Spring is here! Spring rain makes me feel refreshed, cleansed and renewed. And while it’s raining outside it is traditional for many of us to engage in housecleaning. Spring-cleaning we call it. It almost seems instinctive that we dust, scrub, polish and clear away junk in the spring. Its also a good time for cleansing of the body, mind and spirit.

When cleaning your home be careful to stay away from harmful solvents and harsh chemicals. Many of the products that boast of no scrubbing may be too caustic to be exposed to. Many of these products are not very good for the environment either. With Earth Day happening on April 22nd we should all take a look at the cleaning products that we use. Heath food stores carry cleaning products made of simple, non-toxic ingredients. You may have to scrub a little harder, but you will feel comfortable knowing that you and your family are not being exposed to harmful substances. There are also recipes for homemade cleaning products in natural living and herb books. Jeanne Rose has recipes for cleaners and cleansers in her book Modern Herbal. Her recipes include natural, non-toxic ingredients. Turn yours into a “green home.” It’s better for you.

Gentle aromatherapy can help you to clear your mind, soothe your emotions and balance your aura. It’s good to rid yourself of unproductive thoughts and feelings like worry, anger, jealousy and other feelings and thoughts based on fear. The scents of sage, clove, cedar, juniper, peppermint and lemon are refreshing and mind-clearing. For a simple inhalation put a few drops of one or a combination of these oils on a cotton ball or handkerchief and inhale gently. For times when I’ve obsessed, worried or angered, a little sniff of clove essential oil helps every time. It’s also helpful prior to meditation. When using this method, be careful not to get these potent essential oils on your skin or in your eyes. For a diluted massage lotion or oil use 20 to 26 drops of essential oil for one ounce of unscented carrier product.

Ritual bathing and meditation are cleansing and refreshing for the spirit. A personal purification ritual can help you to focus on your meditation and purge negativity from your aura. The spiritual practices of many cultures involve ritual bathing. For special meditations or celebrations a holistic cleansing is required of participants. Often special purification herbs like woodruff, lavender, hyssop and chamomile are added to a bath bag or made into soap. Picture yourself letting go of things that are keeping you from experiencing joy. Let these thoughts transform into something else as you let them go. I visualize them changing into fertilizer for the plant kingdom, good, healthy, energy recycling on a metaphysical level.

Simple herbal teas make wonderful springtime beverages, especially when they contain herbs that support the liver, kidneys and lymph system. These organs are very important for ridding our bodies of waste and toxins. Herbs like nettles, dandelion and burdock boost the kidneys and the liver. Red clover and cleavers help to clear away the junk that has settled in the vessels and nodes of the lymphatic system. Try a spring herbal cleanse this year. You may notice a difference in the way your feel and in the clarity of your skin. Try the simple herbal tea blend below. It includes burdock root, dandelion root and fennel seed. You can find the ingredients at your local health food or herb store. I make a quart of the tea and sip it throughout the day. Happy spring!

Spring Cleanse Tea

For one quart of infusion (tea) combine the following in your teapot:

2 tablespoons dried dandelion root

3 tablespoons dried burdock root

1 tablespoon crushed fennel seed

Add 4 cups (32 ounces) boiling water to your pre-warmed pot and allow to steep for at least five minutes. I let mine steep for hours for maximum potency. Enjoy this tea plain or with honey.

Karen Stokes, RN is an aromatherapist, herbalist and homecare/hospice consultant who has been involved in natural healthcare for 25 years, (248) 651-8636.