SAINDHAVA :  ROCK   SALT

 Sanskrit : Saindhav  English : Rock-salt

 Saindhava literally means produced in Sindh, or the country along the Indus. The term is applied to rock salt  which is regarded as the best of salts. Three varieties of rock salt are recognized viz., pink, white, and crystalline. For nutritive and digestive  purposes Saindhava is considered superior. It can be regularly used as a natural alternative to processed white table salt.

Saindhava promotes the appetite, assists digestion and assimilation.

Five types of salts are used in Ayurveda, including sea salt, but the one used more frequently in Ayurvedic recipes is the Saindhava. This supposedly doesn’t cause water retention like the other varieties, when used in medicinal quantities.

According to the great ancient Ayurvedic seer named Sushruta,it is reputed to be actually cooling instead of hot. It is said to  calm all the doshas and is  good for eyes.

Home Remedies-

Ayurveda has highly recommended Saindhava salt as an ingredient in various recipes used in digestive disorders.

A combination of Saindhava, 1 tbsp fresh lime-juice, 1 tbsp ginger juice and sugar to taste is an excellent recipe for increasing appetite and strengthening digestion.

It is widely used in external fomentation in many Ayurvedic centers worldwide. Saindhava is wrapped in small  pieces of cotton cloth and small pouches are formed by tying with a string. Ayurvedic Massage Oil is gently applied on the painful  or affected part of body which needs fomentation. These Saindhava pouches are mildly heated on electrically heated stoves or on pans.A gentle massage is done using these heated pouches.

This is used in cases of painful and swollen joints, pulled and strained muscles, neck and lower back pain, chronic coughs and bronchial problems, sinus and chronic colds, etc.

Caution: When heating for fomentation the cotton bags should be heated to a degree which is comfortable to the skin. Care has to be taken so as to not heat the pouch too much to avoid causing skin burns. The cotton bags may also catch fire if heated excessively. These are to be stored in a dry place after use.