The Herb......Lemon Balm

I have attended several herb classes this winter.  One was on wild herbs that grow naturally in our environment.  The other class was on making tinctures out of fresh herbs that have been dried.  It has been very interesting and all I can tell you for sure, is there is a lot for me to learn.  Two books were recommended at the tincture class, Herbal Antibiotics and Herbal Antivirals by Stephen Harrod Buhner. If I don't have a book by my easy chair these two are always there because I need to read and reread these two.

I wanted to tell you a little bit about lemon balm and what I have learned and am learning.  First, I have grown lemon balm before and it is very easy to grow.  There is an essential oil that is sold by Young Living that is called Melissa and it is $158.00. This oil is made from Lemon Balm.  I have heard that it will stop the flu in its tracks.  I have not bought this oil and I haven't had the flu either to try this out.  But at the first sign of the flu, you can dilute one drop of oil in 1 teaspoon of honey or in 4 ounces of rice milk and take internally.  This is not to be given to children under 6 years of age and children over 6 needs a greater dilution and should be used with caution.  It can also be used on the Vita Flex points.

Melissa is know as the "Elixir of Life" and is one of the earliest known medicinal herbs.  In ancient times, Melissa was always used for nervous disorders and many different ailments dealing with the heart or the emotions.  You can make a tea out of dried lemon balm and it is calming and helps with heart palpations and shingles.

Dr. Dietrich Wabner, a professor at the Technical University of Munich, reported that a onetime application of true Melissa oil led to complete remission of herpes simplex lesions. 

I'm growing lemon balm this summer and trying my hand at making a tincture.  I'll keep you posted on the results.

xo