Castor Oil Plant
There are so many uses for Eranda/ castor oil plant.
If you have followed us last week during our Pinda Sveda course training you would have seen the castor leaves (Eranda patra).
We used them to prepare the herbal bundles called potali for the Ayurvedic treatment called Patra Pinda Sveda.
They are so many more uses of this plant.
Benefits of Eranda:
1. Externally Eranda Patra (leaves) can be used to alleviate pain and swelling.
2. The oil can be used for Virechana/ purgation in constipation, rheumatic complaints, sciatica and many other complaints.
3. It is used to treat the Vata dosha, disorders such as arthritis and facial palsy.
4. Castor oil is locally massaged over the breast in lactating mothers to increase the milk flow.
5. Castor oil is good in promoting hair growth and reducing dandruff when massaged on the scalp.
6. Eranda is the drug of choice in treating diseases of vata associated with Ama/ digestive toxins.
7. Castor oil leaves made into a paste with sesame oil, then slightly heated and applied externally helps in reducing pain.
8. Castor oil pack applied regular will help in digestive complaints, bursitis, swollen joints, muscle strains, liver detoxifying and alleviate menstrual cramps.
Stay tuned for our next facebook article on how to make your own castor oil pack at home.
9. Used in Ayurvedic body treatments such as patra potali Pinda Sveda.
The Ayurvedic properties are:
Rasa/taste: sweet, pungent and astringent
Guna/properties: heavy, oily, sharp, minute
Vipaka/ post digestive taste: sweet
Virya/potency: heating
Prabhava/ specific action: purgative
Dosha: Alleviates vata and kapha dosha
Parts used:
Leaves, roots, fruits, and seeds
Eranda is the ingredient of many classical Ayurvedic formulations. The Samgraha granthas (different pharmacopoeia) of Ayurveda reports about 357 formulations having Eranda as an ingredient. Castor oil should only be used internally with supervision of your practitioner.
For more information and enquires please email info@lakshmiayurveda.com.au