Updated 12/2021
Herbal steams have been used for many years to help assist the body clean itself out and come back to balance. They are a simple and FREE way to use water to support the sinuses and the respiratory tract. When the sinuses get congested it can be annoying and down right painful as the pressure can feel intense. Steaming is the action of breathing in the hot vapors emitting from the water element and these vapors easily and quickly go through the tubes of your sinuses and into the deeper branches of your lungs.
The mucus that is created when you’re sick is actually a highly beneficial action in the body as it’s the bodies way off trying to expel any viruses or unwanted matter out of the body by binding it to mucus. The feeling however isn’t pleasant, especially when the mucus gets dried out and hard to move. Ideally you want free flowing mucus so when you need to reach for tissues you’re in a good place as you body can do it’s job easier.
Certain herbs are high in volatile oils which is what gives them their amazing powerful scent and these volatile oils contain antimicrobial action on the body helping the immune system work better to fight off infections bringing the body back to a place of balance. When the lungs and/or sinuses need assistance doing a steam with these herbs that are high in volatile oils is best as the antimicrobial action directly touches the tissues where it’s needed as the water vapors carry the herbs action right with it. This and the warm moisture provided helps break up the congestion in your lungs and sinuses.
Steams done with plain water work well and adding a little aromatic herbs to them make them even better making them a very simple and cheap remedy to support your respiratory system as needed, and to use often during cold and flu season.
Making An Herbal Steam
Ingredients:
- 2-3 cups just boiled water
- 1 heat safe bowl
- 1 towel large enough to cover your head
- 1 tablespoon dried decongestant/antimicrobial herbs, or a prepared herbal mixture. Good herbs to use are thyme, rosemary, oregano, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, basil, and citrus peels. Mints are bit overwhelming so only use a pinch of herbs like peppermint.
Directions:
- Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil.
- To a small bowl add 1 tablespoon of herbs.
- Pour boiling water over the herbs and cover the bowl to avoid letting any steam from escaping.
- Carefully sit down with the bowl (carrying it with oven mitts if needed) and place a towel over your head and position your face over the bowl. The towel is used as a tent to hold the steam in.
- With your eyes closed and face roughly 5-10 inches away from the hot water, slowly breathe in the steam deeply for up to 10 minutes. Be careful not to get your face/skin too close so as not to get burned.
- Sit and relax while breathing in the steam gently allowing it to flow freely where it needs to go.
- If needed, let any mucus fall into the pot (yes, I know it is gross, but the pot can be washed!).
- When finished, pour out the liquid and herbs in the pot and thoroughly wash the pot.
Extra Tips:
- I find it helpful to try to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth at first, and then eventually try to breathe in and out through the nose to loosen congestion in the sinuses, or in and out through the mouth if it’s congestion in the lungs.
- Depending on how hot the steam is and how close you are to it the steam can be too hot for your lungs to handle at first so it’s best to begin breathing in through your nose until the temperature cools down a bit.
- In a pinch doing a steam with a cup is great and you can often use most teas you would drink for this purpose. Even if you’re not trying to clear out congestion or bring moisture to the throat, breathing in the volatile oils from your tea is such an uplifting and stress relieving experience in of itself.
- For some people doing a steam for the first time can make them feel a little claustrophobic. For this reason I like to add calming herbs like Chamomile and Rose to the mix to bring some supportive calming action and it turns the steam into a whole other level of an experience of bliss.
- Once you can no longer see any steam rising from the water and/or all the herbs are fully sunk to the bottom you can consider your steam done as the herbs no longer have a lot of aromatic action going on.
How often to steam:
This can be repeated daily while you’re working to relieve congestion but you often will notice a huge shift after just one attempt. Then as a preventative it can be done once a week or monthly if desired during cold and flu season. With times of severe illnesses going around like in recent years it’s nice to do a steam at least weekly to clean out the upper respiratory system.
Let me know what you think if you give it a try!
