The holidays can be a season of great joy and time lovingly spent with those we love. Maybe we take a little extra time off from work to spend with family and friends, and maybe we over-indulge in our very favorite vegan desserts!
But it is important to remember that this time of year can be challenging for many people, and it is not uncommon for some of us to feel overwhelmed and not quite as happy as all the advertisements say we should. We might rush around to what may seem like too many parties or “necessary” holiday activities. We might spend long days shopping while simultaneously feeling conflicted about contributing to unnecessary consumerism as we struggle to pay our regular monthly bills.
The darker days make it challenging for people who deal with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Emotionally, the holiday season might be an extra difficult time of year for people who may have lost a loved one. Sometimes we may need to seek professional care. But we can and should help ourselves with practices like restorative yoga, yoga nidra, tea time with a good book, and long luxurious baths to sooth our tired souls and give ourselves the gift of self-care and self-love.
One of my personal favorite wintertime self-care practices is to make a soothing, frothy, holiday dream latte for myself and my husband.
This is a warm beverage of nut milk, tea, maple syrup, and a special blend of spices, whipped up in a blender to create a frothy, dreamy, sweet and soothing beverage. The tea blend is a specific herbal preparation designed to soothe the nervous system and promote relaxation. It contains skullcap, which is specifically used to soothe the nervous system, relieve anxiety, and help promote relaxation and sleep. Oatstraw is said to boost the brain and is a mild relaxant and sleep aid.
Everyone is familiar with chamomile, a longtime traditional herb which promotes relaxation and calmness, and can relieve menstrual cramps. Tulsi is a regarded as an adaptogen and anti-stress agent and a natural headache reliever. The herbal combination is a potent rejuvenating tea that can be taken alone.
When turned into this sweet frothy latte, with the possible addition of these other healing spices and powders, ashwagandha and shilajit, it becomes a dreamy nighttime self-care practice. You can also use any combination of herbal teas, any store-bought combination, or your favorite herbal blend.
Adaptogenic Holiday Dream Latte
YIELDS 2-3 cups
PREP TIME 10 min
COOK TIME 15 min
TOTAL TIME 25 min
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Oatstraw
2 Tbsp Skullcap
2 Tbsp Tulsi
2 Tbsp Chamomile
3 cups hot boiling water
1 cup favorite nut milk (optional- 1 cup water, 1/4 cup cashews or hemp seeds blended with water)
2 pitted medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered cardamom
dash nutmeg
Optional Extras
1 tsp powdered ashwagandha
1/2 tsp powdered shilajit
1 tsp cocoa nibs
Directions
Make the herbal tea blend. Pour boiling water over the herbs in a large glass jar, or a teapot. The best infusion comes from allowing the herbs to float and move around in the water for several minutes. Let steep for 5-6 minutes. Strain out herbs. Warm up nut milk for one minute in microwave or on the stovetop. Pour strained tea and heated milk into blender. Add dates, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamon, and other optional extras. Blend for 1 minute, or until dates are well blended. This will make a frothy concoction. Pour into your favorite mugs, sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg, and share with someone you love this holiday season.