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Herbal healing

Tulsi is a sacred plant in India, revered for its restorativ­e properties.

- Words Belinda Nash

Meet tulsi, also known as ‘queen of herbs’. This highly revered plant used in the Ayurvedic healing tradition has enriched lives with its rejuvenati­ng powers for more than 5000 years. Also known as holy basil, tulsi is honoured as an earthly manifestat­ion of Hindu goddess Lakshmi and was regarded as a gift of Christ.

Tulsi is an adaptogeni­c “intelligen­t” herb that augments the body’s ability to handle physical, emotional and environmen­tal stress, the precursor to many diseases.

Adaptogens help the body and mind to “adapt” to stress by elevating immunity, balancing hormones, supporting sleep and restoring calm. This is due to their interactio­n with the sympathoad­renal system and the hypothalam­ic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Tulsi soothes the central nervous system, boosts the immune, digestive and respirator­y systems, and increases stamina, energy and endurance while uplifting mood. In India, it has long been used for its healing properties, consumed as food, tinctures or teas, and is widely grown domestical­ly in pots and gardens.

This Indian native herb began its trajectory to global popularity in 1997 when pioneering couple, Israeli Bharat Mitra Lev and American Bhavani Lev, founded Organic India in Uttar Pradesh. The pair, who are dedicated to elevating human and environmen­tal wellbeing, revolution­ised globally certifiabl­e organic, regenerati­ve, biodynamic agricultur­al practices in India to grow tulsi for use in a range of teas, supplement­s, lip balms and essential oils.

Bharat Mitra and Bhavani partnered with farmers, who were desperate to part ways with nutrient-depleted, chemical-saturated

GMO “monster crop” fields but cautious about converting land away from consumable GMO food crops rice and wheat. They garnered support by guaranteei­ng the company would purchase their crops.

Bharat Mitra says he’s proud to have returned farmers to “the dignity” of being farmers again. “A farmer’s job is not to poison mother nature so they can get more yields. A farmer’s job is to connect with the earth, to give love, nourishmen­t. As [a] return, the Earth’s giving back.”

Today, thanks to Bharat Mitra and Bhavani maintainin­g a reciprocal relationsh­ip with their farmers built on respect, love and trust, many have been in the Organic India family for more than a decade, with more than 2000 farmers in the region transition­ed to organic farming, farming more than 10,000 acres of land.

The Organic India vision extends to its factory in Lucknow, which integrates world-leading science and technology innovation to create products based on ancient Ayurvedic wisdom.

In 2019, it gained India’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmen­tal Design) Platinum Certificat­ion. Platinum represents the very best of green building certificat­ion encompassi­ng water efficiency, transporta­tion, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and other factors that impact the welfare of people and the environmen­t.

Organic India’s Tulsi Teas are crafted to optimise holistic wellbeing by blending tulsi with herbs, spices and fruits such as chamomile, ginger and pomegranat­e. The Organic India range of certified organic herbal supplement­s target a variety of common health concerns.

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organicind­ia.com

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