I am hosting a webinar about Aging Holistically with Ayurveda and I'm so happy I did. Aging is something that we don't think about it until we see and experience signs and symptoms. But the thing with menopause and Ayurveda is that we have to start preparing in our 30's!
Scroll down to receive a rasa or lymphatic tea blend that will seriously juice you up! Not only does it hydrate you but it also helps cleanse the lymph which is equally as important.
As I was preparing my slides I realized that I have been slacking majorly on some of these practices (mainly rest and stress reduction) since being postpartum with my second child.
It's actually not surprising because Vata dosha is high postpartum and it's also very high in menopause. If you're wondering how Ayurveda approaches menopause - well, the topic is vast but I will cover one VERY important part today which is all about supporting our rasa or lymphatic system.
When your rasa or lymphatic system runs dry, so doe everything else.
If you're in your forties and beyond your body suddenly feels like a houseplant nobody watered, this one's for you. Let's talk about rasa, why it matters so much in menopause, and the tea blend I've been making on repeat.
What is rasa in Ayurveda?
Rasa: This is a sanskrit term but we can also call it the lymphaic system. In Ayurveda, rasa is the first and most essential tissue (or dhatu) in the body — your plasma, your lymphatic fluid, the watery medium that carries nutrition to every cell. The word literally translates to "essence," "juice," or "sap."
Think of rasa as the inner river. Every other tissue downstream — blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow, reproductive tissue — depends on it being full, clean, and flowing.
When rasa is healthy, you feel juicy. Skin is dewy. Hair is glossy. You feel emotionally cushioned, not raw. There's a quiet sense of contentment that traditional texts actually consider a sign of well-nourished rasa.
When rasa is depleted? Everything downstream starts to dry up. And menopause has a particular way of draining this tissue faster than any other life stage I've worked with.
Why lymph health matters so much in menopause
Here's the part nobody warned us about.
As estrogen declines in perimenopause and menopause, the body's natural lubrication systems start to taper. Estrogen helps keep mucous membranes plump, keeps connective tissue supple, keeps the lymph flowing. When it drops, rasa drops with it.
At the same time, vata dosha rises. Vata is the airy, mobile, dry quality in the body — and it governs the entire second half of life. More vata means more dryness, more movement, more depletion. Vata loves to scatter and dry things out. (If you've ever felt like your nervous system became a wind tunnel overnight, that's vata talking.)
The lymphatic system is doing real work in this phase: clearing hormones the liver has metabolized, escorting cellular waste out, regulating inflammation. But lymph has no pump. It moves through breath, movement, and — critically — hydration from the inside out. Not just water. Properly nourishing, demulcent, electrolyte-rich hydration.
This is why so many women in menopause can drink a gallon of water a day and still feel parched. The water passes through. It isn't being held. Rasa needs more than water to rebuild — it needs herbs that lubricate, hold moisture in the tissues, and feed the lymph specifically.
Which fyi - I don't recommend drinking a gallon of water. At some point, water is no longer hydrating. This is why you need herbs!
Signs your rasa is depleted (the menopausal vata picture)
In my work with women 38 to 55, this cluster of symptoms shows up over and over. If you're nodding at three or more, your rasa is asking for help:
- Dry skin — especially on the shins, forearms, and around the eyes. The kind no lotion seems to touch.
- Cracking, splitting nails — ridges running vertically, peeling layers, breaks at the slightest pressure.
- Vaginal dryness — discomfort during sex, irritation, recurrent UTIs or yeast that didn't used to happen.
- Dry eyes — a gritty, scratchy feeling, blurred vision toward the end of the day, increased screen sensitivity.
- Constipation — hard, dry, pellet-like stools. Going every other day or less.
- Dry mouth at night
- Thinning hair with a coarser, drier texture
- Cracking joints that feel like they need oil, not strength training
- Anxiety and racing thoughts — because depleted rasa leaves the nervous system unbuffered. Vata gets loud when there's no juice to cushion it.
These aren't separate problems. They're one signal: the tissues are running dry. Treating the symptoms one by one (eye drops, lube, fiber gummies, a heavier moisturizer) won't get you upstream.
The lymphatic tea blend I reach for:
This blend is the one I make for myself, my clients, and most of the perimenopausal women in my circle. Each herb does specific work — together they hydrate, cool, lubricate, and feed the tissues that menopause is drying out.
This lymphatic tea blend recipe is amazing for moisturizing tissue and to rejuvenate the cells. I suggest sipping a quart of this throughout the day, 4-5 days a week. Within 2 weeks you should notice a difference in overall dryness but continue to drink this throughout the cooler or dryer months of the year. You can drink this lympahitc tea blend longterm without any adverse issues.
Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis). The queen of demulcents. Marshmallow root creates a slippery, mucilaginous quality that coats and hydrates mucous membranes from the throat all the way down through the gut. In Ayurveda, this kind of snigdha (oily, unctuous) quality is exactly what depleted rasa needs.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Called yashtimadhu in Sanskrit, licorice is one of the great rejuvenatives for the adrenals and the mucous membranes. It's deeply moistening, supports cortisol regulation (which gets messy in perimenopause), and adds a soft natural sweetness so the tea actually tastes good. A note: skip licorice if you have high blood pressure or are on certain medications — always check with a practitioner.
Fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare). This one's the digestive helper. Fennel is cooling, gently moving, and incredibly kind to a dry, sluggish gut. It eases the constipation and bloating that show up alongside vata depletion, and it makes the blend smell like a hug.
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus). If I could only choose one herb for menopausal women, this would be it. Shatavari literally means "she who possesses a hundred husbands" — a poetic nod to its role as the premier female tonic in Ayurveda. It rebuilds rasa, supports estrogen-receptor balance, eases vaginal and tissue dryness, and steadies the emotional weather. It's the heart of this blend.
Indian sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus). Known as anantamul in Ayurveda. This one is a beautiful blood and lymph cleanser — it helps the lymph release what it's been holding (heat, old hormones, inflammation) while still being deeply cooling and supportive. It's also wonderful for skin clarity from the inside out.
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). A small but mighty addition. Cardamom keeps the heavier, moistening herbs from feeling stagnant in the gut. It opens up channels, lifts the digestion, and adds a warm aromatic top note that makes the whole cup feel like a ritual instead of medicine.
**I also love slippery elm but this is an over-harvested herb so I suggest using the other demulcent herbs listed above.
How to brew it
While this is great as a decoction, most people only have time to make an infusion which is a fancy way of saying "steeping tea."
- Combine 1 tbsp marshmallow root, 2 tsp shatavari, 1 tsp licorice, 1 tsp Indian sarsaparilla, 1 tsp fennel seed, and 1/2 tsp cracked cardamom in a small pot.
- Add 4 cups of cold water.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Cover herbs with water, cover the infusion, and let steep for 20 minutes to an hour.
- Strain into a mug or thermos. Sip warm throughout the day.
I drink one batch a day for at least 6 weeks when rasa is depleted. That's the realistic timeline — tissue rebuilding is slow, steady work. You'll usually notice softer skin and easier digestion within the first two weeks. The deeper shifts (nails, vaginal tissue, hair) take a full cycle of cell turnover, which is roughly 4 to 12 weeks depending on the tissue.
*This tea blend was provided by my amazing Ayurveda teacher, Dr. Mary Thompson.
To sum it up
- Rasa is the watery essence — plasma and lymph — that nourishes every tissue downstream.
- Menopause depletes rasa quickly because estrogen decline meets a natural rise in vata dosha.
- Signs of depleted rasa include dry skin, cracking nails, vaginal dryness, dry eyes, and constipation.
- Plain water isn't enough to rebuild rasa. The tissues need demulcent, mineral-rich, rasa-building herbs.
- A daily decoction of marshmallow, licorice, fennel, shatavari, Indian sarsaparilla, and cardamom is one of the most direct ways to hydrate the lymphatic fluid in menopause.
If you've been feeling like a dried-out version of yourself, please know — your body isn't broken. It's just asking for a different kind of nourishment than it needed at twenty-five. You are so powerful, and you have so much agency here.
Ready to start? Soon I will have this blend on my shop but for now you can purchase a custom tea blend and in the notes write 'Rasa Tea.' I'll know exactly what you mean!
Sources
- Pole, S. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. Singing Dragon, 2013.
- Lad, V. Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1. The Ayurvedic Press.
- Frawley, D. & Lad, V. The Yoga of Herbs. Lotus Press.
