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Herbs and therapeutic plants form one of the cornerstones
of the ayurvedic approach to healing. Ayurvedic
medications can be made from a single herb, a blend
of herbs, or a combination of herbs, minerals and
other substances.
 Herbs
are prepared in different ways, and either the whole
plant is used, or therapeutic parts, such as the
root, stem, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit or seeds,
are used. Herbs can be dried and powdered, juiced
fresh, chopped fresh, cooked at low temperatures
in oils or ghee (clarified butter) or fermented
into tonics. Herbal blends, when correctly prepared,
offer the dual benefit of synergy and balance.
Rasayanas,
literally "that which enters the essence,"
are a special class of herbs or herbal blands considered
elite by ayurvedic healers because they act as revitalizers
of the entire physiology, offering benefit to multiple
systems. Triphala and Chyavanprash are examples
of ayurvedic rasayanas that are taken lifelong to
promote health and longevity.
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