I wanted to share my new tea inspiration with you and explore teas that are known for calming anxiety and stress, as well as some of the associated physical symptoms - headaches, digestive discomfort and insomnia.

From having had sessions with me you will remember that I tend to give you homework tips to support and boost your progress towards your life and health goals between sessions, and to find new healthy habits that you enjoy. Every time you make a choice to do something you know will be helpful and healthful you feel good about yourself too. So why not try a new soothing tea to help keep your mind balanced?

Well I had tea with a friend yesterday, he had been given some herbal combinations from his cousin who was visiting from the Czech Republic. One was holy basil. I love herbal teas and intrigued by it’s name I was excited to try it with him and find out the health benefits.

By the way if you aren’t keen on the idea of drinking herbal teas, trying adding honey. Or why not brew some in boiled water and add it to your bathwater, or use in a facial steamer? A combination tea may also be preferable. I personally don’t like the taste of chamomile on its own for example, but I like it with honey and vanilla as in the pukka blend.

The Teas

Holy basil is in the same family as the basil we cook with, but holy basil has been cultivated for use in religious and folk medicines. Also known as Tulsi or queen of the herbs, holy basil is known as an adaptogen herb and helps to reduce mental stresses and may help balance excess cortisol. It has an interesting taste – sweet, peppery, licorice...

Peppermint tea is helpful for melting away stress, and for relieving fatigue. And if the fatigue comes after eating a heavy meal at night perhaps, peppermint tea is perfectly placed to support your digestion too.

Chamomile has relaxing and sedative properties, and similarly to peppermint can be used to help your digestive organs, it eases an upset stomach as well as general pain and inflammation.

Lavender is very widely known for its mood stabilising and sedative qualities. It can be beneficial for lowering anxiety, as well as aches and pains in the body.

Gotu kola is quite the powerhouse! It is often used to ease stress, fatigue, anxiety and depression in many Asian cultures, and might even help ease symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and enhance memory and cognitive function in everyone. It can be purchased as a single tea blend, or in a combination.

Catnip is another, surprising, herbal tea for you to consider. Part of the mint family its dried leaves can be used to treat insomnia, anxiety, nervousness and headaches.

Other relaxing brews for you to explore include lemonbalm, green tea, passionflower, fennel, ashwaganda, and St John’s wort.

And of course the act of pausing to hold your freshly brewed cup and taking deeper breaths to take in the smell of the tea is soothing…a mini meditation in itself.

What are your favourite calming brews?