Combining Yoga and Herbs

Combining Yoga and Herbs

With the melting of the snow and warm sunny days approaching, yoga in the  springtime feels like tip toeing through the tulips…or better yet, lavender. springtime means the sprouting of potted herbs; delicious, pesticide free, and useful for many purposes, herbs can be a welcome addition to any landscape or garden. Common herb gardens usually consist of oregano, basil, and sage. Fresh from the garden, these culinary favorites are a savory welcome to tired taste buds that have withstood a winter of grocery bought dried spices. Another favorite herb, one that we’ll discuss in this blog, is the lavender plant.

With purple flowers, lavender emits a soft, woodsy, musky scent. Used medicinally for centuries, lavender is used in both pharmaceutical and holistic products, the oil known to have a sedating effect. Found in fragrances, cosmetics, soaps, potpourri, and even foods and beverages, it may also relax certain muscles. Lavender can be used topically as an analgesic, antiseptic, and an anti inflammatory. It is also said to relieve anxiety, digestive issues, migraine headaches, toothaches, sprains, nerve pain, and joint paint.

Combining the heavenly scent of lavender with your yoga practice can be both energizing and relaxing.  Imagine how a bit of lavender oil rubbed on your wrist will enhance a forward fold or downward dog! Flowing through a Vinyasa will take on a whole new meaning with a lavender sachet on your yoga mat. 

A perennial herb, lavender grows best where there is not a lot of heat or  humidity. It requires little water, loves full sun and rarely needs fertilization. Under the right conditions, it will grow prolifically. If you wish to grow some of your own, it’s best to buy the plant rather than start from seed, because seeds have a poor survival rate and the process is very slow. Plants are easy enough to find in any garden store.

Once your lavender is ready to prune, the uses for it are endless:

• Yoga
• Sachets
• Baking
• Make soaps
• Oil
• Sun cream
• Insect repellant

Below is a recipe for Lavender cookies. Sweet, floral, and light and  feathery, try them after yoga class!

2 eggs
½ cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1- 2 teaspoon lavender leaves or culinary lavender
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Put eggs, margarine sugar, and lavender, in this order, into blender and run on low until well mixed. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl, add other ingredients and mix until well blended. Drop a teaspoon at a time onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes

Creamy Lavender Icing
½ cup sweet butter
1 pound Confectioner’s sugar
5-6 TBSP milk
1 drop food grade Lavender essential oil

Cream butter; add a bit at a time sugar alternating with milk. Continue beating
until icing is creamy. If too stiff add more milk a teaspoon at a time. Cool then frost cookies. Enjoy!*

Don't forget our "Yoga Reaches Out" Benefit classes every Saturday in April for Children's Hospital. This Saturday, April 6th, please join us from 4:30-5:45 PM for a class taught by Monique Hanafin.

*Lavender cookie recipe compliments of Cedar Springs Herb Farm

Until next week, Namaste