Herbal Gifts, Part Two: Dream Pillows and Bath Herbs

A gift can be more than a physical object. It can be the gift of a moment taken for oneself to find peace and rejuvenation.

In the midst of an especially busy and stressful time, I once received a card with a tea bag enclosed. The card let me know that a friend cared about whether or not I was taking needed time for myself. So I didn't just brew and gulp that cup of tea while working on several projects at once. I took the time to just sit, inhale the aroma of the herbs, and gaze out the window, comforted by the idea that someone had known I needed exactly such a moment of doing nothing.

The herbal gifts below can be gifts of time, renewal, and dreams. All that is needed is to present them with a note that lets the recipient know how the gift is meant to be used, and that you care. Perhaps you'll consider making some extras for yourself while you're at it?

Dream Pillows

These are herbs that have traditionally been used to encourage vivid dreams and clear recall. Combine whichever of them you have available in a combination that smells pleasing to you. You can fill small muslin bags with the mixture, or for a more luxurious version, sew small sachets of rich fabrics. These can be tucked under a pillow or hung from a bedpost. You can also make fairly flat sachets that can be slipped in between pillow and pillow case.

Rose buds or petals

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Cloves

Hops

Mint

Lavender

Chamomile

For more ideas, please see Making Herbal Dream Pillows and Sweet Dreams: Herbal Dream Pillows.

Bath Bags

Any of the herbs within the categories below can be used singly, or combined to create your own unique blends. There are many more herb possibilities for baths. The ones listed below are my favorites, and the ones I happen to have on hand year round. I have included only herbs that are fragrant as well as healing.

Use them to fill drawstring, cotton muslin bags. They can also be piled onto squares of cheesecloth, terrycloth, or cotton fabric (try clean pieces of an old white shirt or sheet) with the ends tied so that it makes a compact bundle. The bath bag can be simply tossed into a hot bath, or hung from the faucet while the bath water is running through it. It can also be used as a body scrub. My favorite, more potent, version is to brew a "tea" by placing the bag in one quart of water brought to a boil then removed from heat. Cover and steep for 10-20 minutes. Add the infusion to a full bath. However, I've noticed that few people get around to making this version, so my gift cards include instructions for the "tea" version plus the option to just throw the bag into the bath.

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