In March, I embarked on a path to becoming an herbalist.  It’s been an amazing journey so far as I learn the value of herbs and plants.  Many of the plants society views as a nuisance and weeds, in fact, have considerable medicinal benefits.  In February, I went skiing and fell hard on a patch of ice.  Even though I knew my knee was injured, I continued skiing until the family was ready to call it a day.  Once I got back to our house, my knee was swollen and red.  That evening, I soaked in the hot tub that was at the house and tried to work it out.  The next day, it was feeling much better, but some fluid remained even after several months.  Even though it was a small amount of inflammation, it interfered with my workout routine.  

During the April herbal class, the topic was about inflammation and the digestive system.  I also learned the art of tea making—my group made an anti-inflammatory tea. Even though it was geared toward reducing inflammation in the digestive system, this tea had a surprising benefit for my knee.  A few weeks after returning home with my sample of anti-inflammatory tea, I decided to go ahead and make it.  After all, I need to try these things out for myself.  I steeped about two cups of herbs for a 12-hour period so all the medicine has a chance to be released.  I placed it into a container and drank it throughout the next day.

The day after I noticed a large bruise about three inches from my injured knee.  When I palpated the knee itself, there was no longer a squishy area of inflammation.  The herbs had allowed the blood to be released, which is why I had the bruise.  Even though I was excited about the finding, I was skeptical that the inflammation would likely come back.  I’m happy to report that it has not!  I ordered some of the dried herbs and now have the ability to make teas for my family and myself.  I recommend Mountain Rose Herbals in Oregon.  They are a sustainable, organic company with high environmental ethics.

Anti-Inflammatory Tea

Equal parts

• Agrimony

• Meadowsweet

• Chamomile

Mix well and store in an air-tight container. 

Use 1 TBSP of plant material to 1 cup of boiling water.

I boil my water, measure it out and add the plant materials.  Steep overnight and drink the next day.