Lavender

This wonderful plant with flowery sprouts of blue to greyish purple colour, blooms in July and August, with light pink, light purple, or white blossoms. There are several varieties of lavender, most common among them being the common or true lavender of the Latin name Lavandula officinalis.

Its scientific name derives from the Latin word lavare, which means “bathing” or “washing”, and in fact, when thinking of lavender, we immediately think of purity, in the physical and spiritual sense. Its pleasant smell makes it a very popular cleansing herb in Europe, while it also possesses antiseptic qualities that help keep away insects. A trait, which was extremely important in the times before glass doors or windows had been invented and people often shared their homes with animals, who brought with them fleas and lice.

Lavender originates in the Mediterranean region, from where it has spread all over Europe. Its cultivation reaches to ancient Greeks, although the Romans were first to spread its reputation all over Europe and other parts of the world.  In the 13th and 14th century it was mostly cultivated in the gardens of European convents, due to its image and numerous healing qualities. Even mere mortals were hanging bags, filled with dried buds of lavender, in and around their homes. They brought fragrance into their homes, the bedsheets, and stored clothes.

It was also used for healing purposes, like baths, preparing a space for birth, to accelerate women’s periods. The Arabs used it to help with coughs and ease asthma; in European folk medicine, it represented an herb, useful in healing wounds and eliminating worms in children. Traditionally, lavender’s blossoms were used in healing and cleansing baths and rituals with incense, where the main purpose was to maintain the peaceful cohabitation within the home. For centuries it has served as an aide for digestive problems, headaches, sadness, and stress.

The main ingredients of the lavender essential oil are: borneol, cineol, geraniol, tannin, linalool, among others. These ingredients decrease sweating, as antidepressants, antirheumatic, antiseptic, ease cramps, expel gas from intestines, stimulate the functions of bile and intestines, and even increase the secretion of urine. In addition to already mentioned benefits of lavender, it also has an aromatic, calming and at the same time stimulative effects, it strengthens and stimulates the stomach’s function, revives internal organs and the entire organism, while repelling insects (internal and external, for example lice, fleas, mosquitoes).

Lavender is successful in aiding bacterial and viral diseases, herpes, faints, depression, migraines, nervous tension and anxiety, stress, insomnia, colic, flatulence, sickness, stomach problems, vomiting and exhaustion. It reduces swelling, normalizes the function of sebaceous glands, and helps with acne. Lavender’s essential oil can be used externally to heal burns, ulcers, headaches, toothaches and to disinfect wounds. A compress with lavender oil, for example, releases intestinal gas, eases rheumatism, joint or sprain pains, stimulates limb paralysis, soothes fatigue. The essential oil helps with lung conditions, asthma, dry cough, bronchitis, ear pains, eye infections, severe vaginal discharge. Kneipp, for example, prescribed it to his patients.

Even though lavender is mostly used in nutrition, it plays an important role in aromatherapy as well. It has a soothing and at the same time stimulative effect on the brain. Inhaling its scent causes immediate relaxation and spiritual peace in the most stressful of environments. It has been proven to represent a natural alternative to heal insomnia, headaches and stimulating inner peace that comes with soothing the feelings of anxiety.

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