BloomToScoop: Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs

BloomToScoop: Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs: Herbology for Yogis Hello Herb & garden lovers! I am going to share a little yoga and herbs.... Bill with Herbs for the practice of...

Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs

Herbology for Yogis

Hello Herb & garden lovers! I am going to share a little yoga and herbs....

Bill with Herbs for the practice of Yoga

Traditional Yoga has always hinged on a special yoga diet and yoga herbs to act with it.

Yoga postures are something we do and an expression of our energy...how we feed ourselves and our souls.

Herbs are a powerful aid in the practice of Yoga!

If you are involved in yoga you should consider taking helpful herbs to get the most out of yoga and our life.

Our daily herbs may be as important as our daily bread.

The benefit of herbs accrue over time, your lifestyle and diet.

After a yoga session, a warm cup of Chai Tea is soothing & aromatic for your body and soul.... This recipe uses:
a bag of black tea, cinnamon,ginger, cardamon,clove steeped with hot water and blended with milk and a little honey or sugar.



CHAI TEA

 Oils blended with herbs for your body !

I came up with a blend called Yogassage oil. It uses sesame oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint, oil, wintergreen oil and sage oil. They stimulate the mind and promote insight, as well as calming and opening the mind.
Please watch for more on Yoga & Herbs in BloomtoScoop

"Yoga is body gospel." - Reaven Fields

New Hope for Diabetes with Chaya Herb

Chaya  Chidoscolus chayaman, a tender perennial that requires part sun is a Mexican herb used  for medicinal and culinary purposes.



Chaya Leaf



 It has been used by local South Texans for years to control blood sugar. A recent study by Texas A&M University pointed out that an induced rabbit could be brought back from high levels of blood sugar within four hours. Some patients who drink Chaya tea have stopped taking their medications for diabetes. Some say that the Chaya plant could be the second wonder plant of the century.
Brought down from the Mayans to moedern Mexicans, South Texans are the only region that knows that Chaya exists. Researchers say that this plant contains powerful doses of vitamins, proteins and minerals. Other research shows that the Chaya plant provides mega amounts of vitamins! Other people that have used the plant have had good results in weight loss, depression, dry skin and circulation. While some even claim to have better sex when eating the leaves and making of tea of it's leaves.
The National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City says that ingesting Chaya will:
Improve blood circulation
Help Digestion
Improve Vision
Improve memory and brain function
Calm stressed veins
Help lower cholesterol
Help reduce weight
Prevent coughs
Combats diabetes and arthritis

Chaya Plant

I always enjoy growing unusual plants that you don't see everywhere! The best part about growing it, is just how easy it is to grow. Mine has trippled in size in two months.It is also know as "Tree Spinach,"and  is best to grow it in a pot, to protect it during the Winter months. It will grow to about 6 feet tall and cutting it, encourages new growth.
The are bland, so you will want to add them to soups, casseroles, spaghetti sauces, salads and salsas. It is richer in iron than spinach!

TO MAKE A SIMPLE CHAYA Tea,  boil a gallon of water, and steep 4 or 5 Chaya leaves with a couple of bags of black tea in a glass pitcher or jar. Do not use aluminum containers, as it can cause a toxic reaction, causing diarrhea.

The leaves should be boiled for five minutes before consuming, because they contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Plant Herbs for Fall

Now is the time to plant herbs!

Potting Bench in the greenhouse

Why is Fall a good time to plant herbs?
In the Texas Hill Country and South it is actually a better time to plant cold hardy herbs because we are in a cooler season before winter and your plants have time to get established before Winter. Then by Spring they will really be growing and in full swing.

Fall is a time for rejuvenation. After we have had the tough heat, and no rain, plants use this time to their advantage. For our area it has been the most difficult Summer I have ever seen, record heat and record drought and of fires! I was in Austin this week and on my drive back to Fredericksburg, it started raining! What a joy for us! I measured a little over an inch of rain in my garden.  The cooler evenings and mornings have been a nice change.
Some of the herbs I would suggest for planting now are:
Rosemary
Thyme
Chives
Oregano
Sage
Mexican Mint Marigold
Curry
Parsley
Cilantro
Marjoram
Arugula
Borage
Fennel
Garlic
Here is a link to my Fall Planting Guide Herbs to Plant in The Fall
I love this quote from Thomas
Jefferson:
"I am still devoted to the garden. But although an old man I am but a young gardener."
Herb Seeds

Soil Bench in the greenhouse

Here are a few examples of some herbs for Fall to grow in pots for your patio or balcony

Enjoy your garden and let me know what ideas you have for herbs, gardening, cooking and aromatherapy.

Wishing to herbs, health and happiness,

William "Bill" Varney

"But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my posessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head. " - Robert Finch 1981 Common Ground

Making a Basil Flower Wreath and a cup of Basil Tea

I love the clove scent of basil...          http://www.urbanherbal.com/herb_gardening/basil_7_07.html

Basil allows enlightenment to be absorbed by the physical mind-body, acting as a conduit, grounding at the same time as balancing subconscious thought and conscious reaction, It is then a fragrance of reality--the reality of physical existance and the reality of spiritual existence. It soars through all the realms, holding them together, allowing integration. --From The Fragrant Heavvens by Valerie Ann Worwood 
Valerie describes basil's scent as, warm, rich, fiery, sharp, peppery, aniseed-like.

To make a basil wreath: you will need, basil flowers, from the tops of the plant, florist wire, and some heavy wire to make your wreath base.
Simply cut little bundles of basil flowers, tie together with florist wire and start wiring to the base, continue around the base until you have come full circle. It will take 7 to 10 days to dry. It also makes a unique fragrant centerpiece on a table.

Basil is also a wonderful herb to use for tea. It is believed to relieve stomach cramps, constipation, and has a spicy, clove flavor. How to brew basil tea:
By infusion, use 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves or 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves, brusied. Cover with a cup of boiling water, and let steep for about 5 minutes. You can flavor it with honey.

Dog / Cat Biscuits for your little friend

"Observe your dog :if he's too fat you're not getting enough exercise." --Evan Esar



Esparanza (on 3 legs now)


As some of you may know this past week has been a rough one for my dog, Esparanza .....she got hurt late Saturday night and it has been lots of visits to the vet, and lots of TLC, and medicine, and homemade cooking to getting her on the road to recovery. She can only walk on 3 legs, but at least she is recovering!

I have been making homemade dog/cat biscuits for a long time and sell them on-line and in the herb shop, but thought I should get another fresh batch made today. Here is the recipe:

Dog & Cat Biscuits
2 tablespoons margarine, lard, or bacon fat
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
                                                                       1/2 teaspoon salt
                                                                       1/2 cup catnip (for cat biscuits)
                                                                       8 cloves of garlic finely minced (for dog biscuits)
Cream the margarine or lard and brown sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, dry milk and broth. Add flours, wheat germ, salt and either the garlic or catnip. Mix well. Knead until soft dough forms. Roll on a floured surface. Cut with shaped cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool on rack. Store in airtight containers until served.

Making Dog Biscuits


Here is a link to making them on youtube:
http://urbanherbal.com/bill_varney/index02_11.htm


Just going into the oven:

For many friends, an animal is the constant and comforting presence in their lives.
Make sure your pet gets an edible present early for special occasions - or for no-reason-at-all moments.
http://shop.urbanherbal.com/Pet-Care_c2.htm

SEX, Fertility and Plants

Indulging in sexual intercourse among the crops was a custom which accurred frequently in many places throughout America and Europe. Ritualistic copulation was so performed to increase the fertility of plants.

A scene from The Herbal Bed in NYC

Sometimes pregnant women were employed to plant seed, the inference being that their own obvious bountifulness would transfer itself to the growing plant. Similarly, pregnant women hugged trees to induce healthy growth.
All of the above is part of folk and legend from A Miscellany of Garden Wisdom by Bernard Schofield.
In The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan he says, " the gardeners and descendants of Johnny Appleseed who would try to make some of this wildness... All of them had ventured into the garden--into Darwin's Ever-Expanding Garden of Artificial Selection-for the purpose of marrying powerful human drives to the equally powerful drives of plants; all were practitioners of the botany of desire.
In many of the foods we eat aphrodisiac's are used from the garden....such as in the Fall: The crisp air and autumn colors of fall ask for cuisine that is hearty, rustic, and substantial.

Feeling Sexy Now in the garden?

Pollinating Tomatoes
Procure a cotton ball or some other similar light fluffy ball and tie it to a stick. At about midday, treat every tomato plant by lightly touching the front part of each flower with the fur. This will distribute the pollen, fertilizing the female organs of the flowers.

Here is a recipe link from Intercourses, sure to have you thinking about your garden in a different way! http://urbanherbal.com/recipes/index-11.htm#spicy_grilled_shrimp

The garden is a place of many sacraments.....
Herbs, grow up close and personal. They are not just flowers, but calendulas, nasturtiums and roses. They are not garnishes, but cinnamon and lemon basil, apple mint and chocolate mint, parsley, lavender and thyme. They are not bulbs, but garlic, chives, dill and fennel. That is why I encourage you to try your hand at growing savory, reputed to have earned it name from the satyrs who found it essential to their amorous activities. Consider, too, the advise of Nicholas Culpeper, herbalist of the 17th century, who suggested a garden of mustard, onion and prickly asparagus for sparking an enchanted evening. For more on Growing and Using the Plants of Romance read Herbs by Bill and Sylvia Varney http://shop.urbanherbal.com/HERBS-Growing-Using-the-Plants-of-Romance-0600.htm