Friday, November 2, 2012

The Blessed bath

Nerve Tonic Bath

Many herbal properties are absorbed through the skin, and herbal bathing therapies are powerful preventive medicine. For this reason, herbal bathing is one of Kami's favorite ways of toning and relaxing the nervous sytem.

3 parts lavender flowers,
2 parts lemon balm leaves,
1 part skullcap leaves,
1 part bay leaves,
1 part California poppy flowers and leaves (if not available, substitute chamomile, catnip, or hops).


Mix all ingredients. Put 2-3 cups of the mixture into a pot, and cover with 4 quarts boiling water. Stir well, cover, and steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain out the herbs, and pour the tea into your bathtub. Immerse yourself, relax, and enjoy. Alternatively, you can prepare 2 quarts of this tea and use it to soak your hands and feet.

****

 The skin is the largest organ in the body. It contributes to many important functions such as secretion, absorption, excretion, temperature regulation, immune function, and sensory reception. The skin has receptor sites that transfer information through the nervous system to the spinal cord and brain. It not only provides a boundary between us and the rest of the world, but because of its millions of receptor sites, is a major player in how we perceive, experience, and interact with the world.

Here are a few other mixes to try
Nerve Tonic Bath

4 gallons water
½ cup lavender leaf and flower
½ cup oatstraw
½ cup lemon balm
1 cup whole oats

Invigorating Bath
4 gallons water
½ cup rosemary
½ cup calendula
½ cup yarrow leaf
and flower

Bedtime Bath
4 gallons water
2 cups lavender
1 cup chamomile

Pleasure Bath

4 gallons water
4 cups rose petals

De-tox Bath
4 gallons water
1 cup burdock root
1 cup elder flowers
1 cup yarrow flowers
1 cup Epsom salts

Kami's Calming Garden Bath

2 cups lavender flowers
2 cups lemon verbena leaf
1 cup rosemary leaf and flower
1 cup California poppy leaf and flower
½ cup catnip leaf

Healing Flower Bath
½ cup fresh calendula flowers
½ cup fresh lavender flowers
½ cup rose geranium leaf
½ cup fresh rose petals
¼ cup fresh peppermint leaf

*****

~Sinus Headache Bath Salts~

2-3 cups Epsom salts (or salts of your choice)
1/3 cup peppermint
1/3 cup spearmint
40 drops peppermint eo
20 drops eucalyptus eo

Grind the mints in a mortar and pestle, then sift them through a
mesh kitchen strainer, and add them to the salts. Actually, it isn't
necessary to measure the herb amounts ~just a good handful of each.
These salts are a big help, but if you still need to clear out
your sinuses, get a half cup of peppermint/spearmint, put it in a
bowl, and toss in a cup or so hot water. Let it sit covered for a bit
and then carefully start breathing the steam.

Use about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of this mixture per bath. You can mix the
salts and dried herbs beforehand, and when the need arises for the
bath salts, add the eo's at that time to guarantee potency. A decent
amount per bath would probably be 4 drops peppermint, 2 drops
eucalyptus. Some people may be more sensitive to the peppermint, so
be sure they don't have an adverse reaction before using these salts.

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