Natural Remedies: Catnip -It's Not Just For Cats!
Catnip is a member of the mint family and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. The plant has heart-shaped leaves, beautiful lavender or white flowers and a soothing aroma, as if Gaia herself is inviting us to explore this plant!
A gentle-acting herb, Catnip is safe for children with colds, infections or the flu.
You can purchase Catnip or grow it yourself (although this may be a challenge if there are outdoor cats around!) The cats love it because the plant contains nepetalactone isomers which cause them to feel "intoxicated". In people, these isomers can be mildly tranquilizing and soothing. Catnip also has antispasmodic properties that help calm upset stomachs and reduce intestinal gas and bloating.
* While Catnip is safe for infants and children it has been known to stimulate menstrual flow so should NOT be used by pregnant women*
The basic preparation is in the form of tea. Simply pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon (tsp) of dried, chopped catnip leaves. You can use a tea strainer or put the leaves in the cup and strain them out later. Be sure to cover the cup so the medicinal oils don't evaporate. Steep the tea for 5-10 minutes, then strain.
When drinking the tea you can sweeten with honey if you like.
How to modify the strength of the tea for children: (Less than 1 year old, use 5% of an adult dose of dried leaves per cup of tea. Children 1-3 years, old use 10%; children 4-6 years old, use 20%)
As a compress to relieve abdominal cramping:
Using the warm tea, saturate a cloth and apply it to the stomach to reduce tension and bloating and to ease the painful spasms caused by gas.
For indigestion and colic:
As little as 5 tsp of the tea can soothe the intestinal spasms of colic in adults and infants (you can add the 5 tsp of warm tea directly to a bottle).
You can also add a cup of the warm tea to the baby's bath water. The warmth releases Catnip vapors that help relax the nervous system and aid in a calm and restful sleep.
For cold or flu symptoms:
Drink a cup of Catnip tea and let the soothing effects of the herb promote healing and help induce sleep. This is also effective during measles or chicken pox outbreaks.
Here are some more mixtures you may want to explore:
To reduce fever make a tea from 2 tsp dried Catnip and 1 tsp dried Vervain. The two plants together help promote sweating, so sip it often until your fever breaks.
For colds and flu symptoms you can add 1/2 tsp Yarrow and 1/2 tsp Angelica to your Catnip tea. Drink a cup every few hours.
For indigestion you'll need 1 tsp of Catnip, 1/2 tsp Fennel, and 1/2 tsp Lemon Balm. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the plants, let steep then strain. You can add a little honey if you like. Sip the tea slowly to reduce stomach pain from indigestion, bloating and feelings of fullness.
When you utilize ingredients from Mother Earth you also infuse the product with your own energies.
Even if you are not feeling well, take a moment in
your preparation to thank the ingredients for their gifts.
Breathe in deeply to calm and center yourself and as you breathe out imagine your breath as a pink mist of love flowing out into everything around you.
We have the capacity to heal ourselves from any disease or injury but these skills have been dormant within our DNA for a very long time.
In these exciting days of Awakening, more and more people are having profound experiences of self-healing!
Let's share information with each other in the true spirit of Oness unity!
What natural remedies have worked for you?
We'd love to hear about them!
All my Love, Boo
