Herbal Anti-Inflammatory, Pain-Relieving Foot Bath

With autumn coming and the cold days upon us, it's important to pamper those cold, achy feet. When cold weather comes, so do the aches and pains. With the aches and pains come the soreness and misery and possibly swelling. It doesn't matter whether the pain is all year round or just during the cold seasons, it's pain, and that's all it takes to seek some kind of comfort and relief.

There are many herbal remedies available out there and different uses for all sorts of herbs and spices. Here is an herbal foot soak with anti-inflammatory properties because of some of the spices that are used in this recipe.

You will need the following:
- 2 packs of mint tea OR 2 tsp. of loose tea
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
NOTE: You may add extra fresh or dried mint, or use in place of mint tea. Just add the mint to the loose tea. You may also add extra mint and tea if you wish.

Make a sachet by cutting a square of thin material such as a sheet and lay it out flat (you can use cheesecloth as well). Put all the ingredients in the middle and fold the material up around it. Tie it off using a rubber-band, yarn, or anything you have that will work well.
Cut off the excess material at the top

Now, run your pan full of warm water. Make the water as warm as you can tolerate. Put the sachet you just made into the water and squeeze to begin its distribution. Finally, cover up, slide you feet into the water, sit back, close your eyes, and slip into tranquility. If you practice relaxation techniques, this would be a great time for meditation as well.

Soak your feet for at least 20 minutes, or until the water cools off. You can use this sachet for one or two more soaks depending on the strength of it. You can tell it's used up when you stop seeing the herbal spice mixture dissipate into the water and the scent starts fading. When your sachet is finished, just throw it away and make a new one when you're ready.

I suggest regular soakings about once a week to relieve as much of your foot pain as possible. If you see that your feet are sensitive to the spices, you may do this less. See a doctor if you form a rash and do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. If you are allergic to any of the ingredients above, then you can simply eliminate it, or substitute it with a lovely harvest Autumn scented spice such as cloves or allspice if you wish to do so.

This Fall, when those tired cold feet start aching, come in and unwind with this comforting warm foot bath remedy and let your tiresome feet soothe to recuperation.