Archive for the 'Passion flower Tea' Category
Passionflower – (Passiflora incarnata)
Don’t let the name mislead you – passionflower has nothing do to with passion, and everything to do with sleep. This herb, which is native to the southern United States, has been used for over 200 years for its sedating and tranquilizing properties. One of the great characteristics of passionflower is that it will help you sleep without giving you the groggy feeling that is typical of many sleeping medications.
How to Use: This herb can be drunk as a tea in the evening (one or two cups, prepared as described above.) A tincture is also effective – one to two teaspoons, or two or three capsules.
Passionflower
is a powerful herbal relaxer, promoting sleep and taming tension.
German Chamomile – (Matricaria recutita)
These herbs have a long history of use as gentle but effective sleep-inducers. Their versatility means that you can combine all three in a tasty tea, or you can choose to try pills or tinctures one by one to find out what is most effective. Whatever herbs you decide to use, hopefully you’ll soon be sleeping sounder, longer and more peacefully.
You can find bags of chamomile on almost every supermarket shelf, and we have probably all used it at one time or another. According to leading herbalist David Hoffman, chamomile is probably the most widely used relaxing nervine herb in the world. Although the attractive flowers of this herb can have a wide range of health uses, it is primarily used for rest and relaxation. There are several types of herb called ‘chamomile,’ but it is the German variety that is used for tea. The other kind, called Roman chamomile, has similar properties but is bitter and is used primarily for digestive upsets.
The mildly flavored, pleasant-tasting German chamomile tea combines easily with other relaxing herbs. Chamomile is wonderful to have late at night, but it can also be safely used in the day to ease stress and tension. Since chamomile is gentle and effective, it is the first herb to try for sleep disturbances.
How to Use: One teabag steeped for about 15 minutes in 8oz (one cup) of just-boiled water. Or, two teaspoons of loose dried tea. Chamomile is an easy kitchen herb to grow, so for fresh tea, use a good tablespoon. No matter whether the herb is fresh or dried, always remember to cover your tea so that the medicinal volatile oils do not evaporate with the steam. Sweeten with honey if desired.
If you prefer, a liquid extract, also known as a tincture, or capsules can be used instead. Use approximately 1-1 and ½ teaspoons of the extract or two to three capsules.
These herbs have a long history of use as gentle but effective sleep-inducers. Their versatility means that you can combine all three in a tasty tea, or you can choose to try pills or tinctures one by one to find out what is most effective. Whatever herbs you decide to use, hopefully you’ll soon be sleeping sounder, longer and more peacefully.
Last night I went to see the movie “Inception” at an Imax theater. It was very imaginative; about shared dreaming and being in dreams with others. I enjoyed it. I love to dream vividly, and oftentimes I can’t remember my dreams; only bits and pieces of them. Anyway, what I started doing is, before I fall asleep at night, I tell my sub-conscious to remember my dream and that works. Then I write it all down before I forget it. Thus, I have created my own dream journal. I won’t go into the content of my dreams right now, but I have noticed that my dreams are much more lucid when I have consumed passionflower in the evenings. I drink it in tea form, although some people smoke it.
It has been reported that it creates a mind expanding experience, heightening one’s consciousness and increasing visual and perceptual awareness. Passionflower calms the central nervous system by increasing the neurotransmitter, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). It is also good for spasmodic asthma and generalizes seizures, among other things. Passionflower
is the number one natural cure for insomnia. I awake in the morning very refreshed and alert.
Passionflower is great alone, however, when taken with damiana it induces sleep and it seems that the combination of these two herbs also promotes lucid dreaming. To wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and invigorated with the experience of wonderful dream imagery is not only physically healthy, but able to give us insight into what makes us tick psychologically, is a wonderful feeling!
The subject matter of our dreams tells us what are fears are and they also tell us what our needs, wants and desires are. Secondly, we only dream if we are able to achieve REM sleep. Without REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, we don’t function at our optimal levels, both mentally and physiologically. Our vivid dreams are valuable to us because they help us to expand our conscious awareness so that we can grow into fully functioning, creative human beings. Then can we be truly “present” for others, thus being contributors to our earth in a positive and humanistic way.
Disclaimer: Do not take passionflower and/or damiana excessively. Always consult with your physician before taking these herbs.
I have noticed that I love coming home to “where my heart is” after making it through another stressful day at work. I can put up my feet and lean back; I can stretch into any shape or position I want to and I just love the freedom I have to relax and get rid of the tension. I am free to play my piano, do some deep breathing and just change my mindset. I have arranged my furniture and wall hangings in such a way (that is uniquely my style), to calm and soothe my psyche. I breathe into my body the positive energy that surrounds me. I have set up my living environment like that; yes, it is a bit crowded with decorations and candles, but that is what relaxes me.
So, I would reccommend that you make sure that your home and work environments are claming so that you don’t take on needless anxiety. Even the best herbs will not work if you are surrounded by a stressful environment. Choose herbs that help to calm the nervous system. Chamomile is a mild herb that eases nervousness, restlessness and stress.
Skullcap also heps relaxes muscle spasms and produce endorphins. Passionflower
and lindenflower also clam nervousness. Find and use these herbs in tea form, and drink a cup or two everyday. AND, remember to sit back and relax. You deserve it!
The passionflower is a beautiful and exotic flower found in South America. In spite of this flower’s exotic name and unusual appearance, this herb seems to calm one’s passions rather than ignite them. Passionflower is a gentle yet effective relaxing agent which can be used anytime of the day or night.
Passionflower is best taken in the form of tea. Brew a tea from the dried leaves or the flowers ( 2 tablespoons of dried herb per cup) and sip. It will help to calm racing thoughts. For insomnia, use the tincture form; one teaspoon in warm water. With its mild amount of caffeine, passionflower tea is safe to sip all day.
Please be aware that pregnant or breatsfeeding women should avoid passionflower altogether.
Modern day herbalists recommend passionflower primarily as a tranquilizer and a sedative. They also consider passionflower to be a good digestive aid and a pain reliever. The Incas of South America originally started brewing passionflower tea as a tonic to calm anxiety and as a tranquilizer. When the colonists settled the Gulf Coast, the native Americans of that area also used passionflower to calm their nerves.
In more recent animal studies, the harmala compounds found in the passionflower have been found to dilate the coronary arteries. Blocked arteries often result in heart attacks; therefore, the passionflower
plant compounds might help prevent heart attacks.
If you have a cardiac or heart condition, always consult your doctor first, before taking passionflower as an herbal alternative. Also, since the harmala compounds in this plant are uterine stimulators, all pregnant women should never take or drink passionflower.
Passion flower is a pretty multi-colored purple flower which grows on a vine. It is a perennial plant which grows in Europe, North and South America, as well as in Central America. It is called the “Crown of Thorns” because it resembles the thorny crown that Jesus wore at the crucifixion. It grows about 10 meters in length.
Passion flower helps to calm anxiety. It assists in achieving a state of relaxation. It has a sedating effect in persons who want to “calm their nerves”. Passion flower increases one’s level of GABA or gamma-aminobutyric acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemicals which carry messages from nerve cells to other cells in the brain.
Passion flower 
can be consumed as a delicious tea. Besides being used as an anti-anxiety agent, passion flower is also effective in treating the following health problems:
- pain relief
- antispasmodic
- neuralgia (pain along a nerve)
- diarrhea
- nervous tachycardia (abnormally high heart rate)
- spasmodic asthma, hysteria, nervous agitation
- dysmennorhea (painful menstruation)
- hemorrhoids