It’s crazy to me how all can be going well in your world, and then something unexpected comes up and can throw you for such a loop. This very thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and y’all―it was tough.
I had to forget all my homeschool prep plans and my 365-day herbal study over on Instagram. I skipped out on all my Growing Up Herbal work, and my regular daily routine was shot. I just hunkered down and went into survival mode. I found myself struggling to sleep and feeling more anxious than I ever have. I’ve also been super emotional, which is also something new to me (I usually hold it together fairly well).
Basically, I’ve been a hot mess, but thank goodness for ashwagandha! I shared how using adaptogens during winter was helpful in a letter a few weeks ago, and this one has come in very handy for me during this time.
Thankfully, these past couple weeks have been a wee bit better. The rough waters seem to be smoothing out. There are still times when I feel like I’m going to be swallowed up by the dark, deep waves, but I’m learning to float here.
Journaling, talking with my husband and my parents, A LOT of prayer and Bible reading, and more have all helped me. Perhaps I’ll share more about this situation one day, but for now, it’s not my story to share―I’m just a part of it, unfortunately.
Finding myself in a place like this has made me super grateful for all the seasonal work I’ve done over the last 1-2 years. It’s helped me to better cope, to understand better, to know how to care for myself during this tough time, and more.
Anyway, I’d appreciate your positive thoughts, prayers, and spoken words over me over the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, I wanted to share this easy herbal tea blend I’ve been using for a few weeks now. Not only does it provide some nourishment during the long, cold days of winter, but it provides some calm and ease to the troubled heart as well.
Before I get to the actual recipe, let’s look at the herbs in this blend and how they are helpful.
3 Herbs to Nourish & Support the Heart
Nettle
Nettle (Urtica diocia) is a nutrient-rich herb that contains a significant amount of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, copper, fatty acids, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, zinc, and vitamins B, C, and E (Balch, 2011). In winter, nutrients from herbs are a great way to supplement one’s diet in winter. Flooding your body with daily nutritional herbal infusions is a great way to stay well during the winter months.
Rose
Rose (Rosa spp.) is an herb that benefits the body, mind, and spirit. In the body, it is cooling to hot conditions, which stress and grief can sometimes be. It is a relaxing nervine in that it helps calm and relax both the mind and muscles, which is very beneficial if stress is causing tension, stomach upset, and anxiety. Rose works on a spiritual level to help one sure up their boundaries while being able to open their heart to hope and forgiveness at the same time. You can learn more about the benefits of rose here.
Rooibos
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is an herb that is often drunk in tea form. It’s caffeine-free, low in tannins, and high in antioxidants, and it’s believed to contain many wellness-promoting benefits, especially when it comes to the heart. It is also said to be calming to the nerves. Rooibos is energetically warming to the body, and it has a deep, mellow, and sweet flavor. It is a great herb to use in tea blends that need a little bit of warmth and flavor added to them.
Heart-Strengthening Rose Tea
This tea blend is a great one to sip a cup at a time throughout the day for several weeks when you feel your heart could use some nourishment and strength. I prefer to make a large teapot full of it in the morning, making it easy to refill my cup again and again throughout the day.
Ingredients:
- 2 parts nettle (Urtica diocia) leaf
- 1 part rose (Rosa spp.) petal
- 1 part rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) leaf
Directions:
- Combine your herbal parts together, mix well, and store in a brown paper bag or a labeled glass canning jar. A part can be anything you wish–a handful, a measuring cup, a teaspoon, or a mug.
- To make one cup of tea, add 1 tablespoon to 8 ounces of boiled water. To make a pot of tea, measure how many ounces of water your kettle holds, and for every 8 ounces, add 1 tablespoon of your herb blend to the water after the water boils. After you combine your herbs and water, cover your tea cup with a plate or place the lid over the kettle and close the spout, and allow the mixture to steepfor 10-15 minutes.
- Strain the herbs from your water and compost the herbs.
- Add a wee bit of milk and honey to your tea if you wish, allow it to cool just a bit, and drink it. Drink 3-4 cups of tea throughout the day.
If you’d like to learn more about how to formulate herbal tea blends (and other herbal preparations too), let me invite you to check out my Making Herbal Tea Blends Using A Tea Blending Triangle mini-course.
Here is another DIY herbal grief tea that is a bit different than the one above but just as good.
REFERENCES:
- Balch, P. A. (2011). Prescription for nutritional healing: a practical A-to-Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs & food supplements. London: Penguin.