Think Spring

For those of us dreaming of sunny days...

Herbal Sun Tea

What you will need:
A clear glass jar {1 Qt or larger}
A will to collect herbs {1 C/Qt}
Water
A sunny day

1. Collect and rinse a couple handfuls of your favorite herbs, fruits and/or flowers. To be honest, I don't always rinse mine. I personally like the opportunity to boost my immunity and am a fan of bacteria and microbes in my own personal intake {of course within reason}.

2. Say a little thank you for the nourishment {as long as feels good and that you have time for}. If you have the time make a longer walk of it!

3. Place your findings in a clear glass jar, cover herbs completely with cool water and place the lid on your jar. Use one cup of herbs per quart of water.

4. Give your jar a few gentle shakes to ensure all the herbs are well coated. This is a nice time to set an intention, set in some of your juju, and give some more thanks.

5. Place your jar of solstice tea in a sunny spot on the grass, porch or table for at least 3-5 hours. The warmer the day, the less time you may need.

Placing your jar on the grass is a lovely way to embrace the energy of the Sun and the Earth. If it will be out in mostly high noon sun, which come from directly above, you may want to consider placing it on its side for a higher sunlight to glass jar exposure. Allow this to sit for

6. Let your sun tea sit throughout the day to soak up this Solstice Sunshine. When you get home you can strain it and enjoy your favorite tea ritual 

Herbal Suggestions:
Calendula Flowers (Calendula officinalis): A favorite herb of many with gorgeous orange blooms and a sunny disposition all around. It is used topically to heal wounds quite commonly and I have seen it effective as a gargle for swollen lymph glands. It is anti-microbial, increases immunity, and to be honest, I have listed it here mostly because of it's beautiful good cheer! As for topical use, I have found it to be initially moistening, nourishing and repairing followed by drying. I also love to use the oil under my eyes if I ever wake up a little but puffy eyed and it works wonders. Also adds a bit of a gold glow to the skin.

Dandelion Leaf and Flower (Taraxacum officinale): If all of America stopped trying to evict this beautiful flower from their front yards we would have a whole lot less edema and constipation and a whole lot more joy and wishes made true from their beautiful yellow blossoms.

Just kidding. Well maybe...

Dandelion leaf is high in potassium, high in Vitamin A, delicious in salads, tasty in teas, and an excellent diuretic {encourages urination}. The potassium-diuretic connection is especially important because most diuretics are known to deplete potassium from your system. So...Dandelion=two birds one stone when in comparison and can be used in tea form {dry or fresh} or tincture form.

The leaves are most delicious when picked just prior to flower. As they age they become a bit more bitter and this is the same with the flower.

The roots are only slightly bitter and also a bit sweet. When chopped and toasted the roots can make a delicious coffee replacement {with chicory and carob as well}. I find the tea from the dried roots to be very drying, almost puckering to the mouth if you drink too much for your own body type.Though, I have not seen this in everyone.

http://nourish-mindbodyspirit......lcome.html