Mixing Up My Own Brew

Mixing up My Own Brew

I used to never have trouble sleeping but recently there have been major changes in my life and now it has resulted in me chasing a good night's rest like a crazy person.  Many of us during our lives at one time or another, have trouble with our sleep routines.  It is estimated that 50 to 70 million people in the U.S. have chronic sleep disorders and 1 in 3 adults report not getting enough regular sleep.  Enough sleep for adults is 7-9 hours per night.  It is so important for keeping your immune system strong and being able to get through the day at your peak performance.  It also heads off chronic diseases, boosts cognitive functioning and helps you to enjoy life in general.  Getting enough sleep can also help improve your metabolism and blood sugar levels and improves our mood.

Many of us need a way to relax and unwind at the end of the day in order to sleep well.  For a long, long time, brewing medicinal teas has helped bring health and balance to lives.  But it can be so much more.  The act of making an evening tea ritual as a way to relax, unwind and reduce stress can be powerful.  Tea in fact, can be a healing answer for our modern stressful lives, helping us de-tox and relax enough to get a nice sound sleep.  Tea ceremonies have been incorporated and practiced in history all over the world, and an example is the Japanese tea ceremony, and as well as so many more tea ceremonies in cultures around the world.  

If you decide that making a tea ritual is for you, the first step is to gather or purchase some equipment.  You may want a nice teapot, a special cup, some tea balls to steep loose dried herbal mix teas in, some honey if you prefer a little sweetness.  Of course, all you really need is hot water and a cup, so you can get as fancy or as plain as you want.  I've found that if you have a few special items, it makes the incorporation of the ritual a little easier to stick to.  You will want to pick a time and stick to it.  Will it be right after dinner?  Later in the evening while taking a moment to pause?  Right before bedtime?  I'm making a timer that goes off when it is time for me to start my brew.  The choice is yours.  To maximize the effect, make sure to sip slowly, and use the time to reflect on how you want your coming day to go.  

Of course, you can always use pre-made tea blends or premade bags, but it is so easy to mix up your own brew, where you'll know exactly what goes in it, be able to choose the medicinal qualities of the herbs, how fresh it is and gauge the amount to use, why not spend five minutes mixing up a year's worth of blend?  Most premade teabags only contain one herb or ones that you would prefer not using.  You can make tea blends yourself that help with digestion, energize, relax or send you to slumber.  My focus was on getting a good night's sleep, and I tend to gravitate having the relaxing herbs on hand anyway, so I was good to go on making a sleepy-time tea blend that will last me for a good long time.  I wanted something delightful too.  Perhaps something to help with depression and grief.  I think I came up with a good mix.

MY FIVE BLEND SLEEPY TEA

My first choice for the base of the tea, was Chamomile.  Chamomile is a wonderful gentle herb.  It is one that is recommended even for children.  Its qualities include soothing stomach troubles and improves digestion.  It is helpful for stress and anxiety, helps the heart and immune system, and is promoted for helping ease you to sleep.   I use 1 cup of the dried flowers.  Next, I added a 1/2 cup of dried rose petals.  Roses are sedative, anti-depressive, and helpful for improving mood from grief and sadness.  They are anti-inflammatory too, so would be good if you have inflammation troubles from stress.  I put in 1/2 cup of dried Peppermint leaves for digestion and gas, great for after dinner.  And it has a great flavor.  It reduces stress, gets rid of nausea, and makes headaches disappear.  My next addition was dried Lavender buds.  Lavender is very relaxing and induces a lasting restful sleep.  It calms the mind after a stressful day and promotes a sense of wellbeing.  Plus, it also helps with digestion and headaches.   Last, I add a 1/2 cup dried Lemon balm.  It has a refreshing lemon taste and is reported as very helpful for those with insomnia.  It is also good for relieving stress, promoting relaxation, uplifts the spirit and has a mild sedative effect.  

Place all the dried material into a quart jar with a lid and shake the jar until well-mixed.  Be sure to label it.  You will want to use 1 teaspoon per cup of tea you want to make.

HAVING A BATCH PREMADE ON HAND

A friend of mine introduced me to a simple way to have the tea pre-made if I wish, for times when my life is crazy, and I need to have the tea on hand to continue my ritual at the appropriate time.  She brews several days' worth and stores them in mason jars which can be re-warmed or served over ice.  Who says the tea ritual has to be hot tea?

With a bit of effort and preparation, you can start your tea ritual and make it a part of your day.  I'm going to be incorporating it so I can relax and get sent off to a blissful sleep.  You can do it too.