So I’ve talked a lot about grounding and gave some suggestions for bringing in different senses or elements into your grounding rituals. I make a lot of my own blends for teas. I thought that I would share some of these with you. Feel free to try them or get really brave and create your own.
When blending teas, think of the process in terms of perfumes; you want to create a balance of flavors and aromas. A base note will provide richness and hang on to your tongue, like your heavy spices such as cinnamon or anise. Top notes are the lightest and sweetest, gently landing on your palate and then disappearing into the harmony of the middle note. Middle notes are flavors that blend the two, creating a synchronicity and a combinationto create a new level of complexity in the flavor.
CHAI:
A great grounding tea is Chai. “Chai” literally means tea. What we are talking about is a Chai “masala” or a blend of spices. In Chai, the spices usually are both warming as well as grounding. It is great served hot or even over ice. Traditionally, it is served with milk and a bit of sweetener like honey or sugar. For variety, you can try alternatives to cow’s milk like almond, cashew or coconut milk.
Basic Chai blend:
The main ingredient in most Chai is green cardamom. It is fragrant and rich and once you’ve indentified it, it is unmistakable as the signature flavoring of Chai.
Additional spices might include, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, and black peppercorns which add a spicy note to the blend. On some mixes black tea is also added. I also like the addition of cloves, coriander, and star anise. Whatever blend you choose, the key is the star ingredient of the green cardamom.
GINGER:
Ginger tea is not only grounding but it is incredibly healing.
Basic Recipe:
Ginger slices, 5-6 thin slices of fresh ginger, half a lemon including peel, and honey to taste. Bring a pot of water to boil and add all of these ingredients, allow to simmer seven minutes. Drink throughout the day.
Additional option to boost healing:
A pinch of cayenne, a pinch freshly ground black pepper, a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add these to your boiling pot. Drink the tea at least twice a day while sick or as getting sick.
The magic of this tea is in the healing properties of each item. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory with natural antibiotic, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. Turmeric is also a strong anti-inflammatory. However, turmeric is funny in that it needs certain things to “help” or activate it so it can work at its most optimum within the body. The first thing it needs is heat. The next is black pepper to activate and enhance the body’s ability to absorb the turmeric sufficiently. The last thing it needs is a fat to adhere to, which in this case is the coconut oil. Coconut oil has its own medicinal properties including lowering blood sugars and antifungal, antiviral, and is an antibiotic.
Both the cayenne and black pepper contain capsaicin which is a pain reliever. The lemon has vitamin C which boosts the immune system, but also makes the body more alkaline, an environment in which germs cannot survive. Finally, honey has tremendous healing properties that boost the immune system in a number of ways, but is also antibiotic, and antibacterial. The combination of these ingredients is a powerhouse of healing goodness as well as tasty. This is my “go to” potion during cold and flu season, but also for tummy aches and other ailments. If I don’t feel well in the slightest, this is what I make. My body knows and begins to crave the ginger.
HIBISCUS:
Hibiscus with its lovely red color pulls in the sexuality and vitality of the root chakra. It is both rooting as well as alluring, sweet and rich. I like to mix it with other teas such as sage, cedar, pine, or berries. For a zingy spin try some orange peel with your hibiscus blossoms. You could even throw in some cinnamon or cardamom for some base notes. It’s full of antioxidants and vitamin C so it’s good for you too.
DANDELION ROOT:
Dandelion Root Tea is another earthy grounding tea. It has strong detoxification properties and will help to clean out the liver, so make sure you drink a glass of water with each cup of tea you drink. Pair it with rose petals, and wild cherry bark to really boost the sweetness of the rose, a flower with the highest vibration levels and the richness of the woodsy middle notes of cherry bark.
As with all of these teas, any of them are great served hot or over ice; try some of these blends or make your own. Notice how they make you feel on all levels of your being, mind, body, and spirit.
2016 copyright by Katie Pifer http://www.witchpetals.wordpress.com
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