Did you know that one of the leading causes of illness is stress? It’s true! When our bodies and minds are in a constant state of stress and anxiety our immune systems can’t work properly, we don;t digest as many nutrients from our food, we suffer from lack of healing sleep, and we tend to take poor care of ourselves. For all of these reasons and more, I believe that treating stress is one of the best and most instantly effective things we can do for our greater physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Today, I’d like to introduce you to my 5 favorite floral herbal teas that relieve stress, release strain, and replace anxiety with a sense of joy and peace. Give them all a try and see which ones you like most!
Chamomile
Naturally, we have to start with the most classic of all calming herbs. Chamomile is likely the third most enjoyed tea in the world after green and peppermint. Chamomile flowers have a gentle sedative property that calms the physical body and the mind without drowsiness.
Working with chamomile herbal tea has a variety of benefits – the biggest being that it influences all levels of our being. While some herbs are more for the mind or emotions and some work more on the body, chamomile treats them all equally. Tea made from chamomile flowers has been used for centuries to treat sore muscles, inflammation, tension, restless nerves, anxious thoughts, and scattered emotions.
If you’re new to working with medicinal herbal tea, chamomile is a great one to start with. It has a sweet, apple-like flavor and it works well with just about any blend you may want to create. It’s also wonderful by itself, and pairs well with food!
Lavender
Next up is the classic lavender flower which is famous among aromatherapy enthusiasts for its ability to bring on the calm almost instantly. There’s something really special about the scent of lavender – it relieves stress and inspires us with joy at the same time. The perfect trade-off!
Lavender is a nerve tonic and true relaxant. It calms the body from head to toe and soothes anxious feelings in the heart. I like to use lavender herbal tea when it’s the emotions and feelings that seem to be stressed out the most.
When you enjoy lavender herbal tea, take time to look at the color of the liquor, smell the steam rising from your cup, and really savor the taste. All of these elements play in to the depth of healing it can bring you.
Linden Flowers
This delicate, sweet herbal tea gets to work soothing the body and relaxing the mind in just a few sips. Linden flowers have a humble personality that tends to work well with other herbs. Add this to a blend and you’ll see the best parts of the other herbs you’re working with come to the forefront.
Linden flower herbal tea is a delightful sipping tea that can be enjoyed anytime of day without fear of sedation or fatigue. The physical body loves what this tea does, and the mind will enjoy the sacred rest it delivers.
Skullcap
While the flowers and leaves are often used with skullcap herbal tea, it’s too effective not to mention in this list. Skullcap gets its name from the bonnet-shaped flowers it has, and I also find it interesting that this herbal tea seems to put a cap on the mind that thinks too much and stays in the clouds too often.
Skullcap herbal tea soothes the body and helps relieves tics and tensions spots that stem from anxiety and stress. As a powerful yet gentle nervine, it also soothes the entire nervous system and promotes a nearly instant feeling of relaxation and well-being. Skullcap also calms the mind and emotions, and helps a person feel strong and courageous in the face of life changes and periods of intense stress.
I am such a huge fan of skullcap that I add a pinch of it to almost all of my calming herbal tea blends. A little goes a long way with this beautiful plant, so go more for consistency instead of quantity.
Hops
While many people associate hops with beer, and beer with men, hops flower herbal tea is actually all for women! The natural plant estrogen contained in hops flowers makes it an empowering and balancing choice for women, and not a very good choice for men except for in very small doses on rare occasions.
Hops flowers have a wonderfully unique scent and flavor, and they have a special relationship with helping women deal with the tension, strain, and stress that often accompanies PMS. Hops herbal tea means business – it is so effective as a sedative that it should be used in small amounts as part of a blend unless you want to get to sleep fast! I would suggest avoiding hops during waking hours and enjoying it right before bed instead.
I hope you enjoyed this look at my 5 favorite flowers to use in calming herbal tea blends, and I really hope you go out and try some for yourself! In addition to using these herbs in teas, they can also be used in potpourris and pillow sachets – so they have many versatile uses and lots of healing power to share.
You can find these and many other organic tea herbs
Enjoy!
