Fall is all about going within. We see this in nature when the plants and trees send their energy to their roots to prepare for winter. I have recently been reminded of my roots as an herbalist and how it is originally what lead me to massage. While it is very much a part of my personal life, professionally it is something that I have somewhat kept on the back burner. There are various reasons for keeping it in the shadow but I would like to start shedding some light on it now.
For this season, I have chosen to make a lemon balm infused herbal massage oil. Over the summer I really enjoyed the refreshing peppermint oil I was using. Although it was one of the most aromatic of all of the infused oils I have used, I loved it for how lite and soothing it felt on the skin. So, I knew that I really wanted to use another member of the mint family. Internally lemon balm is wonderful for digestion, relieving both menstrual and intestinal cramps, and is anti bacterial and anti-viral. Lemon balm is known for its uplifting and slightly sedative qualities. Lemon balm is rich in antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory making it great for the skin. It soothes skin irritations as well as heals and tightens the skin. Although mostly a calming herb it is slightly stimulating and increases circulation. By infusing lemon balm in fractionated coconut oil it is easily absorbed into the skin allowing you to reap all of these wonderful benefits! Coming soon: Ginger infused Massage OIl
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One of my favorite things to do with tea (other then drink it of course!!) is to turn them into ice cubes. I keep zip lock bags of various frozen teas in my freezer to make it quick and easy to have a nice cold glass of ice tea anytime I want. I'm also a sucker for fun shaped ice cubes. You can usually find these heart shaped trays around valentines day. I think they are actually for making chocolate, but the rubber trays are great for making ice cubes because they let the ice expand as they freeze and are also really easy to pop out the cubes. Hibiscus flowers are known for making a brilliant red tea. They are also very high in vitamin C and are a refrigerant, so it actually helps your body stay cool, making it perfect on a hot summer day. In Traditional Chinese Medicine energetically lemons are considered "warming" while limes are considered "cool" which is why I choose to enjoy limeade on a hot summer day verses lemonade. Either one will be create with the slightly sweet and sour Hibiscus flowers. You can steep your tea however you like, on the stove top, in a coffee pot, a cold water infusion, or my favorite, a sun tea. Hibiscus flowers are so fun to watch steep in the sun. The brilliant magenta flowers swirl and infuse with the water and ends up seeming to glow in the sunshine. I prefer to make my teas very strong so I will steep them more than usual. Once the tea is ready and cooled a little bit you can pour it into your ice cube trays and let them freeze. While the tea is freezing you will also need
I just love how the ice cubes turn out! First I place a spoonful of honey in a glass and add a little bit of room temperature water so that it dissolves. Then add the lime juice. Fill the glass half way with the Hibiscus Ice cubes and fill the rest with plain water. Add more lime or sweetener to taste.
I have limited garden space this year. The early spring was successful for the snap peas. They really loved growing up my balcony railing. You can find more information on Planting Peas on a Balcony. Other than the peas I have two window boxes. One of which is thriving right now. It has two kinds of peppers, basil, and a tomato.
I’m really excited about these peppers because they are going to turn purple!! |
AuthorI am an herbalist, massage therapist, childless, wife just trying to live a healthy, fun, magical life in this crazy beautiful world. Categories
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February 2020
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