Category: Nature + Moon + Tea

Lavender Flower Chai Tea

Full Moon.  

A gentle spiced tea recipe to soothe your soul and bring you home to yourself at the end of a long day.

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To make one pot of lavender chai tea you’ll need (Recipe from Flowering Within book):

2 to 3 tablespoons of black loose leaf tea
1 teaspoon of dried lavender or 2 to 3 fresh sprigs
6 cardamom pods
4 star anise
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
10 peppercorns
6 whole cloves
A pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Raw Honey or condensed milk to sweeten

Directions: Add three or 4 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Then add all the chai spices and lavender to the pot. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it cool for a few minutes before straining it into a teapot or heat-safe container.

Sweeten to your taste, add milk if you’d like and then enjoy a nice cup of lavender chai tea to soothe your soul. This recipe should make enough for about 3 servings.

To make a single cup, mix enough ingredients to fill a tea strainer. Place the tea strainer in your cup and top with hot boiled water. Let the tea steep for 3 minutes.

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“We make tea in an empty vessel and then we become a vessel to receive it. The practice of maintaining this emptiness runs through all the world’s mystical traditions.”
~ Frank Hadley Murphy

Candlelight Breakfasts: A Morning Ritual to Nurture Your Relationship

W A X I N G   M O O N

Water your heart’s seeds with hope.

Nurture what you love.

How else will the important things flourish?

 

Morning rituals are so sacred. They set the tone for the rest of the day, which is exactly why I cherish our candlelight breakfasts.

Each morning, we light candles at our little dining table and sit down to breakfast together, a touch of romance to something ordinary. The thing I hold dearest in my heart is that this simple morning ritual has become a foundation that fosters togetherness so that we move through the rest of the day feeling more connected to one another and grounded in love.

Dealing with fertility issues and overcoming the devastation of miscarriages aren’t the easiest experiences to get to grips with. It comes with a lot of stress and emotional turmoil that can put strain on your marriage. So, in the face of our reality, my husband and I have had to consciously explore pathways for connection and look at how to create a supportive environment in which our love and marriage can continue to thrive despite challenges. Our candlelight breakfast is just one of the things we’ve incorporated into our daily lives to serve those intentions. It’s created the space for us to slow down and check in with one another before the day’s demands take hold.

As part of our morning ritual – between the usual fruit, smoothies, oats, muesli and tea – we do a gratitude practice together, counting our blessings and sharing what we are grateful for. We set our intentions for the week/the day, discussing our core desires, goals and visions. Something I consider very significant is that we make a point of asking the question – How can I support you? We didn’t always know how to ask for support or express our needs, especially in the early days. Learning to do so has taught us to take better care of ourselves and of each other. Keeping the lines of communication open is key in any relationship and knowing how to support each other (whether soothing one another’s pain, sharing chores, offering inspiration or celebrating joys and successes) helps to cement your bond.

This morning ritual offers us the opportunity to be present, connect, communicate and nurture our relationship. It’s been a daily practise for 7 months now, one that I still look forward to every day. I take comfort seeing my husband leave for work in a happy and grounded space and in knowing that I feel that way too. The dynamics of our lives will change when we eventually do have our babies. We won’t always have the same calmness, or the luxury of time. But when that changes, I have no doubt that we will continue to foster new pathways for connection and find our way back to one another.

I recognise that there are no perfect lives. No perfect relationships or marriages. But there are happy ones. Challenges always arise. It’s a natural part of life. The real test, however, is in how we choose to navigate our way through them. And the effect of those choices determines whether two people walk the path together in a healthy and supportive relationship or not. I’m so grateful that my partner in crime is a gentle, wise, loving and understanding soul who has made even the toughest paths so easy to walk together.

Do you feel supported? How to you nurture your relationship?  

Moon Milk: To Nourish Your Feminine Hormones

F U L L   M O O N.

A soothing adaptogenic elixir to nurture the feminine body and soul. Brew yourself a cup at the end of your day. Drink it beneath the stars, moonlight spilling into your eyes, and Goddess love flowing into your heart.

Moon milk has become a daily part of my life. I’m working to healing PCOS naturally and restoring my hormones to balance (with the intention of conceiving a baby), so nutrition and herbs have been important medicine on my journey. Maca, ashwagandha and shatavari are the three most common herbs that are often recommended to me. Since these herbs support the female reproductive system – enhancing libido, balancing hormones and moods, supporting fertility and helping the body to adapt to changes or stress – they’re recommended in the preconception and postpartum stages, but should not be taken during pregnancy. I’ve had quite a bit of experience with maca over the past couple of years, putting it in everything from my smoothies, to hot chocolate to muffins. Yet although I’ve heard lots about ayurvedic ashwagandha and shatavari, I only recently found that they’re finally available at the health stores I order my supplies from.

So, from the moment I got my hands on them, this moon milk magic swiftly became a grounding and soothing caffeine-free part of my afternoon ritual, helping to calm my heart when I take a moment to step aside from the day’s demands, breathe and enjoy the late afternoon sun. I love the warm malty flavour with a hint of honey and cinnamon (if this is not to your taste, then adding a tablespoon of cocoa gives it a lovely chocolaty flavour).  I make my moon milk with almond mylk most of the time, though I must admit that it’s so yummy with coconut milk too. Since I often get asked about the recipes for things I share on Instagram, I thought I’d share this one on the blog today for those who may be interested. See the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 cup of nut milk (almond, coconut, walnut, etc)

1 tsp of maca

1 tsp of ashwagandha

1 tsp shatavari

¼ tsp of cinnamon

Honey to taste

(Optional – add a tablespoon of cocoa gives it a lovely chocolatey flavour)

Directions:

Warm the nut milk in a sauce pan. Add all dry ingredients into the sauce pan and whisk them slowly until the ingredients have blended together nicely. Then pour the elixir into your cup, add a drizzle of honey and enjoy. Alternatively, warm the nut milk in a sauce pan, then when it is ready pour into your high speed blender. Add all ingredients (including honey), blend it for 30 seconds and then pour the moon milk out into a cup and enjoy. I personally prefer using the high speed blender because its easy and faster.

Full Moon Blessings to You!

 

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Disclaimer – This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians. Consult your personal health care professional for advice on what works best for you.