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Bathing with Herbs |
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Nowhere is the sacred power of plants more evident than in the help they offer us by countering the negative effects of stress. Herbs can help clear everything from anxiety to depression, addiction to sleeplessness - even burnout. The loving energy of plants pours forth in abundance whenever we need it most.
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More on bathing
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THE ART OF BATHING Water, fortified with plant essences, can soothe, heal, and relax a tense and weary body as well as lift a sagging spirit. When you step into the bath it is time to let go of all your cares. Bathing can be blissful but it is a serious business. The relaxation it brings restores energy and helps make whole a fragmented mind. Whenever you can, make bath-time a real performance in a warm bathroom filled with wonderful fragrance, soft music and gentle light. And before you even touch a tap, make sure you have everything you need – loofah or hemp glove, towel, another towel to act as a headrest, and herbs or oils of your choice. |
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it's in the bag How do you make the most of herb baths? Don’t just toss a handful of leaves, bark, root, and flowers into the bath water. Yes, it will make an infusion you can soak in. But it will also make an awful mess. Herbs stick to the bath and to you; and they clog up the plug-hole. Instead create a sort of ‘tea bag’ by sewing up three sides of a 6" square muslin bag. Put your herbs into it and sew up the last side. Many of these bags can be used again and again so sewing a few is worth the investment in time. If you only want to use your herbs once you can put them in the middle of a square of muslin, make a bundle of it and secure it with an elastic band. When you’ve done with it you can throw the herbs away and wash the muslin to be used again. blissful bags To relax you To invigorate you To ease aching muscles
To bathe tired feet
Herbal baths have many therapeutic uses. I first became hooked on them when I found that herbs in the bath could ease me into restful sleep, or pep me up after a long day’s work so that I was bright enough to enjoy an evening out. Toss a herb bag into your bath as you are running it, or make your bag with string or ribbon ties so it hangs under the flow from the hot tap. Leave it in the water for the first five minutes of your bath, then squeeze it out thoroughly and put it on the side. You can use the wet bag like a flannel to wash with. If this seems like too much effort you can even make a super-strong infusion of your herbs in a tea pot and pour this into the bath – it will have the same effect. |
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minimalist baths A herb bath doesn’t necessarily mean filling the bath with water and fully immersing yourself either. You might like to try a sitz bath. This can be great for healing lower back troubles and period pain. Simply put six inches of warm water in to the tub. Add your herbs (don’t use essential oils, they might burn your skin in so little water) and sit in it for ten to fifteen minutes, keeping the top half of your body well wrapped up. Step out of the bath and wrap yourself in a towel – don’t dry yourself with it. Go and lie down in a warm room for 20 minutes and soak up the chance to relax. Or you might like to try a steam bath. This is an excellent way to cleanse and soften your skin while you let go of worries. You will need two large buckets, pans, or foot baths. Fill one with boiling water and herbs and put it underneath a straight-backed chair (be careful of the surface you put this on). Fill the other with comfortably hot water and herbs to put your feet in. Sit on a towel on the chair with your feet in the footbath and wrap yourself, tent-like, from the neck down in a sheet and a blanket so that you cover both steaming pans. Have a good sweat for fifteen minutes than wrap yourself in a towel and a blanket. Then rest for half an hour and enjoy a large cup of herb tea before taking a refreshing shower. |
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The classic definition of a herb is a non-woody plant which dies down to its roots each winter. This definition is far too limiting. It was probably made up by 19th Century European botanists who had never seen the rainforest in which, of course there is no winter to die back in. Neither had they ever heard of woody trees and shrubs such as hawthorn and ginko and elder which are some of the best selling herbs on the market these days. I define a herb as a medicinal plant. It can come from any climate and be a leaf, a bark, a flower or a root. It can be home-grown or wild, a weed, a spice, a plant which is used for its healing or culinary or beautifying properties. Once you discover the power of herbs it is easy to become so enthusiastic about them you go overboard trying to use them for everything. It is not wise to take lots of different plants all at the same time. Or you might start to think that since a small amount of something is good for you, taking twice or three times that amount will be even better. It isn’t. If you want safe and sane herbal help here are a few guidelines to follow:
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