Sanskar: The Science of Herb Processing | Maharishi Ayurveda

Wild-crafted herbs from India

Wild herbs are 100 times more potent than cultivated herbs. By gathering most of our herbs from pristine Himalayan areas, our herbal products are free of harmful chemicals and pollution.

The ancient ayurvedic texts maintain that how a formula is prepared is as crucial to its efficacy as what goes into that formula. Ayurvedic herb processing, or sanskar, is therefore a meticulous and highly developed science that ranges from instructions on when to harvest a specific herb to the sequence in which ingredients are to be added to a formulation.

Our formulas are prepared meticulously as laid down in the ayurvedic texts. For example, it takes six months to prepare some of our minerals.

Herbs used in our formulas are harvested at their freshest in India. The ayurvedic science of harvesting standardizes herb potency at its natural maximum without the use of chemical additives. Herbs naturally vary in potency with seasons, cycles of the moon and even by the time of day. Following traditional harvesting and processing techniques ensures natural standardization of potency. Where possible without threatening the natural ecological balance, our herbs are gathered in the wild, because wild-crafted herbs can be as much as 100 times more potent than their cultivated counterparts.

After the herbs are harvested, they are inspected by experts in dravyaguna, the science of identification and use of healing plants. It takes great attention and expertise to correctly identify herbs. Each batch of herbs is then sorted for quality. It's not unusual for over half the crop to be rejected, because ayurvedic standards for maturity, purity and potency are stringent.

We use traditional methods of extraction and processing. No chemical solvents are used in the extraction process, nor are the herbs exposed to high temperatures that can damage their natural intelligence. Different ingredients or components are added to a formulation at the specific times and temperatures detailed in the texts to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the final formulation.

"We take every precaution to protect nature's intelligence -- the deep healing force within every botanical and herb. This means we protect the molecular level of the plant through each step of the production process. From harvesting the herbs at the peak of their potency, to processing and manufacturing the final product, we take the care necessary to maintain the healing properties of the herbs that go into our line of herbal formulations." - The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians