Maharishi Amrit Kalash is based on Brahmi Rasayana, which is reputed to be the king of all Rasayanas.
Rasayanas are carefully crafted preparations made from herbs and sometimes minerals. Their preparation usually involves numerous long and meticulous processes. The knowledge of the preparation of Rasayanas is sometimes talked of as the highest of all the Ayurvedic sciences.
Ayurveda is usually translated as ‘the science of life’. Another popular translation is ‘the science of immortality’. The implication is that Ayurveda is not only about how to remove ill health but also how to promote a life full of good healthy and vitality and even about reversing the ageing process.
Is such a reversal possible? Can you to feel more youthful as you grow older? Well, research suggests you can.
Studies done on Transcendental Meditation have found that those practising the technique for less than five years were biologically five years younger then their peers and those practicing for more than five years were 12 years younger. In other words, people tend to get younger the longer they meditate.
Rasayanas are that part of Ayurveda devoted to producing a similar effect.
My first venture into Rasayana-land
I first came across the concept of Rasayanas in a lecture on Ayurveda by Dr Dwivedi, a specialist in Rasayana medicine, at Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire, back in 1979. Dr Dwivedi was one of several prominent Ayurvedic doctors (Vaidyas) whom Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation, had encouraged to visit the West and spread their wisdom.
At that time in Britain, Ayurvedic practitioners, or Vaidyas, were pretty much confined to the Indian community. Even in that community, it tended to be the older and more traditionally inclined Indians who had any interest in this ancient science.
He took us through some basic Ayurvedic concepts such as the three Doshas, or controlling principles of our body. We learned about the six Dhatus, or body tissues and the Malas, or waste products of the body.
There were many new terms to take on board, many of which just washed over my head. One thing I did remember was the importance of carrying around a strong stick to fend off wild animals, a very obvious and yet often neglected piece of advice for those walking in the wilds of Buckinghamshire.
The other piece of wisdom I took away was the pre-eminence of Rasayanas among Ayurvedic preparations.
Dr Dwivedi devoted a good part of his talk to his research on Rasayanas. This was his passion and he has devoted his life to the re-discovery of this almost lost and much misunderstood science.
Loss and revival of ancient health knowledge
Under British rule Ayurvedic medicine became neglected and virtually confined to village doctors in rural India. With independence, educated Indians once again took an interest in their indigenous knowledge and the science of Ayurveda began its revival. Dr Dwivedi played a prominent part of that revival.
Throughout the 1980s Maharishi gathered together the most eminent Ayurvedic scholars and physicians not only to promote this revival, but to make Ayurveda better known and more available in the West.
The birth of Maharishi Amrit Kalash
In the 1980s, under Maharishi’s guidance, Dr Dwivedi and other eminent Ayurvedic experts, such as Dr Triguna and Dr Balaraj Maharishi, developed Maharishi Amrit Kalash.
Amrit is derived from the Sanskrit word Amrita, which means Nectar of Immortality. In the Vedas, a story is told of how Amrita was gifted to the gods and is the reason for their longevity.
Rasayanas are thought of as the equivalent of Amrita for us humans and are considered the highest form of herbal preparation in Ayurveda. But even within Rasayanas there is a hierarchy and Brahmi Rasayana is thought of as the highest of all Rasayanas. You could say it is a super-Rasayana.
How Maharishi Amrit Kalash is made
Maharishi Amrit Kalash is based on Brahmi Rasayana and one of its major ingredients is the leaf of the Brahmi tree, which is said to awaken inner intelligence within both mind and body. The Brahmi leaf is even shaped like the human brain.
Unlike many modern versions of such ancient preparations, Maharishi’s experts were very careful in following the original ancient recipe without cutting corners.
It is said to need about 250 meticulous steps to produce Maharishi Amrit Kalash and each step has to be carefully calculated and monitored. The ingredients too have to be only of the highest quality and picked at precisely the right moment.
Many of the individual ingredients within Maharishi Amrit Kalash, such as Indian Gooseberry and Indian Gallnut, are know to have rejuvenating properties. Some ingredients promote healing, others promote cleansing, and still others target the mind and intellect and promote the ability to learn, retain and recall information.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
A term often used when discussing Ayurvedic preparations in general, and Rasayana preparations in particular, is synergism. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The Sanskrit term used for this effect is Sanyog.
Individually, each ingredient in Maharishi Amrit Kalash has its own particular effect, but together they produce a synergistic or holistic effect that is more than the sum of the individual ingredients.
Maharishi Amrit Kalash is a combination of forty-four herbs and fruits. Some are chosen only to balance the effects of other herbs in the formulation. Others are used to help the body absorb the main herbs more effectively.
Why Maharishi Amrit Kalash is good for everyone
When supporting and balancing herbs are incorporated along with the herbs that produce the main effect, it creates a Rasayana capable of wide application and that is suitable for many different body types.
In Ayurvedic terms we each have a unique balance of Doshas, or controlling principles of our body. An Ayurvedic practitioner will determine your unique Doshic balance, or body type. Then they will prescribe preparations, according to your own body type, that bring you back to a state of balance and health.
While most Ayurvedic preparations are targeted towards a particular body type, Maharishi Amrit Kalash is suitable for every body type and balances all the Doshas simultaneously.
Because it is so perfectly balanced, Maharishi Amrit Kalash nourishes so perfectly that it creates no Ama, or toxins, in the Shrotas, or body channels. It cleanses the body in such a subtle way that it enhances its ability to absorb nourishment not only from the preparation itself but afterwards, from the food we eat during the day.
This is the beauty of taking a holistic and balanced preparation like Maharishi Amrit Kalash. A wise gardener nourishes the whole tree by watering its roots. The collective intelligence contained within Maharishi Amrit Kalash nourishes both mind and body by nourishing and awakening our inner intelligence.
Ancient wisdom is validated by modern science
Scientific research has been conducted on Maharishi Amrit Kalash and you’ll find a number of important studies on the following web page: http://mapi.com/maharishi_ayurveda/research/indexresearchcardio.html
A major ingredient of Maharishi Amrit Kalash is Amla, which has the highest concentration of vitamin C out of all fruits. Unlike other fruits, the vitamin C in Amla is stable and little is lost, even when the Amla is processed and cooked. Vitamin C has been found to be a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger.
Maharishi Amrit Kalash has also been found to support atherosclerosis and cholesterol levels. Studies have also shown that it may support our immune response.
How to get Maharishi Amrit Kalash for yourself
Visit: http://www.maharishi.co.uk/acatalog/Maharishi_Ayur_Veda__Amrit_Kalash_1.html and try Maharishi Amrit Kalash for yourself.
