Chamomile ( Matricaria recutita )
Click the link below to see a picture of Chamomile
http://www.florabundaseeds.com/img/206_ ... momile.jpg
Chamomile has to be one of my all round favourite Herbs to use in healing. It is so versatile and can be used to treat a number of complaints. I have chosen to list German Chamomile as it is used more frequently than its Roman counterpart, but they both have similar healing properties.
Medicinal Properties:
• Anti-inflamatory
• Antispasmodic
• Relaxant
• Carminative
• Mild Bitter
• Anti-allergenic
Chamomile has been used to treat a number of ailments for centuries, its gentle action making it especially suitable for children. An infusion of the tea will calm down an irritated and over tired baby or infant, just make a cup of tea with a Chamomile teabag, sweeten with Honey and leave to cool for a bit. You can also help soothe teething babies this way and additionally you can make a paste from Slippery Elm powder and Chamomile tea and rub the paste directly onto the gums.
Hay fever that has caused severe nasal blockage can be treated by making a steam inhalation. Infuse 15g of the dried Herb or 5-10 drops of the essential oil in 750ml of water and inhale for 10 mins.
For eczema you can make an infusion of 50g of dried Chamomile to 750ml of boiling water and when cooled, apply directly to the infected area, or add the hot infusion to a warm bath and soak in it for 20 mins.
Drinking up to 5 cups of Chamomile tea a day will help ease digestive complaints such as indigestion and wind.
Chamomile is also a well known cure for mild insomnia. Take 2 teaspoons of dried Chamomile per cup of boiling water, let steep for 10 mins in a teapot or other lidded container, strain and drink prior to going to bed. Alternatively take 1 teaspoon of tincture of Chamomile in a glass of cold water up to 3 times during the evening. This will help with mild insomnia, for more severe insomnia you can mix Chamomile with other Herbs which I will go into in more detail on another topic as this seems to be quite a common complaint with a lot of people and it deserves its own separate thread.
For sore and tired eyes you can place the cooled, used teabags over the eyes.
CAUTION:
Do not use Chamomile oil if pregnant.
Magical properties:
Use Chamomile to help bring inner peace, letting go of worry and fear, gain confidence based on inner attunement, and compassion. Use for healing rituals and grounding.
Herb of the Month - Chamomile
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silvermists
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Heaven_and_Earth
I love your herb of the month thing youve got going:D i specifically like chamomile. mostly in tea i think thats all we have here in my house at the moment but im thinking about starting an indoor herb garden (considering over half the year here is covered with snow) i think my 2 favorite herbs though are rosemary and peppermint both i have growing in the spring:)
~Justin~
~Justin~
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waterglyph
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You can use either.silvermists wrote:I have a bit of a stupid question (but it's easier to answer stupid questions than fix stupid mistakes). Do you just use the dried leaves of the plant for the tea and stuff? (I'm just starting out, and I don't know if it is already on this forum).
Here's an excerpt from a website about making your own chamomile tea:"To make your chamomile tea, unless otherwise directed on the packet, brew as you would conventional tea, infusing herbal tea bags for three minutes or steeping the dried or fresh herbs in a teapot. Put one level teaspoon of dried herb, or one tablespoon of the fresh herb, for each individual cup into a teapot, and one for the pot, and pour in boiling water. Infuse for five minutes, then strain into cups. Use only ceramic, enamel or stainless steel teapots."
There's more info about the tea and the rest of this article here. Good luck!
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hedge*
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I'm glad people are enjoying the Herb of the Month, I certainly enjoy doing them
The parts used for Chamomile tea are the Flower heads. If you're lucky enough to have this wonderful Plant in your garden then you just pick the stalks with Flowers on and tie them upside down in a warm, dry place ( an airing cupboard is great for this ) to dry for 2 weeks. Then just pull off the dried Flowers and store in a jar.
They should be picked on the day the Flowers open, when the active constituents are at their strongest. And of course you can use fresh Flowerheads too.
hedge
The parts used for Chamomile tea are the Flower heads. If you're lucky enough to have this wonderful Plant in your garden then you just pick the stalks with Flowers on and tie them upside down in a warm, dry place ( an airing cupboard is great for this ) to dry for 2 weeks. Then just pull off the dried Flowers and store in a jar.
They should be picked on the day the Flowers open, when the active constituents are at their strongest. And of course you can use fresh Flowerheads too.
hedge
