At this time of year when the weather turns cool and wet, it is an enjoyable daily self-care practice to nourish our body and soul with delicious and nutritional herbal tea.
It is a simple pleasure that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere with reverence, awareness and bliss. Sure you can buy the tea bags from the grocery store, but using organic fresh or dried herbs is so much more fun and rewarding! The herbs, varieties and combinations are endless, and blending special groups of herbs together is easy after a trip to your garden, cupboards or favourite health food store.
I have been growing, propagating, drying and using medicinal herbs for a long time, and I prepare each teapot with an intuitive selection of fresh or dried herbs based on who will be joining me for a cuppa my special tea. I usually incorporate 8-10 herbs each time and during the Summer, most of them are fresh. I still enjoy drinking organic dark roast coffee, and the rest of the time I’m drinking my healing herbal tea, hot or cold.
There’s something very special about a delightful and fresh cup of herbal tea, brewed from herbs from your garden. And, I am reminded time and time again about the powerful, gentle simplicity of using Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis), she boasts a long list of benefits including calming tension and anxiety, and lifting spirits. Lemon Balm tastes great, and is wonderfully relaxing yet gently stimulating, and a good choice for middle-of-the-day tea. She increases energy in our system by helping to release energy blocks and stress. Lemon Balm is easy to grow and find in our yards, and her common appearance make her a top herbal ally and a much needed herb.
Another beautiful medicinal herb to consider adding is German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). This pretty herb grows easily, and she has so many benefits like soothing nerves, inducing sleep, and works well for restless and hyperactive children too. Chamomile helps a troubled digestive system, helps to reduce pain and anxiety, may lower inflammation in the body. There is German Chamomile which I grow in the garden, and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum mobile) which grows wild on the property.
This year, I finally grew the most popular American Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). She is my favourite for nourishing the nervous system, helping to support emotional conflict, relieves anxiety and worry, and aids in sleep deprivation. She soothes as if being comforted by a warm blanket, good for nervous exhaustion, depression and is safe and reliable. I keep her mainly in pots as she is a fast-grower, and can be invasive with intense root systems.
The last one I’ll share is Oats (Avena sativa), a highly valuable cereal grain and part of the grass family. The whole plant is highly beneficial: the seeds are made into oats, the leaves and stems are called oat straw, and bran is the whole oat’s outer layer. Oat Straw is a nutritive nervine that is rejuvenating and improves mood, blood flow and bone health. I grow a row of Oats every year and aim to harvest the pods at the right time to obtain sticky Milky Oats. This is the potent, unripe pod of the oat plant and it’s best harvested at its ‘milky sap’ stage. Milky Oats are anti-inflammatory, and cardio-protective, and help with brain health, anxiety, depression and mental exhaustion. Eating hot oats is a great way to start the day too! The whole Oat plant is truly one to be grateful for.
I hope I’ve inspired you to add the practice of fresh herbal tea to your daily regular self-care pleasures! Herbal tea warms me up on the inside, and I know the herbs are full of nutrients, minerals and goodness that my body craves. During the growing season, fresh herbs mentioned above are abundant.
Herbal tea is a safe, easy way to gently explore the vast world of medicinal herbal teas for nourishing calming healing. I’m passionate about returning to self-responsibility and Nature for our healing remedies, and I love my herbal tea as does my husband.
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Diana Pink is always happy to connect with others about plants, remedies, healing, growing and detoxing.
Diana can be reached at 250 597-2102 afreshstart@shaw.ca