Tea bath advised for what ails you

Here in Devon winter has definitely arrived, with a layer of frost slowly melting in the sun, and office heaters going at full blast through the county. So we thought it was the time to talk of warmer things, and found this article on baths and the benefits of using teabags to herbalise your bath water! The article was taken from Saanich News and was written by Pam Empelmayr…

It’s that cold/flu season again and the flus are getting nastier.

No matter how often we wash our hands and eat properly, there’s still a good chance we’ll pick up a virus in the next few months that is going to make us feel cold and sniffly.
One of the oldest methods to prevent or alleviate symptoms like these are herbal baths or even just good old-fashioned foot soaks. Sometimes if taken when you first feel you’ve “caught” something, they might just nip it in the bud.

The secret to an herbal bath is to go straight to bed right after having one - or at least wrapping yourself up warmly. In other words, don’t catch a chill!
Ginger is both a stimulant and detoxifier. There is nothing better to relieve the aches in muscles and joints or to refresh tired feet.
A ginger bath is one of the oldest remedies for cold and flu. If you have one as soon as you feel bad, you might just turn things around.
The thing is don’t just sprinkle the powdered ginger in your bath and hop in; you might become over-heated, over stimulated and just end up passing out.
Keep your water temperature down and use no more than a couple of tablespoons of the spice. Keep your soaking time down to 25 minutes.
To relieve stress headaches and gently warm up your body without a full bath, soak your feet in a warm foot tub. Two ounces of freshly grated or powdered ginger will do the trick.

Stress and lack of sleep are also good ways to become vulnerable to colds and flus; so light the candles in your bathroom and soak in a chamomile and/or lavender bath. This bath will also relieve muscles sore from a hard workout.

One half cup of herbs in a tea diffuser thrown into the running bath and left to steep awhile does the trick. You can also throw the half-cup of herbs into a pot, pour boiling water over them and then cover and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain this mixture into your bath water.
Sage (and strawberry leaves if you have them) relieves stiff muscles and aching joints. If you’re going to use essential oils, it’s best to add them after you’ve been soaking for a while. This opens pores and allows for absorption. Rosemary is a rejuvenator, and mint helps to draw out the toxins. An essential oil bath for cold and flu comfort to try is two drops eucalyptus, three drops lemon and two drops of sweet orange. Herbal tea bags are a great and easy way to enhance a bath. Throw a couple of bags into a hot bath as it fills and let them steep until the temperature is right for you. Remove the bags and get in and have a good soak.

Tip: Temperatures of baths are all important. Warm water relaxes, cool stimulates. For ideal relaxation, baths should be body temperature (96 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit). Higher temperatures make you sleepy. Any water six degrees above body temperature is dehydrating and can lower blood pressure causing people to become dizzy and faint. You should always drink a glass of water after a bath to rehydrate.