A gentle heart centered ritual & Tea recipe

With the weight of the world right now (and most especially here in the United States); my heart has felt especially heavy these days. As someone who struggled with deep depression in my younger years; I learned that sometimes small rituals can be the thing that pulls you out of the dark just long enough to get your feet under you again.

Ritual has often been sold to us online as something that has to be complex, aesthetic, and very often expensive. Ritual is reserve for those who have the fanciest and most beautiful ways of participating.

But, in my experience small simple rituals are often times the most effective. It was the slow sipping of warm herbal tea from an old chipped teacup sent to me from a very dear friend that best uplifted my heart. It was deciding to walk the neighborhood in entirely the wrong pair of shoes and taking a moment to slip them off and squeeze the soft green grass between my toes that brought me back to center. It was sitting in a bath, face strewn with tears, my kids' shampoo bottles askew around me and a recycled beeswax candle glowing at the bottom of an old jam jar that healed the sadness of a long hard day. I also have beautiful, complex, and deeply intricate rituals that would capture perfectly for Instagram; but so often those are reserved for intention setting, deep meditation work, or big dreaming. The work of everyday healing is handled most adeptly by the unassuming and humble rituals that only look beautiful to me.

So, if your heart is also feeling heavy in this moment; I invite you into this small gentle heart centered ritual with an accompanying tea recipe.

Petals of the Heart Tea Recipe

This recipe is written in "parts" so you can make the measurements exactly what you need or what fits into your budget. I love sourcing my tea recipe herbs from Ema's Herbs here locally in Ventura; they are super high quality and reasonably priced. 1 part hibiscus

1 part rose petals

2 parts chamomile flowers

1 part Hawthorne berries

Mix your herbs together and place a heaping tablespoon of herbs into a tea bag or tea strainer and put it into your favorite cup or a cup that brings your heart a little joy. It doesn't have to be the most beautiful, but one that holds some heart connection for you.

Heat some water to approximately 175-180 degrees F.

As the water is warming, take a moments to enjoy the color and texture of the herbs in your cup. Take 3 deep breaths and bring your focus to your heart center.

When the water is ready, SLOWLY and with intention, pour the water over your herbs. As you do so, you can even take a gentle inhale of the first release of steam, noting the varying scents arising from the herbs as the water hits them. Notice the warm steam flowing into your nostrils and imagine the warmth gently flowing down into your heart center.

Let the herbs steep for 3-5 minutes (whatever time you have available to you without causing additional stress) Take 3 more slow deep breaths.

Once your tea is ready, strain off the herbs.

Find a beautiful or calming spot and sip the tea slowly, letting each mouthful rest on your tongue for just a moment, savoring the flavors and sensory texture before swallowing. Let the warmth wash over you, focusing on the heart.

Imagine each sip of tea as a warm, nurturing, loving hug for your whole body.

Repeat as necessary.

*I also find that this tea pairs beautifully with a small piece of chocolate (which also always uplifts my spirits a bit)