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8 HERBAL TEAS TO PAIR WITH YOUR MEDITATION ROUTINE

“As we meditate more, we become increasingly refined to the subtle and recognize that almost everything affects practice; from the food we eat to the movies we watch” _yogainternational.com

For most people, the ultimate goal of meditation is to rest in the true self. Meditation is praised for its ability to heal emotional trauma, promote self-acceptance, and enhance creativity, focus, memory and even compassion.

For many of us, meditation seems like an unattainable discipline, mainly because we cannot imagine sitting still for hours, or even minutes listening to our breathing. Our conscious awake self is filled with so many thoughts and distractions, let alone our external surroundings that can make it hard to concentrate and impossible to feel balanced and grounded enough to meditate.

Early practitioners of meditation faced the same challenges too and found many effective ways to make it simpler for us to meditate; for example, the use of spiritual herbs.

"Any form of a spiritual herb will have a healing influence, yet there is something especially powerful about a liquid"

The consumption of herbal teas, meant for meditation, is one of the ways you can improve your meditation practice. These teas can soothe and strengthen the mind, calm the spirit and balance the whole self, making meditation simpler and easier to turn into a habit.

You can also use these herbal teas, the preparation and consumption process as your moving dynamic meditation, an alternative to seated still meditation especially for beginners.

Many times we read about various herbal teas but most of us have no idea where to get the high-quality teas from and which brands are trustworthy. Also, most of us even have no idea how we should prepare and consume them. We are here to help you with that!

Listed below are 8 of the best herbal teas to add to your meditation routine:

Hibiscus tea

Considered as the flower of the goddess in Hindu worship India, and also the national flower of Haiti, it is not hard to imagine why the tea made of this hailed flower is considered as an Ayurveda herb. This tea is caffeine-free deep red infusion rich in vitamin C, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Hibiscus tea's main contribution to meditation is its relaxing effect on the body. Hibiscus tea has anthocyanin and flavonoids that are antioxidants which reduce high blood pressure. Besides, it opens the arteries and slows the constriction of blood vessels by slowing the release of the hormone that causes blood vessel constriction, since it acts as a natural ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor. These processes cause relaxation of the whole body and reduction of stress hormones.

Gradual Relaxation of the body makes you feel warmer, more centred and balanced in general. Besides, it enhances your ability to pick up subtle energies around you, making you more accepting of your sensitive side. This will make you more forgiving of yourself and others, letting you reach into your innermost self without negative energy controlling you.

Plus side:

  • Hibiscus tea also speeds up metabolism causing gradual weight loss
  • It is used to treat hypertension and anxiety.
  • It also has low calories
  • Can be drunk both when hot and cold

Preparation

8 ounces of water/ a cup of water

2teaspoons of dried hibiscus flower, or a tea bag of hibiscus tea brand of your choice

Bring the water to boil

Turn it off and let it rest for a minute. Pour the water over the dried hibiscus flower or place the teabag in the water, and let it steep for 5-10minutes depending on your desired taste

Passionflower herb

This is also known as the mind sedative. Besides being rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, this herb is so relaxing that it has been used as a sleep aid for a generation. This makes it perfect for people that like to meditate before bedtime. It calms the nervous system by increasing the release of serotonin, a mood-balancing and uplifting hormone from the brain.

This tea also cools the mind, calms the spirit and puts you in the perfect mental space for meditation

According to a report by healthline.com, passionflower tea appears to boost the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in your brain. This compound lowers brain activity, which may help you relax and sleep better. It also warms and soothes the stomach, making you more comfortable, and eliminating stomach discomfort that is a common disruption to many people during meditation.

Plus side;

  • It is used to treat anxiety and depression.
  • When taken in the right doses, it can help stop insomnia.
  • It is also great for relieving muscle pains, spasms, tension-related headaches
  • This tea that is used for dealing with hysteria and epilepsy

Preparation:

  • 1 teaspoon dried passionflower
  • 8 oz. or a cup of boiling water

Steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on desired taste in a covered teacup and drink.

Drink it in moderation as abnormally high quantities are not advisable, as with all herbs.

“Regular meditators know that even the most common plants can affect the mind’s ability to turn inward”

Lavender tea

The flowers and leaves of this herb are used for medicinal purposes, mainly as a lavender oil-for example in massage therapy- or as a form of herbal tea. This show that it has a soothing effect on the body, whether taken orally or applied externally.

This tea is referred to as clairvoyance tea! It is the tea meant for your third eye chakra. It clears your mind and calms your body, settling your body to the meditative state.

This herb is known for its fragrance. The soothing unique aroma promotes relaxation by slowing down the central nervous system activity and calming your whole body. This enhances your ability to concentrate during this time of self-searching and healing.

Besides, it is considered as the spiritual herbal tea that quiets the ego voice, making self-reflection productive

Plus side:

  • Great tea for bloating, indigestion and stomach ulcers
  • Lavender also has antispasmodic and anticonvulsant effects, hence being able to control rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles according to a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology

This tea can be mixed with chamomile tea for a powerful relaxing yet healthy combination

Preparation

1 teaspoon lavender tea/ 1 teabag

8 Oz boiling water

Steep the dried blossoms in boiling water for seven to 10 minutes, and then strain it.

Or

Steep the teabag in a cup of water for 5-10 minutes for desired taste.

Calendula tea

This herb is known as the healing and energizing herb, is popular for its external skin-healing properties. However, even placing a teabag of unaltered calendula tea can greatly improve your skin

It is usually added in the meditation routine due to its energizing yet calming effect on the body. Unlike caffeine which is stimulant that wakes you up and usually leaves you agitated, this herbal tea energizes you minus the agitated feeling. It leaves you alert, conscious and yet relaxed enough to have a fruitful soul-searching session

This herb is known to increase blood flow and improve oxygen distribution all over the body, a property that enables it to be effective in healing wounds and erasing scars. This property is also important as it increases your alertness, and activates your innate healing abilities, bringing healing to your mind, soul and body.

It is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties, as well as relax spontaneous muscle spasms

Plus side;

  • Commonly used as an eye cleaning tea, for itching red eyes, and even as a treatment for pink eye
  • Effective treatment of acne, sunburn, skin diseases and disorders, as well as yeast infections
  • Used in the reduction of menstrual cramps
  • Also known to treat sluggish liver

Preparation

Place one tablespoon of dried calendula flowers in a teapot. Cover with boiling water (for 2-3 cups) and let steep for 5-10 minutes.

Or

Use the calendula tea bag, place in boiling water and steep for 5-10 minutes as desired.

Chamomile tea

This is the perfect evening meditation tea, praised by regular meditators for the power to make you more receptive and enhance the ability to let down your guard. This tea contains flavonoids, compounds that cause smooth muscle relaxation, making meditation a smooth walk in the park. It also contains GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors that have a calming effect on the central nervous system, by reducing excitability in the brain.

This reduces anxiety, improves concentration while meditating and also calms, soothes and rests the entire body.

A bonus about this tea is that you can use the warm tea bag- after making the tea – for added meditation benefits. Placing this tea on your forehead has a direct effect on your focus, leaving you feeling more concentrated and relaxed.

It is believed to clean your third eye chakra, causing more openness and willingness to dig deeper into your innermost self.

Preparation

8 ounces of water

2teaspoons of chamomile flower, or a tea bag of chamomile tea brand of your choice

Bring the water to boil

Turn it off and let it rest for a minute.

Pour the water over the chamomile or place the teabag in the water

let it steep for 5-10minutes depending on your desired taste

Plus sides

  • Used to enhance the colour of blonde hair
  • Has anti-inflammatory properties
  • Drinking this tea will alleviate menstrual disorders and cramps
  • Placing the tea bag on an acne spot can clean it out and gradually lead to beautiful glowing skin

When mixed with other herbs like fennel and balm mint, chamomile tea is effective at treating colic disease in children Oil from chamomile herb can be used to treat wounds when mixed with lavender oil; this goes to show its effectiveness even while being used externally

Gotu kola

Also called the longevity herb, this herb is from India for its longevity, peace of mind and meditation purposes. It is also called the Asian tonic. Its leaf resembles the brain, reflecting its ability to balance the left and right hemispheres. Unlike the other herbs listed above that slow the central nervous system activity to bring calmness and concentration, this herb is a brain stimulant. It is perfect for morning meditation, due to its ability to stimulate the brain, keeping you awake and more alert while meditating. It can increase your intelligence and enhance nearly every aspect of mental functioning. U may wonder why not replace it with coffee instead! Unlike coffee and most herbs that enhance mental functioning being highly stimulant, Gotu kola is very centring; making it perfect for meditation. It is also a caffeine-free option!

Gotu kola is also an adaptogen, causing a balancing effect on the body, mind and spirit. It is also a mind and nervous tissue tonic, nourishing the central nervous system and rebuilding energy reserves.

This tea also aids circulation problems (venous insufficiency and works on blood clots in the lags in case you suffer from that too. Drinking this tea is like drinking liquid healing!

Plus sides

  • This tea can be used as a treatment for tonsillitis, asthma, stomach pain, diarrhoea and ulcers
  • Increases collagen production which promotes wound healing
  • Used to treat bacterial, parasitic and viral infections, like urinary tract infections
  • Can be applied to the skin to reduce or even remove stretch marks caused by extreme weight loss or childbirth

Preparation

1 teabag of the Gotu kola tea high-quality brand of your choice

Boiling water

Steep one tea bag in a cup of boiling water for 5-10minutes according to desired taste.

"Meditation is both the symbol and expression of our intention to grow. Sitting still, alone with our thoughts and feelings, we can honour missed opportunities, passing desires, remembered disappointments, as well as our inner strength, personal wisdom, and ability to forgive and love." Sébastian

Rosemary tea

This tea makes you feel better as soon as you sip it. Its subtle distinct aroma is known to have a calm and soothing effect on the entire body just by breathing it in. it is an energy-boosting it, that leaves you alert, in a better mood and happier. This tea has an affinity for the head area; it clears away unwanted thoughts, improves your concentration and enhances your ability to let go and look within.

It also warms and soothes the stomach, hence warming up and centring the entire body during meditation. Rosemary tea is a proven brain booster, used as a supplement tea in the treatment of Alzheimer’s in elderly patients. This property can help you boost your memory and increase your abilities to search into your past for places that need healing, acceptance and letting go.

Preparation

1 teaspoon of rosemary herbs/ a teabag of rosemary high-quality tea

8 ounces of boiling water

Steep the rosemary for 5 minutes or longer, depending on the strength of the tea.

Rosemary mixes well with other teas such as lavender tea in case you have some

Plus sides

  • Rosemary can stimulate the regeneration of skin cells, making it an effective anti-ageing infusion. It increases blood circulation leaving you with a firmer, glowing youthful skin. Drinking rosemary tea regularly with cut back on your physical age, leaving you grateful to your newly developed meditation discipline.
  • It can even be left in the open for a fresh scent in your home
  • One thing great about this herb is its multipurpose nature. It can be used for culinary purposes, for example in chicken recipes, roasted meats and vegetables. It can also be used for added aroma in soups without adding any extra calories.
  • This tea is favourable as it is easy to grow and manage; you can grow it yourself at home as it does not take up any space!

Sage

Despite putting this last on the list, this herb is one of the most spiritual herbs used in meditation centres around the world. From providing an aromatherapy scent to being burnt as incense in meditation temples, this herb still qualifies as a worthy meditation infused tea to change your meditation practice for the better.

The effect of sage on meditation and the entire body can be attributed to its effect on the release of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is one of the brain neurotransmitters responsible for memory, alertness and motivation, sustaining attention and learning. You need all these disciplines for fruitful meditation practice and a cup of sage tea is known to enhance them.

This tea is praised for its ability to reduce anxiety, creating a feeling of contentment while grounding and balancing your entire body

The antispasmodic effect of sage promotes muscle relaxation by reducing muscle tension. This in turn lets you concentrate more on your breathing pattern and inner self while meditation.

According to sciencedaily.com, People were known to take sage for memory loss centuries ago and drank teas and tinctures containing extracts of the herb. Improvement in memory can be very important in your meditation practice, as it helps you reveal elements of your past that need healing and letting go, while also enabling you to memorize new mantras you may be trying to incorporate into your daily life

Plus side

  • Sage tea is known to relieve indigestion, making it good for reducing stomach bloating and relieving stomach gas i.e. flatulence
  • Sage is also used in relieving an asthma attack by inhaling the steam from the sage tea. Burning the dried sage leaves also can be done to unblock the nasal pathways in case of mucous congestion.

Preparation

1tablspoon fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage or a teabag of high-quality sage tea brand of your choice

1 cup of boiling water

1 wedge of lemon (optional)

Can also use a pinch of kitchen sage, or a tip of the leaf when using white sage

Bring the water to boil. Remove the heat and put the sage in the water. Let it steep for 3-5 minutes depending on the strength of the tea and you desired taste.

Points to note

  • Despite herbal teas being natural remedies, the correct dosage is very important and should not be ignored. These teas have powerful effects on the body. As stated above, some of these teas are emmenagogues that should be avoided by pregnant and lactating mothers.
  • Some of these teas have strong properties that do not pair well with some drugs and medication. It is advisable to consult a health care provider in case you are on antidepressants or other medication.
  • When buying herbs or herbal teas, you will find many labels out there and it is difficult to determine which is actually of high quality and which are fresh and potent enough. You can always look for standard markers of high-quality herbs such as organic or wildcrafted mainly Indian and Himalayan products. This is mainly for many women that cannot grow their herbs or that find using already packed tea bags to make the healthy infusion easier and more manageable.
  • You are welcome to comment below on what herbal teas and natural remedies worked for you and those that failed you.

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