Tulsi, The Incomparable One

As you come home from a hard day at work, imagine being greeting by a divine aromatic scent from your garden, offering to relax you and melt your stress away. It cleanses and purifies the air in and around your home, allowing you to take a deep breath. The next time you want to support your immune system, this friend is there to comfort you and return you to health. And when you’re feeling sluggish and fatigued, she’s willing to cleanse the lymph of all the ama so you can get a fresh start.

 Who is this ever-ready companion, offering her healing powers for thousands of years? Tulsi, or holy basil, the mythological divine goddess that takes her earthly form as the beautiful and respected plant found in most traditional Indian homes.

The Ayurvedic properties of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) are heating and pungent, making it best for kapha reducing effects and also balancing for vata. Though its heating nature can aggravate pitta in excess, tulsi has been shown to support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response (1), making it beneficial for all three doshas.

Tulsi, translated as “the incomparable one”, has a long list of home remedies for which it has been used for centuries, making it a panacea of sorts. As it graced the entrance of homes in India, it provided both a physical and metaphysical cleansing effect. It is traditionally known to be an air purifier, removing unwanted toxins from the air, and providing life-giving oxygen in exchange. It is also said to have repellant activity, keeping mosquitos and other bugs away from the home. Continue Reading