soothe throat irritations, cleanse the urinary tract, relieve hiccoughs, reduce gut fermentation, gas and bloating and aid in the relief of colds, flu and fever.
Water that has been boiled to 3/4 of its original volume is said to alleviate Vata. Water that has been boiled to 1/2 of its original volume balances Pitta, and that which has been boiled to 1/4 of its original volume alleviates Kapha.
Water also has the ability to absorb the influences around it, becoming affected and transformed by meditation, prayer, mantra, sound, etc.
So be mindful that you only expose your water to Sattvic (pure) influences.
HOW TO COOK WATER?
- Cook your water in the morning right away before your morning routine (Dinacharya), not at night (leaving water overnight in a dark vessel is said to change its properties and decrease its vitality, unless it is kept in copper, steel, earthen or a gold vessel, which will positively charge it.)
- Turn heat to high and bring a pot of water to a boil
- Boil for at least 10 minutes or by following the ratios given above
Drink soon after for hot or warm water and drink later for room temperature water (which will still hold the benefits of the cooking process).
Learn even more about the Ayurvedic suggestions for drinking water here.
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