Water is our elixir of life and plays a decisive role in our health. In Ayurveda, the temperature and quantity of water are particularly important. From an Ayurvedic point of view, you should only drink warm water. Why this is so and what excellent effects drinking warm water has on your body and mind, we will show you here.
Why Do People in Ayurveda Drink Warm Water?
The fact that water should be drunk warm has been known in Ayurvedic medicine for a long time and has been practiced for centuries. In Ayurveda, the water is boiled and thus enriched with energy. The water molecules store this energy and then pass it directly to our body when we drink the warm water.
By boiling the water, it is purified and changes its structure. Substances dissolved in the water, such as lime, are crystallized and evaporated. Ama, the metabolic residues accumulated in the digestive tract, can be washed away more effectively with warm water. The heat also supports Agni, the digestive fire, in its work. From an Ayurvedic point of view, you should generally never drink ice-cold water; otherwise, you will put Agni out.
The use of warm water instead of cold water is only a small change in your everyday life, but it has a significant effect on your well-being. If you drink warm or hot water from now on, you will soon feel the positive impact.
What Is the Effect of Drinking Hot Water?
During the day and also at night, we continuously lose fluid. If our body is not supplied with sufficient drinking water, many physical and mental problems can arise. Tiredness, concentration problems, irritability, cravings for food, and heartburn, for example, can all be caused by a lack of fluids.
However, your body feels much better if you compensate for this lack of warm water instead of resorting to cold drinks. The effects that warm water has on your body increase your sense of well-being and make you healthier and happier.
More Vitality Through Pleasant Warmth
Warm water can be a real kick start in the morning because it dispels tiredness and awakens the spirits. Therefore, it is recommended to drink a glass of hot water in the morning to start the day healthy and fit. Its warming and gentle effect also compensates for a fluid loss during the night.
You will not only feel the boosting effects of warm water in your everyday life but also recognize them as vitality signs on your body. Your skin will become more radiant and healthier, and you will look younger and fitter.
Hot Water for Better Digestion
If the body receives too little or too cold water, Agni, our digestive fire, is only very weak and cannot develop its full effect. To digest cold water, the body also has to work harder. We need a total of 6 hours to digest cold water. With boiled, warm water, however, it takes only 1.5 hours.
Hot water is incredibly stimulating for Agni and supports its digestion. This also makes it easier to get rid of toxins that have been deposited, which gives the body a pleasant rest and cleansing.
Easy Weight Loss With Boiled Water
Drinking also plays a decisive role in losing weight. Because often, when we feel hungry between meals, all we think is thirst. Warm water lowers the desire for snacks between meals because it has a calming effect and reduces hunger, which is none at all. Also, hot water improves detoxification and fat burning and can lead to pleasing results, especially when losing weight.
In Ayurveda, however, it is not only the water temperature that matters but also when and in what quantities you drink. What this means in detail, you can see here.
How Should You Drink Water in Ayurveda?
Drinking enough water is essential for a healthy and balanced life. But what exactly is sufficient depends on various factors. Constitution types, age, stress levels, and even the weather can influence how much fluid you need.
If you want to do something perfect for your body, try an Ayurvedic hot water cure. This will give you the best effects on your health and general well-being. We will show you how to do it best.
Ayurvedic Hot-Water Cure: Pleasant & Healthy
You can do an Ayurvedic hot-water cure several times a year. Spring is especially suitable for this because the many and often heavy meals in winter have accumulated many ama. A treatment should last 7-10 days.
The procedure is straightforward. Leave water in an open pot on a low flame for about 5-10 minutes. Then pour it into a thermos or carafe and drink a few sips of the warm water every 30 minutes throughout the day. But be careful not to drink too much in the evening, because otherwise, your digestion will be particularly strained during the night.
How hot and in what quantities you should drink the water depends entirely on your constitution. If you consider individual differences in doshas, you will give your body exactly what it does best.
Pitta Types: Not Too Hot Drinks
As a Pitta by nature, you are a hot-tempered guy and should drink as much as possible. But make sure that you don’t drink the water too hot because otherwise, your Pitta heat will only increase, which is not suitable for you. Instead, drink lukewarm water to soothe your fiery dosha. As a special kick, you can enrich it with fennel seeds, mint, or cloves.
Kapha Types: Drink Less Liquid.
Kaphas store water more efficiently and therefore need less liquid than other types. So if you are a Kapha type, you do not need to drink so much throughout the day. Because you store so much water, you should be careful not to become overhydrated. However, the water can be quite hot. As a little taste explosion, you can add fresh ginger or basil to your drink.
Vata Types: Drink a Lot and Hot.
The cool vatas tend to be cold and dry and need a lot of warm liquid to warm up. Especially in winter, skin and mucous membranes dry out quickly. As a Vata, you should drink hot water above all to keep your body pleasantly warm. It is especially useful for you to add something oily like ghee and let the water boil with licorice.
In general, pay attention to the needs of your body and drink the water warm. Is warm water alone too bland for you? No problem! With a few tips, you can spice up your Ayurvedic water a little.
Tip: Hot Water with Lemon
The warm water is incredibly healthy if you enrich it with a little lemon. It’s delicious and doesn’t require much effort at all. For lemon water, heat a glass of water and squeeze half a lemon juice into it. Ensure that the water is not too hot so that the lemon’s essential nutrients are not immediately destroyed.
Lemon water helps you to purify and cleanse your body, especially in the morning, while at the same time providing you with valuable vitamins. Thus you get an optimal health kick right in the morning to start the day well.
As you can see, switching to warm or hot water does not require much at all, but it has immense benefits for your health. Lemon water in the morning gives you an optimal start to the day and also boosts your digestion. If you adjust your drinking habits to your Dosha type, you will contribute even more to making your life more pleasant and vital.
Satvik Living 