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Lavender is a beautiful herb in the garden. It has gray-green, pointy leaves that grow in a bushy shape. It is topped with tall spikes of pale violet flowers most of the summer. It is relatively easy to grow in a sunny spot in well-drained soil. Some varieties are not hard to the cold, and are best brought indoors for winter. They can be planted back out in mid-spring.
There are many uses for lavender. It clams the nervous system, making it a sedative. It also reduces stress in the body with its anti-spasmodic qualities. When the body is relaxed, the mind can also relax.
A tea made of lavender can be consumed as a sedative. Lavender oil can be placed, a drop at a time, on the temples to relieve headache, or in the bath to relax. Other uses of lavender oil, mixed with water or other herbal oils, are to relieve joint pain, as an antiseptic, and to aid digestion.
But lavender's most common use is in reducing stress and headaches. A good way to do this is with an eye pillow that you can make yourself.
Find some soft fabric, such as silk or velvet. You won't need much. Scraps work well, since the finished size of one pillow is 4"x9". But while you; re making one for yourself, consider making several as gifts.
Cut two pieces of your fabric 4.5"x9.5". Sew up one end and both sides, with a 1/4" seam. Turn the pillow right side put. Fill with your mixture, which follows.
You can fill this with just lavender flowers mixed with a few drops of lavender oil. But a better way is to mix the flowers with flax seed. To a cup of flax seed, add 2 TBS (heaping) dried lavender flowers, mixed with a couple drops of lavender oil. That is a couple drops per pillow, not per TBS.
Fill your pillow with the mix. The finished pillow should lay flat. It shouldn't be puffy. It needs to drape over your eyes when you lay down. You will need about 3 C. of flax seed and 6 TBS lavender per pillow. Test one by closing up the end with your hand and laying it on the table, or over your eyes. Adjust the amount of mix if needed. Then sew the end shut, turning under the raw edges first.
The benefit of the flax seed is that you can heat up the pillow in the microwave for a minute, and have a warm eye pack. The flax seed will retain the heat for about 30 minutes.
When the pillow is warm, lay down on your back in a quiet, comfortable place. Drape the pillow over your eyes and relax. If you do this as you're going to bed, it allows a restful night's sleep.
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