Spiritual Significance of Lavender

• Spiritual Healing
• Tranquility
• Higher Consciousness
• Release of Energy Blockages
• Easing of Tension
• Promotes Calmness
• Purification

Phase 1

Years ago while on a short vacation in Hyde Park, my husband and I dinned at this wonderful restaurant, Terrapin. There I had my first ever Lavender Gimlet. I was blown away by the taste of something that before I had only ever associated with smell. Who thinks to do something like that? Maybe one of the CIA chefs that are boasted to be sprinkled about in the kitchens of the best dining spots in Hyde Park. I don’t know but as an avid foodie, I was blown away. I thought it was brilliant. Whenever we go there I always order one and I just savor it until it’s done.

Phase 2

Several months ago year at a friend’s potluck in Brooklyn, someone brought lavender lemonade. I liked it so much, I got the recipe from them, filed that away and have been steadily researching the creation of lavender infused drinks ever since. I made my first lavender gimlet with gin for my husband and I last week in a cocktail shaker I’ve had for years but rarely use. Lavender Gimlets are probably an acquired taste and obviously not for those who don’t like gin but i love it. Making lavender simple syrup is super easy and I’m excited to use it for lavender lemonade this Summer as well.

Phase 3

Nearly two months ago, on recommendation from a friend and co-worker who has beautiful locs and styles hair I ordered this special hair oil. The product, which was said to have been delivered to my work address in it’s tracking data never arrived. I’ll save you descriptions of the anger and frustration and USPS paranoia I experienced after this. I filed a claim with USPS and left it at that. I let it go. One day last month it just showed up. It arrived at my job with no fanfare no explanation. I didn’t need any. I was just so happy it even came. It’s a high concentration mixture of natural essential oils used to stimulate hair growth. It smells amazing, as my friend had told me it would. A dropper is used to apply it because very little is needed. The strongest most prominent top note scent is lavender.

Phase 4

After work, on the same day the hair oil arrived, I met my husband for a stroll through the garden in Fort Tryon Park. We came upon a large bush of lavender and I started picking some. I put it in the satchel that hair oil came in and placed in the inner pocket of my denim jacket where it still lives. This instinct, I’m aware, comes from watching my mom pick lavender from the herb garden at BBG when my brother and I were little. There was a sequence of deliberate paths we took through that garden that would last all day and would very often end in the herb garden which, by the way, is no longer there except for in my memory.

Phase 5

Over the weekend I pulled a muscle in my back and in addition to starting a regimen of morning and nightly stretching at the recommendation of soulsistah4real, I’ve been taking salt baths for my back as well. Last night, I had my husband scatter some lavender buds into my bath. Omigoodness. It’s very rare, when I’m soaking in the tub that I’m not plotting some way to remain there over night. LOL!! It was very hard for me to leave and Tuesday night was no exception.  Hot water releases the scent and oil from lavender and releases it into the air and it’s oooohhh so calming.

Who knew there were so many freakin uses for lavender? I even have, and maybe this is going to sound obnoxious, lavender soybean oil nail polish remover. Wait!!! And lavender scented cuticle oil from Julep that I got in one of their freebie boxes almost a year ago. It’s a roll on that has lasted me forever.

Too much?

Well it doesn’t feel like too much to me as yet. LOL! In fact it feels pretty perfect.