Heart tonics (hridaya)

Hridaya are herbs that nourish, strengthen, and protect the heart, supporting both the physical organ and the emotional functions governed by sadhaka pitta and vyana vata. They typically exhibit madhura (sweet) or kashaya (astringent) rasa, laghu (light) and snigdha (unctuous) guna, and often shita (cooling potency), helping stabilise circulation, calm stress, and enhance cardiac resilience.

Classic examples include arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), renowned for improving cardiac tone and supporting healthy blood flow, and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), which reduces stress, strengthens the heart muscle, and acts as a restorative rasayana for the cardiovascular system.