Heating

Vīrya in Ayurveda denotes the potent energy or active property of a substance, determining how it acts on the body and the doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha). It can be understood as the primary cause of a substance’s therapeutic effect, influencing digestion, metabolism, and the body’s internal balance.

Herbs with a heating virya (potency) will warm digestion and metabolism, drying and invigorating the tissues and helping to treat cold, sluggish or ama related conditions, such as those that produce mucus. Their use promotes sweating and thirst and aggravates pitta. Herbs with pungent, sour and salty tastes tend to be heating.