While many of us are working hard to distance ourselves physically from others, it is also important to maintain some semblance of social and emotional closeness with those we care about. And just as important to keep our bodies healthy and our minds active. That's a lot to manage. Lately, while I've had plenty of work to do helping to develop distance learning materials for my job, I've been feeling pretty stressed out: worrying about people, not sleeping well, feeling isolated, and all of this amid a dwindling selection of opportunities to get outside of my house and out into nature, where things are still fairly normal (or what passes for normal in this era of CLIMATE CHANGE). Thank goodness gardening is still one of the out-of-the-house exercise activities allowed by our mayor, though I wish I was able to garden with kids. Lord, I miss my students.
[Break to make a calming cup of chamomile tea.]
Today, I attended my first Slow Food Live session, led by herbalist Christine Buckley. Over the course of an hour of the remote (and yet hands-on) "DIY Spa Day" session, we learned about the benefits and uses for two common plants: thyme and chamomile.
Thyme, which grows really well, even in not-so-great garden soil, around these parts is pretty easy to get your hands on. I had some that I'd dried from my garden, which I used to do a calming "facial steam" as part of today's session.
Apparently thyme is the wonder plant, with benefits ranging from antimicrobial (germ-killing) properties to digestion improvement. For me, the two best things about the steam treatment were 1) its calming properties and 2) its respiratory system clearing capabilities. (Though I don't get outside nearly as much as I'd like these past few weeks, I still seem to be suffering from seasonal allergies. Figures.)
To make your own thyme facial steam, just boil some hot water, pour a couple of cups of it into a big bowl, throw in a handful (1/4 cup or more) of fresh or dried leafy thyme branches, and lean over it. Christine recommended putting a towel over your head to keep the relaxing steam a bit more concentrated so it can do its magic -- opening up your pores and your respiratory system -- but for kids or those more sensitive to heat, you can forget the towel part. It was recommended for anyone with a sore throat, seasonal allergies, or a wet cough. Just be careful not to scald yourself or your sinuses! It won't prevent or cure COVID-19, but it will help clear out gunk in your respiratory system and stimulate your nervous system, all while calming you down. Pretty sweet. I might have to do this daily.
Chamomile is the other plant that our herbalism guru focused on today. We made a medicinal-strength cup of tea (i.e., two teabags steeped in just boiled water for 7+ minutes). Then we sipped on the tea while we learned more about the fantastic things that this common, aromatic flower brings to the table. It helps with fever, rashes, and mild sunburns. It's anti-inflammatory, calming, and anti-spasmodic (helps with digestion issues).
Once the teabags cooled in my nearby saucer, it was time to try the chamomile compresses. Which is just to say: I stretched out on the couch and plopped a somewhat squishy chamomile teabag over each eye. Five minutes later, I was a new woman. Or at least a more relaxed one.
I'm very much looking forward to reading through Christine's book, Plant Magic, which I ordered online about 5 minutes later. More to come on herbal remedies and other related tidbits when it arrives in the mail. (Probably a healthier choice than my other recent plant-related fun reading, Amy Stewart's The Drunken Botanist, but the recipes in that one have helped to keep my landlady and I from going completely stir crazy in recent weeks. And it was actually a pretty good read for someone who loves botany, cocktails, and origin stories.)
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