Being told that ‘these are challenging times for all of us’, does little for many, to extinguish fears and concerns. Life can be hard, and although we, like those who fought and endured war times, can do hard times; sometimes we need extra help. There are many mental health supports available which can be accessed through different governments and organizations. Check with your local government and municipality for available resources for support. In Canada help can be assessed here.

The internet and social media provides many recommendations for strategies to help you stay grounded during stressful times. What works for one person, may not work for another. Isolated strategies may also not be enough on their own, but when combined with other strategies, may provide a synergistic impact. A healthy diet, walking, yoga (thanks Jane Fonda for your inspiring videos) and prayer are my ‘go to’ strategies to help me stay grounded. Essential oils have also been a staple in my bag of calming tricks. The grounding blend tea is my #1 back up ‘go to’ when I feel I need grounding. The impact is lasting which I have not found with other strategies to date. Some strategies may not be effective or safe with other strategies, like medications, so consultation with your regular healthcare provider is important before adding in new strategies.

My training in the medicinal properties of herbs has provided me with many health promoting supports during the challenging times in my life. You can read more about these at the blog link posts I list at the end of this post.

Botanical spa therapy, which was the result of much trial and error combining and testing to provide a recipe that promotes whole body detoxification, has had a major impact in helping to restore my health and that of my clients.

My herbal experimenting continues, in part because of my recent move which has provided me with bountiful backyard gardens, and in part, because of my passion for finding natural solutions to help others to cope with life’s daily challenges and unexpected surprises. In my ‘escape to the farmacy’ blog, I share information on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits of botanicals and botanically inspired escapes, experiences, recipes, art and decor. Escaping to, immersing in, being inspired by, and eating from nature brings so many body, mind and spirit benefits!

My grounding blend tea has provided me with the ability to feel calm and grounded in the midst of life’s challenges, and I wanted to share the recipe with others. This recipe is not one that you would serve at tea, it is actually intended as a tea tonic, consumed in small quantities (note the small tea cup). It is not a tea that you drink for the flavour, so feel free to ‘shot glass’ it down and follow with your favourite tea. As with any tonic support, they should be consumed for a short period of time (once a day for about a week) and then you would take a break of at least four days before repeating if necessary. Make sure to check with your regular healthcare provider before adding this grounding blend tea to your grounding strategies plan.

Botanical Therapy Grounding Tea Recipe

Each of the herbs listed in the recipe have been used medicinally for many conditions. Although these were not my first ‘go to’ herbs for my grounding blend, because I went with the historically recommended herbs for calming first (lavender, chamomile, valerian, passion flower, lemon balm), this blend had a surprising calming and grounding impact on me. The synergistic grounding benefit that I have found they provide may be unique to me because of my past stress sensitivity and skewed HPA stress response, but may also help you to stay grounded. I have tried many natural strategies to help me stay grounded and this one by far out weighs others I have tried. Many of the herbs share anti-inflammatory properties, which makes one wonder if that is a root factor in keeping the HPA stress response balanced, keeping one grounded. Each person’s stress response is unique and as such, responds differently to stressors and therapies. Some individual experimenting with quantities and combining may be required to get your best mix. Here is my recipe to get you started. Herbs used are in chopped, dried form. The dandelion root is powdered.

• 1/2 teaspoon stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).The herb with its many chemical compounds provide many researched health benefits, including anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory.

• 1/2 teaspoon yarrow (Achillea L., Compositae or Asteraceae). The herb with its broad range of secondary active metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, terpenoids (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes) and sterols has been researched for its health benefits.

• 1/2 teaspoon speedwell (Veronica). This herb with its 100 phytochemicals, is recommended for many diseases including inflammatory disorders.

• 1/2 teaspoon dandelion leaf and root mix (Taraxacum officinale). Do not use roasted. Not a welcome visitor in the lawn, dandelion has many well researched health properties including , Type 2 diabetes, cancer and for its anti-inflammatory properties
• 1 teaspoon thyme. Thyme has been researched for its anti-inflammatory, respiratory, neuroprotective and anti-depressant effects.
• 3/4 of a cup of warm (not hot) filtered water. Steep for 20 minutes and strain into your cup.

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Enjoy experimenting with the grounding tea blend!

Elisabeth Hines, C.N.C., C.B.P., Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Health by Design, http://www.mybodycanhealitself.ca/

STRESS IDLING & SENSITIVITY: A Modern Day Health Challenge, http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/stress-idling-a-modern-day-health-challenge/

MENTAL HEALTH by DESIGN: How to Edit Your Mental Health Equation for Improved Mental Health, http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/mental-health-by-design-how-to-edit-your-mental-health-equation-for-improved-mental-health/

MY HEALTH RECOVERY: The butterfly effect is the belief that small changes over time can create huge life changes, http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/my-health-recovery-the-butterfly-effect-is-the-belief-that-small-changes-over-time-can-create-huge-life-changes/

YOUR BODY CAN HEAL ITSELF: Follow My Road Map to Get There, http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/your-body-can-heal-itself-follow-my-road-map-to-get-there/

#HPAstressresponse #stress #grounded #anxiety #depression #flightmode #fightorflight #mentalhealthbydesign #healthbydesign #botanicaltherapy #wholepersonwellbeing #medicinalherbs #calmingherbs #escapetothefarmacy