The Remedy Practice
Create an Herbal Steam for Breathwork
One of the loveliest qualities of many respiratory tonics is that many of them are aromatic - in other words, they are plants with rich and potent scents. For the breath path, let us make an herbal steam blend that takes advantage of the volatile oils that give aromatic herbs their scents, releasing them through the power of steam into the air and deep into our lungs. A breathwork steam helps to open up the airways, preparing the lungs for taking deep breaths, and helping us settle deeper into a meditative practice. Herbal steams aren't meant to be ingested so we have more freedom as remedy-makers to focus on the scent of herbs instead of worrying about what they'll taste like in a tea. Sage (Salvia officinalis), for example, is typically better in smaller portions in tea blends because of its bitter qualities, but can be the central herb in a steam.
For a breathwork steam, think about including herbs that not only support lung health, but ones that you enjoy the scent of. We naturally take a deep breath in when we come across a scent that we find pleasant, so make sure to add in the herbs that you love to smell. I encourage you to add anything from orange peels to pine needles and other richly-scented plants to your blend. Of course, be wary of plants that could be irritating - I would avoid adding anything too peppery or irritating. Finally, learn about the emotional healing gifts of the plant allies you're wanting to work with (the "personality" section of my plant profiles explore the these gifts) - opening up the lungs and deepening the breath are directly connected to our ability to feel supported enough to do so.
Having a jar of herbs for a lung-opening, breath-supporting steam in your apothecary can be helpful in instances of allergy and asthma attacks as well as adding to showers or using as steams during cold and flu season. For the little ones in your life who might be struggling with congestion brought on by a cold, but who would struggle sitting still for a steam, I'll get them set up in a bath and have the bowl of steaming herbs close by so that the bathroom fills up with the lung-opening herbal steam. Then I don't have to worry about too hot water and everyone gets to enjoy the scent of the herbal steam without too much fuss.
Preparing an Herbal Steam
Typically an herbal steam consists of pouring hot water over a bowl full of herbs and positioning your head above it so that you are breathing in the vapors. Some folks like to cover their head and the bowl with a towel, but this can be a bit too intense for others. It is important to be careful and not burn yourself with the steam which can be quite hot initially. I like to pour hot water over a bowl of herbs, cover with a towel and let sit for 5 minutes before breathing it. You can perform an herbal steam before breathwork or have a bowl of herbs and hot water positioned before you so that you are inhaling their fragrance while practicing your breathwork.
Additional Inspiration: While I recommend making an herbal steam, you can make your remedy in whatever form calls to you. When you are making your tea, I recommend writing down the list of ingredients and their purpose, in as practical or poetic a way as you feel called. You might say about a blend with Rose, Linden, and Motherwort that "Rose opens the heart, Linden helps us to trust, and Motherwort wraps us up in love." Not only is this another way to connect with the remedy you are making, but it helps you as a practitioner relay information about a blend to those you are sharing it with. If you end up using your remedy in ritual, these words can also serve as a spell or blessing.
Deep Breath Tea
The following tea helps us to be present in our body for breathwork, open up our respiratory passages, and settle the nervous system and our chattering mind, all while helping our autonomic nervous system function peacefully. The Deep Breath Tea can easily be adapted into an herbal steam and/or bath.
Blend together the following herbs:
4 parts Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum, tenuiflorum)
1 part Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
½ part Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Standard dosage. Start drinking 10 to 15 minutes before starting your breathwork practice for best results.
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Remediations: Breathwork can be both a personal practice and a community practice. If you're feeling intimidated by a breathwork practice where you have to sit still in one place, never fear, because there are so many ways to have a breathwork practice. Breathwork can be incorporated into any sort of movement practice (walking, yoga, weightlifting, etc.) and there are so many styles of breathwork: The Power of Breathwork by Jennifer Patterson and How to Breathe by Ashley Neese are two great places to start. And if you are interested in a simple sitting breathwork practice but don't know where to start, I recommend getting in a comfortable position, set a timer for 1 minute, and try to breathe as slow and steady as is comfortable. After a few days of a one minute practice, try a three minute practice, and so on. It's that simple.