Intentions: health, well-being, restoration
A cup of herbal tea before bed is a habit that I’ve been getting into more and more as an adult. If I have insomnia, I can brew some valerian. If my blood pressure’s too high, then I’ll have hawthorn. If my lungs or throat are sore, mint is the ticket, and if I’ve got a bit of nausea, ginger really helps settle my stomach. That last one comes into play especially when I’m taking medication, which I do multiple times a day.
Not everyone who undertakes this ritual will need the same kind of medicine; what works for one won’t work for another. But I think it’s important to have a place in the day for the activity of medication — and to ritualize it — because it is an act of self-care with important implications for your overall health and well-being. Whether your medication helps you physically, mentally, or emotionally, if it’s important to you, then it can be a part of this ritual.
Ritual Items
mug
herbal tea (whatever kind you like)
medicine (if needed)
Brewing
Heating water and brewing tea only takes a few minutes, which makes it perfect for a short meditation. While the water heats, take a seat, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and do a short personal inventory: how are you feeling, physically and mentally? Are you having pain anywhere in your body? Are you hungry? Tired? Note these things as they come up for you and try to sit in a state of awareness with them, without hating your body or judging yourself for any perceived weakness.
When the water is ready, brew your tea. While the tea brews, return to your meditation for a few minutes. Know that help is on its way. Take a moment to send loving-healing energy to those parts of your body that are in pain, and if you like, send out this same loving-healing energy to anyone else you know who may need it, too.
Medicine
When your tea is ready, take whatever medication you need to, and then lift your mug. Bring it up to your lips, and whisper the following enchantment into it:
Water, Earth, Fire, Air:
Elixir of Life,
I take your powers into myself:
Power to grow,
Power to heal,
Power to preserve.
Drink the tea and feel its warmth flowing through your body. Accept its healing energies along with your medication. Finish drinking it completely to incorporate these powers into your body.
Ways to customize
When sending loving-healing energy out, add a moment to send out loving-healing energy to the Earth as a whole, and the Tree of Life that has grown from it. We are all related; we have grown from each other, and in response to each other. We are family, and no loving-healing is wasted on that Tree.
Customize the powers in the Medicine incantation however you would like to fit your personal situation and physical needs. For example, if you are battling cancer, then the “power to grow” may be less desirable. Take it out and replace it with the “power to persevere,” or something else that has meaning to you and your needs.
If you are taking a new medication or dealing with an ongoing medical issue, take a few moments while you’re drinking your tea to make some health notes in your journal. Especially if you have chronic illness, this kind of daily medical note-keeping can be very valuable, and helps you see different patterns emerge over time. You may also find it useful to note any symptoms or side effects that you are experiencing from your medication.