Word of the day: shinrin-yoku which means "forest bathing trip" and is a Japanese phrase to mean "taking in the atmosphere" as therapy for health and spirit.
How beautiful is that? I know that feeling well- how a day in the woods recharges me and cleans out the "gunk" of everyday life! Foraging is a way for me to get into that soothing element of the woods but still feel like I am accomplishing something important (besides a much-needed relaxation and recharging, of course.) How the woods nourish me- mind, body, and soul. I was thinking about that as I developed another wild-crafted product line in time for the Holiday season: bath teas. I took the concept of "forest bathing trip" a little more literally to craft natural tea bags made with the plants of the forest that I harvested myself, sustainably and respectfully. (You can buy them here, by the way.)
I have really grown to love the therapeutic benefits of taking long baths in the last few years. When I got very sick a couple of years ago I was amazed at how soaking in an epsom-salt bath could diminish my intense pain and calm my spasming muscles so well. Into the water I dissolved and for moments I was in pain-free bliss-a welcome escape from nearly constant pain and suffering. Since that time in my past I have made it a priority to take a long, relaxing bath at least once a week. This is a restorative time for me and is an important part of my own personal self-care and self-love.
The combination of herbs, salts, and water is a magical thing. One of the blogs I follow has a particularly poetic post on the subject. Here's an excerpt:
"Water is in us and water is outside of us. Water that seeps through our skin and water that we drink to quench thirst. Water, life provider, water as the primordial ooze that we emerged from billions of years ago. Water as our great ancestral mother and water as the soothing coolness that fills our bodies from the inside. Water heals. Water is sacred. Water is one primitive drive that we all have both towards and away from, in longing and in fear. Water is gentle, water can kill in no time at all, and water can heal. From the salt that dissolves in it to the blood in our veins, to the healing springs that bubble forth from deep below the earths crust, to a handful of herbs sprinkled over a hot pot and left to infuse as the water ekes out the goodness, and then there it is, the beauty of the elements: they are as powerful as the hand that wields them."
I swear I get goosebumps every time I read those words. It's important to remember, too, that our skin is our biggest organ. Everything our skin comes in contact with is absorbed into our bloodstream. Therefore it's important to make sure it is absorbing the good stuff!
And what is the good stuff, anyways?
This photo is a picture of the "piles" of ingredients in each blend I made. I made each one with a different theme and a different intention- Mountain Mist is for aching muscles after a long day hiking, Meadow Milk is for soothing and nourishing skin, and Moor Moon is for relaxing before bedtime and encouraging wild dreams. Each are made with a combination of wild-foraged herbs, various salts (sea salt, Dead Sea salt, epsom salt, baking soda), essential oils (some handmade!), and other ingredients like powdered milk. Nothing is a "filler" in these tea bags; it's all good. I was happy to share my process with my minions so they could learn to make their own as well. In return, they helped me package this lovely product. :)
It's a really good feeling to be making products that I have worked hard on and am proud of. I am so pleased with these and am excited to offer them to the public in time for the cold days of winter, when warm baths sound even better than usual.
You can even buy a set of all three to sample the differences in each.
Here's an overview of each kind:
Mountain Mist
Ingredients:
Cedar leaves*, fir needles*, rosemary, wild mint*, epsom salts, baking soda, sea salt, Dead Sea salt, juniper berry essential oil, fir needle essential oil, birch essential oil
*Wildcrafted with love and respect by me
Good For:
This blend is particularly good for relaxing sore muscles after exercise. After a long hike, settle into this relaxing bath to recover amidst the smells of the woods after a rain.
Meadow Milk
Ingredients:
Elderflowers*, rose petals*, rose hips*, calendula*, honeysuckle*, baking soda, almond flour, Dead Sea salt, powdered milk, almond essential oil
*Wildcrafted with love and respect by me
Good For:
This blend is particularly good for nourishing skin. Let the Vitamin C in the rose hips soak into your cells as the milk and calendula soften your skin. Delicate scents of rose and almond soothe and relax.
Moor Moonlight
Ingredients:
Mugwort*, sagebrush*, yarrow*, heather flowers, powdered milk, baking soda, epsom salt, sea salt, sagebrush essential oil*, vanilla
*Wildcrafted with love and respect by me
Good For:
This blend is particularly good for calming the brain before bedtime and encouraging vivid dreams. Mugwort is known to aid in lucid dreaming and sagebrush soothes and calms.
Directions:
Place bath tea bag under the faucet as you are filling up your bath to release the salts and plant essences. Relax and soak for at least 20 minutes to feel the full benefits. If you’d like a stronger bath, you can steep the bag in boiling water for 10 minutes before adding the water to your bath.
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