The healing power of plants and flowers

I recently worked with Kate Kendall from Flow Athletic on a little March Surprise called "Fridaisies" where Kate gave all the yogis from her Friday classes a little flower, and told them about the healing properties of that flower.

It led me to start on some reading up on some of the healing properties of the different flowers we used. I've always loved the smell of lavender oil, or rosemary, or roses, but I had no idea about how effective they are in all matter of health complaints.

So I thought I would include some of the flowers we talked about each week here as a start, and how you can benefit from these yourself at home! There are so many more flowers and foliages with healing properties, this is just a start!

1. Lavender

Lavender’s name is derived from the Latin root “lavare,” which literally means “to wash.” The earliest recorded use of lavender dates back to ancient Egypt, where lavender oil played a role in the mummification process.

During later times, lavender became a bath additive in several regions, including Persia, ancient Greece, and Rome. These cultures believed that lavender helped purify the body and mind.

Lavendar can:

• Be used in aromatherapy, as it is believed to promote calmness, reduce stress, anxiety, and possibly even mild pain

• It can be used as a sleep aid, as it helps you relax by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, so you can put a handful of dried lavender in a vase, or a diffuser with lavender oil, on your bedside table.

• It acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, so it canso it helps reduce itching, swelling, and redness, and help scalp conditions.

How you can use lavender in your home:

• Plant it at your front door to naturally calm your mind as you walk in.
• Burn lavender oil in an oil burner
• Have a bowl of dried lavender on your bedside table
• Have some of our lavender chocolate! :)
• Have some lavender tea, or one of Lola Berry's Lavender smoothies! Here is the recipe.

2. Echanacia

Echinacea, also called purple coneflower, is one of the most popular herbs worldwide.

Echanacia is native to North America where it grows in prairies and open, wooded areas. Native Americans have used it for centuries to treat various ailments.

It is loaded with antioxidants, and today, it’s best known as an over-the-counter herbal remedy to treat the common cold However, it’s also used to treat pain, inflammation, migraines and other health issues.

How you can use echinacea in your home:

• Echanacia can be bought over the counter at your chemist in tablet or powder form. 
• You can buy some echinacea teas

3. Rosemary

Rosemary is a fragrant evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean. It is used as a culinary condiment, to make bodily perfumes, and for its potential health benefits:

• Rosemary is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation.
• Rosemary is considered a cognitive stimulant and can help improve memory performance and quality. It is also known to boost alertness, intelligence, and focus.
• The aroma of rosemary has been linked to improving mood, clearing the mind, and relieving stress in those with chronic anxiety or stress hormone imbalances.
• The oil of rosemary has been known to promote hair growth prevent baldness, slow graying, and treat dandruff and dry scalp.
• Rosemary is often used for digestion problems, including heartburn, intestinal gas, liver and gallbladder complaints, and loss of appetite.
• Rosemary is specifically powerful against bacterial infections. It is linked to preventing staph infections. The nutrients in rosemary help protect skin cells from damage often caused by the sun and free radicals.
  
  How you can use rosemary in your home:

• You can use it in your cooking! It's great on lamb, or even in rosemary cookies!
• You can buy rosemary oil over the counter to use on your skin or add it to your shampoo to help strengthen your hair and encourage growth.
• You can use it in a diffuser.
• You can cut it from your garden and put it in a vase in your house! It smells amazing!
• You can buy rosemary tea.

3. Roses

Rose water has been used for thousands of years, including in the Middle Ages.

It comes with a number of health benefits, including the following:

• Helps soothe skin irritation, including eczema and rosacea.
• Soothes sore throats
• Reduces skin redness
• Rosewater has antiseptic properties, and can help treat conjunctivitis.
• It contains antioxidants
• It can help wounds heal faster
• Rose water can have strong antidepressant and antianxiety properties
• Rose water and rose essential oil are commonly used in aromatherapy to help relieve headaches.
• It has anti-aging properties
• It has been used to aid in digestion and reduce digestive upsets.

How you can use roses at home to achieve these health benefits:

• You can buy or make rose water relatively easily. Here is a link to a good guide.

• You can apply it to the skin topically on its own, or mix it with moisturizers or natural oils like coconut oil.
• You can also use rose water to make rose water tea or rose petal tea. These improve hydration, provide skin benefits, treat digestive distress, and soothe a sore throat.