Leslie Kenton herb feature

MINIMALIST BATHS

A herb bath doesn’t necessarily mean filling the bath with water and fully immersing yourself. 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.

More on bathing

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 19^th 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:

Herbs occasionally interact with conventional drugs. Be sure to tell your doctor that you intend to try a herbal remedy.

If you want to use herbs to treat a serious medical condition, find yourself a good medical herbalist to work with. Don’t do it yourself.

Take no more than recommended dosages of a herb or combination. If you notice any adverse reaction, stop right away.

Use only the very best herbs whether they be fresh, dried, teas, tinctures, extracts, or capsules.

Give plants enough time to work. Many herbs, such as St John’s Wort and Wild Yam, are slow to build beneficial effects on the body. Look to six weeks for results.

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