GARLIC!

I don’t eat much garlic. I find it too stimulating. When I taught yoga full-time I did not like going in there smelling like garlic, and once I stopped using it, I found it way too strong to even be around!

However, our dear friend Garlic offers five out of the six tastes, which makes it a powerful medicine for a variety of ailments. It is intensely heating, which kills germs, and is a good choice for deep winter- but not all year long.

Here is Ayurveda’s classification of garlic, from my “Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care's medicinal foods directory.”

Botanical name: Allium sativum

Parts used: bulb, scapes

Rasa: sweet, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent

Virya: heating

Vipaka: pungent

Qualities: oily, heavy

Actions: aphrodisiac, increases circulation, relieves earache and other pains, antibacterial, lowers cholesterol

Contraindications: too much garlic can increase pitta, rajas, and acidity, and make you smelly.

How often do you use garlic??? What do you use it for?