Warming Teas For Digestive Bliss

Many know me as a tea connoisseur - I love crafting tea recipes. Ayurveda recommends drinking herbal teas that are hydrating, nourishing, and that stoke your digestive fire.

The overconsumption of food can overwhelm the stomach and make us feel uncomfortable. Herbal teas are a great way to prepare your gut for a big meal, and also afterward to calm your stomach and aid digestion. They can also offer plenty of health benefits in the colder months.

Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is great for cutting through heavy holiday foods and restoring balance to sluggish digestion (stomach ache, bloating, nausea, gas). Ginger restores mental alertness, focus, and immunity after a cold. You can add a dry ginger tea bag to your boiling water or steep 3-5 grated fresh ginger root slices in your hot water, which I personally love doing. The juices from the ginger will make your tea stronger-tasting and more powerful - that’s what I aim for!

Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus flower is sweet with a tart taste and gentle on the belly. Your tea will be a very gorgeous red color. Hibiscus is a cooling tea, so if you feel hot (hot flashes or inflammation) then this tea is great. Hibiscus can also improve your skin complexion and menstrual cramps. It’s rich in vitamin C, so it’s great for boosting immunity.

Tulsi Tea - Holy Basil
Tulsi tea is an Ayurvedic favorite. It reduces headaches and fevers, fights off colds, breaks up lung congestion, soothes the nerves, and helps with digestion. Tulsi is warming, supports healthy emotions, and enhances mental clarity. However, you should avoid this tea if dealing with hot flashes or skin rashes. Even though this tea is not caffeinated, coffee lovers are drinking tulsi tea as an alternative because it enhances energy and memory (circulation to the brain) without the physical and mental irritation.

CCF - Cumin-Coriander-Fennel Tea
The combination of these seeds is an Ayurvedic classic for healthy digestion. When steeped in hot water, these aromatic seeds produce a nutty-flavored tea that’s excellent at any time of day. This tea is known to reduce gas and bloating and to boost digestive strength. CCF also supports urinary tract health. When I’m on my seasonal cleanses, CCF tea is useful in my detoxification process. Everyone can benefit from this tea. You can purchase the seeds yourself at a health food store or go to BanyanBotanicals.org to get it prepared. I have made this tea from scratch using just these three ingredients: cumin, coriander, and fennel.

Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is known for its calming effects. Drinking a cup before bedtime will release stress and support a good night's sleep. This tea soothes the nerves, relaxes the belly, and supports digestion for all body types. It’s best to drink chamomile tea in the late afternoon or early evening.

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips

Yoga postures for digestion and gut health 

Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences. They complement each other in the practice of health and wellness. Therefore, I include ‘Gut-Boosting Yoga Techniques’ (to practice on an empty stomach) to support and help with the digestive issues of gas, bloating, and cramping.

In my yoga classes, I focus on the mind, body, and spirit within my sequences. My students are on their mats while I’m teaching them yoga wisdom - it truly keeps us all mindful, and teaches us how to stay present in the now. The yoga postures shown above, and postures and breathing techniques listed below, are useful to boost, support, and stimulate your digestive system.

Sun Salutations
Torso Rolls
Bow Pose
Belly-Down Backbends
Abdominal Work
Bridges
Side Planks
Revolved Crescent Lunge
Malasana - Garland
Knees to Chest
Standing and Sitting Forward Folds
Supine Spinal Twists
Legs up the Wall

Pranayama - Breathing Exercises

Kapalabhati - shining skull breathing - exhale deeply and let the inhale come by itself
Bhastrika - bellows breath - heated breathing - in and out forceful breathing
Dirgha - deeply relaxing and rejuvenating breathing technique - 3-part breath
Diaphragmatic Breathing - the stomach moves with each breath, slowly, deeply
Kriya - the stomach vacuum - gut-churning - cleansing
Mudra - hand gesture - agni mudra - balances the fire energy in the solar plexus

Honor your gut, it will serve you well,
Peace and Love,
Genia