I have always been a tea girl. Growing up tea was always in our house. I don’t think there was ever a time when my mom didn’t have a gallon of sun tea brewing in the window. We sipped on it over ice with our dinner every evening. Dad loved a cup of hot tea and would brew some up on a winter’s evening. I would come behind him in the kitchen and pick out which kind I wanted. We always had an array of different boxes – pomegranate, orange spice, peppermint, earl gray, and chamomile to name just a few. I loved trying them all. After I poured the boiling water over the tea bag I would hover over the cup and breath in the aromatics wafting from the cup. I always felt warm and safe and comforted when I drank a cup of tea.
After moving out on my I continued the tradition and always had plenty of different kinds of tea in my pantry. Especially in the winter I would enjoy a cup the same way I did as a kid. When I was sick I would add a little bit of lemon and honey, just like my parents taught me to. Honey to soothe the throat and lemon to cut down on the mucus. Little did I know I was an herbalist in the making. I still love my tea but it has become so much more to me. Tea can transform me in so many ways. If I’m hot it can cool me down. If I’m anxious I can make a cup to gently calm me. When I am starting to feel signs that I am coming down with a virus I make a tea blend to fortify me. If I feel dehydrated I add moistening herbs to rehydrate. To mineralize my body might I brew a cup with nutrient dense herbs such as alfalfa, oat straw and red clover. If I need help sleeping I make a cup of adaptagenic mushrooms to balance my HPA axis. For times when I’m sad I might add some rose petals since they help transform grief. I might make a gut healing blend for a client with leaky gut. Tea is like a chameleon that is ever changing its color. It changes to help me, my family and my clients adapt to our ever changing circumstances.
It has been said that those who are willing to make a cup of tea for themselves every day are those who will heal fastest. Making tea is a ritual that slows us down. We pick the tea blend or herbs that feel best for us (even if you are not an herbalist your intuition most often helps you make the best choice) as the water is on the stove working hard to come to a boil. As we pour the boiling water over the tea the aromas engage our sense of smell and evoke pleasant feelings. Sometimes these aromas help us contact pleasant memories from the past that soothe our souls. Then we taste. Mmmm! Every herb has a profile that elicits some sort of healing power within us. What is it for you – emotional, physical, mental, or perhaps all three combined? We really don’t need to think about it when we embrace our cup of tea. We just need to feel it!
I encourage you to drink a cup of tea today. Explore the world of tea whether it be with a different herb or a combination of herbs or you might try drinking a cup with a different mindset or a in different environment. Go outside and pick a new edible plant and put it in a cup to steep. In winter it might be some pine needles which are so high in vitamin C or perhaps some astringent red fruits left on the barberry branches. In the summer some soft rose petals would be wonderful! Wild bee balm could fill your cup or even some fresh basil growing in the garden. If you don’t feel like your foraging skills are up to par then I encourage you to go to your kitchen cupboard and explore the options. A cinnamon stick in a cup of chamomile is a personal favorite. Sage with honey soothes a sore throat. A cup of strong ginger tea is a great way to ward off a cold or virus when it is just beginning.
If you would like a specific tea blend for your own personal emotional or physical needs, give me a call or e-mail me and we can talk about what would be best for you. I love to formulate tea blends for my friends and clients!
Kind Regards,
Darcy