Roses are more than just a sweet-smelling flower in Ayurveda. Celebrated for their balancing influence on the heart, mind, and emotions, roses are used in everything from herbal supplements and teas to aroma blends, massage oils, and delicious recipes.
What are roses good for?
Rose petals are considered cooling in Ayurveda, and are therefore excellent for balancing Pitta dosha, the mind-body energy associated with fire and water. Pitta governs all heat in the environment (the hot sun, warm weather) and the body (your digestive fire and metabolism). When Pitta predominates outside or within, roses can help you restore balance. Their sweet, floral fragrance and flavor are cooling and soothing to mind and body alike.
How to use roses in cooking
Rose petals and hips have a flavor that is at once sweet, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Red rose petals have the best aroma. Fresh or dried, the fragrant petals can be brewed into soothing teas or added to desserts and puddings. (Shatapatri, or Rosa Centifolia, the rose traditionally used in Ayurveda. Always use organic and chemical-free.) Rose petals also make a delicious addition to our Sweet Rice Recipe, which calls for saffron and cardamom.
Other ways to use Roses Ayurvedically
In warm weather, a few spritzes of our Organic Rose Water offers refreshing facial mist and toner.
Cabbage rose is a key ingredient in some traditional Ayurvedic formulas, including our Organic Triphala Rose Tablets—a gentle daily detox and bowel cleanser. Cabbage rose is also in our Stress Free Emotions formula, which soothes the emotions and promotes feelings of self-confidence and positivity.
Last but not least, you can always give a loved one—or yourself—a bouquet of fresh roses to uplift the heart and mind.
For more information on roses and Ayurveda, read our article on Why the Roses Balances the Heart.
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