Balaristam

What it is

Balaristam is an Arishtam, a gently fermented Ayurvedic tonic. The name comes from Bala, the root of Sida cordifolia, whose name means strength and which the tradition counts among its great strengthening herbs.

An Arishtam is made the way wine or vinegar is made, by a slow natural fermentation. Herbs are simmered into a decoction, sweetened, and left in a sealed vessel for weeks, where a quiet fermentation takes place. The result is a dark, sweet-sour liquid carrying a little natural alcohol of its own. That alcohol is not the point: it is the vehicle. In Ayurvedic thinking it carries the qualities of the herbs into the body and helps them reach the tissues.

So Balaristam is the strengthening root Bala turned into a liquid tonic, taken in small measures by mouth rather than worked into the body as an oil.

What it is used for

The tradition reaches for Balaristam in the same situation it reaches for the root itself: when a person is depleted. After illness, after a hard stretch of work or strain, or simply with the dryness and tiredness that come with age, when the light, dry, restless quality the tradition calls Vata has risen and the body feels worn thin.

Balaristam is grouped with the balya preparations, the strengthening ones, and with the rasayana class, the building tonics taken to rebuild the body over time rather than for a quick effect. Its work is to nourish and ground, to settle the restlessness of Vata and slowly bring strength back. Because it is a fermented tonic, it is also considered easy to take and easy to digest, which suits a body that is run down.

How it is made

The making follows the classical method for an Arishtam. The root of Bala, together with the other strengthening herbs of the recipe, is first simmered down into a strong decoction and strained. This is poured into a large vessel with a sweetening agent, traditionally jaggery or honey, which feeds the fermentation. Aromatic herbs are added to round the preparation.

The vessel is sealed and set aside in a warm, dark place for several weeks. During this time a slow natural fermentation takes place, drawing the qualities of the herbs into the liquid and producing the gentle self-made alcohol that defines an Arishtam. When fermentation is judged complete, the liquid is filtered clear and stored. A well-made Arishtam keeps and even matures with time.

Good to know

Balaristam is taken in small measures, usually after food and often with an equal part of water. It belongs to the slow, building side of Ayurveda and is taken as a course over weeks. It is classically suited to depletion and to the dry, cold times when Vata naturally rises.

This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the preparation. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.

Frequently asked

Is Balaristam an oil? No. It is a fermented liquid tonic, taken by mouth in small measures. Bala is also cooked into a medicated oil, Bala Thailam, which is a separate preparation used on the body.

Does it contain alcohol? A small amount, made by the natural fermentation itself, never added. In Ayurvedic thinking this self-made alcohol is the carrier that brings the herbs into the body, and the tonic is taken only in small measures.

Why is it taken with water? Because an Arishtam is concentrated and a little sharp. Diluting it with an equal part of water is the classical way to take it gently.