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Lavender to Soothe Anxiety

Lavender to Soothe Anxiety

Dr. Aisha Nouh
Botanicals

Lavender is calming, relieves anxiety, and balances the nervous system. For some lavender can be sedating, while for others it can be mildly stimulating. Lavender taken orally has shown effectiveness against both anxiety and depression.

Lavender is rich in volatile oils. Plants high in volatile oils are generally anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and carminative. These actions are related to the volatile oils themselves. Lavender aromatherapy can help alleviate menstrual cramps, improve sleep quality, and reduce migraine frequency. In Germany, lavender is licensed as a standard medicinal tea for sleep disorders and nervous stomach.

Lavender is a wonderful herb to promote sleep and calm anxiety. Place 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow or place a few drops in a relaxing Epsom salt bath or foot soak. You can also keep a bunch of dried lavender in the bedroom to promote a calming bedroom environment.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

  • Parts Used: flower

  • Properties: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, aromatic, nervine

  • Energetics and Taste: balancing, calming, pungent, astringent

  • Main Constituents:

    • 1,8-cineole – anti-inflammatory, analgesic

    • Linalool, linalyl acetate – anxiolytic, antispasmodic

    • Tannins – astringent, antimicrobial

    • Volatile oils – antimicrobial

  • Uses: aromatherapy, balneotherapy, culinary, glycerite, salve, syrup, tea, tincture

Lavender Infused-Honey Recipe

Materials

  • 1-part dried lavender flowers

  • 2-parts honey in a glass container with tight-fitting lid

  • Water, pot

  • Glass jar, clean and dry

  • Chopstick or butter knife

Instructions

  1. Fill your glass jar halfway to the top with dried lavender flowers.

  2. Fill a pot with hot water, enough to submerge 2/3 container of honey. Keep lid on and place honey container in hot water bath.

  3. Once honey is warm, about 15 mins, remove honey from water bath and pat dry. Pour honey over dried lavender, filling jar to the top.

  4. Use a chopstick of butter knife to stir lavender flowers, releasing all air bubbles.

  5. Top off the jar with more honey and stir until all flowers are completely coated. If the flowers float to the top, stir them back in.

  6. Cover jar tightly and store in a cool, dry place for 4 weeks, stirring the flowers back into honey occasionally.

  7. The longer you leave the honey to infuse, the better. When ready, the honey will have taken on a lavender aroma and the flowers will have lost their color. Warm your lavender honey in a shallow water bath and run it through a coarse sieve to remove the dried plant material. Use the leftover honey-soaked flowers in tea or baked goods.

Disclaimer: Please remember that the information in this article may not be suitable for everybody. Please consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before using herbs or supplements. If you have health conditions or are on medications, it is important to seek medical advice before using herbs or supplements. To learn more about the best natural therapies for you, schedule a complimentary 10-minute informational call with Dr. Aisha Nouh, ND.

References:

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms