Elixir No.11 - Art of Peace
Elixir No.11 - Art of Peace
Herbs are a great ally when we need to need to feel calm and clear in our mind and body. Being able to maintain presence allows us to handle the hurdles life sends us so we can navigate through difficulty or tap into our most creative and productive selves. Traditionally nervines are a category of herbs that nourish the nervous system to provide a stable baseline for our mind-body interactions. Art of Peace Elixir is formulated with wood betony, lemon balm, and lemon verbena to support the nervous system, nettle for vitamin and mineral support, and chocolate mint for refreshing flavor. This elixir is amazing in sparkling mineral water or added to green tea!
Inspired by the herbs in the field and Thich Nhat Hanh's talk on the "Art of Being Peace", this elixir will help set (and keep!) your intentions for peace and wellness.
Ingredients: Wood betony (Stachys officinalis), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Nettle (Urtica dioica), Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora), Chocolate mint (Mentha x piperita ‘Chocolate mint’), local raw honey, white grape vinegar.
Flavor notes: Light and refreshing with a sweet tart finish of lemon and mint.
How to use: One tablespoon in hot water for tea, or in sparkling mineral water for an herbal spritz.
A Note on Elixir No.11 from the Founder:
There are a few herbs that are my nearest and dearest. I do love all of them, but some feel like home in the sense of coming back to yourself. A reminder of who you are. Betony is one of these for me and I think it's because the leaves look like rabbit ears, going back to childhood memories of playing with our pet rabbit and seeing all the wild ones dart in and out of the bushes. The gentle mystical aura of this plant is also like the soft yet quick witted nature of these woodland creatures. I have worked with this plant for many years getting to know it, it's not a direct one ~ it took some time.
During the summer I gave the elixir its name, Peace. I felt it's the net inner effect of Betony as a medicinal. And in our outside world, it is devastating how much our humanity needs to learn to operate from a place of peace, everyday and always, forever. As a child of the seventies I could hardly stand the word 'peace' as it was effortlessly passed around in symbols and tie dyes. I couldn't finalize this elixir for that reason, I didn't want it to be something we simply say while being removed from meaning. I let it rest like an essay you're stuck on and revisited when I came across an interview with Thich Nhat Hanh on 'the art of being peace'. I have shared his talk below for you to listen to. His message is sewn in to this elixir and the simplicity is just like that bunny in the bushes, being completely aware of the moment we presently experience. Slowing it down and being alert. And being gentle.
It takes a long time for a wild rabbit to trust you, to come over to you and allow you to touch or pick them up. But it is possible.
In Peace,
Xo,
Grace