Meditation is an amazing way to discipline your mind and get yourself to relax and wind down after a long day. A few minutes of meditation every day can greatly impact your life and change how you approach many different facets of life. Whether you are practicing meditation in the form of mindfulness, focused meditation, or yoga, it can be difficult to shed the day’s worries and empty your mind.
Achieving the stillness and calm required for meditation is often quite difficult to do. It gets easier to block out your thoughts with practice, of course, but there are some things you can do to help the process along. Many people find it helpful to rely on the senses to focus on and quiet your mind. Like in mindfulness meditation, you can focus on some sensory stimuli to get into the right mental state for meditating. Some find it useful to watch a candle flame, listen to some calming nature sound, or use herbs for meditation.
Herbs can be a great option for ridding the mind of distractions and providing you with a focus point during your meditation sessions. Many herbs have different properties that can be beneficial for you, and some even go beyond the physical and can affect our mind and consciousness. Let’s take a look at how you can use herbs for mental clarity during meditation.
How You Can Use Herbs for Meditation
Herbal medicine has been used for centuries in many traditions worldwide, from Ayurveda to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Some herbs are used to ease physical ailments like muscle pain and weakness, while some have been used to build immunity and help with digestion. Many herbs can go beyond physical uses and help the mind and consciousness.
Many common plants can help rid the mind of distractions and open up the path to self-reflection. Listed below are the herbs for meditation that can help you focus, stay alert, and reach the right mental state for finding clarity.
1. Rose
Rose is a great herb for meditation as it helps in relaxation, pain relief, aids sleep, is an antioxidant, and has a gentle and calming scent. Rose opens up the heart chakra and makes way for love and compassion. You can use rose for aromatherapy by getting an essential oil scent diffuser (ASIN: B07Y29ZV56) and rose essential oil. The scents in the room can help you focus on meditation and clear your mind of errant thoughts. You can also have a rose tea before a meditation session, focusing on the light taste and improving concentration.
2. Holy Basil
Holy basil, also known as tulsi, is the sacred plant of the Hindu Goddess Vishnu. The plant is used widely across India in homes and temples to purify and protect the spaces. Vishnu is believed to live within the herb, and using the herb channels the goodness and virtue of the Goddess. Hold basil has been mentioned in the ancient texts the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita.
Because of its long history in spiritual practices, tulsi is a great herb for mediation and can be used in the form of tea. Pouring the tea and smelling it with your eyes shut is a great way to increase your focus. Tasting tea can also be a form of mindfulness.
3. Mugwort
Mugwort is an herb from the daisy family that helps you access a meditative space that clears negative energy and allows for easier access to the dream state. Mugwort has been used to help break out of a creative rut and reawaken the imagination. Mugwort is used in meditation in the form of tea or cleansing on your meditation space.
You can add a teaspoon of dried mugwort to water and brew it for a few minutes to make a tea. Strain it and have the tea before a meditation session to help rid your mind of distracting thoughts and direct your focus to where you want it to be. You can also use a mugwort smudge stick (ASIN: B08WHFDWBS) to cleanse your room and allow yourself to visualize manifestations.
4. Sage
Sage is a very well-known and widely used herb in the practice of meditation. Sage is also held sacred by some Native American people and is used to cleanse the mind and the body from negativity. It allows for an improved mood and stronger memory and brain function.
When it comes to herbs for mental clarity, sage is one of our first choices. If you smudge your space with sage or burn sage to cleanse a room before meditation, you should also be aware of its cultural context for Native Americans. You can use a sage smudge stick (ASIN: B07TKT9GP5) to warm off negative energy and say a positive mantra before you begin meditating.
5. Rosemary
Rosemary has been used in herbal medicine for many years and is considered a staple in cultures across the world. It has many benefits, including increasing oxygenation in the body, bringing down blood glucose levels, and increasing heart and brain functions. Rosemary can also improve your mood and bring about a sense of calmness and ease. Rosemary is a great herb to use for meditation in the form of tea, as an essential oil to put on your skin or in your bath, or as an aromatherapy scent to use in your meditation space.
6. Thyme
Thyme is an herb that has been seen to improve your mood, clear your mind of distractions, and allow for more open and healthy communication. If you need ridding unnecessary and distracting thoughts from your mind so that you can meditate with more focus, then thyme is a great choice of herb for you.
Thyme is best taken in the form of tea. Drinking thyme steeped tea is said to open the throat chakra and allow for easier and clearer communication. You are better able to express yourself with your words which can be helpful for manifestation meditation.
7. Lavender
Lavender is an herb that is often used for stress relief, relaxation, and reducing anxiety. It is usually one of the first herbs to come to mind when you think of herbs for meditation. Lavender is very versatile in the ways that you can use it. It comes in the form of fresh plants, dried plants, powders, soaps (ASIN: B0071GFU1U), teas, and essential oils.
Because lavender is so versatile, it can be used in various ways for meditation. You can use it as aromatherapy, you can use it in the bath, or you can drink lavender tea. Many people also use lavender for its help in opening the third eye and unlocking your natural intuition. If you use meditation as a guide to making a big decision, then lavender can especially help you.
8. Gotu Kola
Gotu kola is a particularly spiritual herb from the parsley family and is used by many yogis because of its properties that allow the development of the crown chakra. The crown chakra focuses the energy towards the top of the head. Gotu kola is used for its tonic-like effect on the mind and the nerves. It balances the brain and builds mental energy. The herb is highly regarded in many parts of India and is used for its stimulating properties in the Ayurveda herbal medicine tradition. It is also thought to balance the nervous system because of the ingredients that help maintain the body’s neurotransmitters. Gotu kola is best paired in a tea with yoga and focused meditation that uses repeated mantras.
9. Brahmi
Brahmi is an herb named after the Hindu God Brahma, who created the universe from his thoughts. Brahmi has been used in the Ayurveda tradition for treating several mental disorders, including anxiety and poor memory. The herb is associated with Brahma because of its benefits to the mind, concentration, clarity of thoughts, and calmness.
Brahmi allows a person to access knowledge about the supreme reality of the world and everything in existence. It is one of the best herbs for mental clarity and should be used for meditation to ward off errant thoughts and mental distractions.
10. Passionflower
Passionflower comes from a family of plants known as the Passiflora and over a hundred different species. It has many health benefits, the most notable being that it can help treat anxiety and insomnia by increasing the brain’s production of serotonin. Because of this, it is also good for improving your mood. Spanish explorers first discovered the passionflower in Peru.
Passionflower is a good herb for meditation because of its calming effects and because it is a mood booster. It can help you relax, open your mind, and allow for an easier time letting go of your worries and meditating.
11. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is an herb from the mint family and is used especially for its calming properties. It helps in digestion, soothes the nervous system, and lowers blood pressure. It is a great way to help yourself relax and ease any of your worries before a meditation session. Lemon balm is also uplifting and energizing and can be had in a tea or tincture before or during meditation.
12. Chamomile
Chamomile is a very popularized herb because of its use in chamomile teas (ASIN: B07N2F8718). It has calming effects on the mind and the body and helps soothe the nervous system. It is also great for helping you sleep well. Chamomile also has a distinctive scent and is a great option for aromatherapy. You can have chamomile tea before meditation or use chamomile essential oils (ASIN: B093GQK9SJ) to diffuse the scent into your meditation space.
13. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an Ayurveda medicinal herb that has been used for over 3000 years for its many medicinal benefits. It is great for reducing stress, lowering cortisol levels in the body, is a natural antioxidant, and soothes the nerves. It is a great herb for meditation as it relieves stress and anxiety and allows you to go into a meditation session with an open mind. You can have ashwagandha in the form of tea or a cup of warm milk.
14. Hawthorn
Hawthorne has been used in many cultures across the world for its benefits to the heart. In Native American, Chinese, and European traditional medicine, hawthorn has been used as a heart tonic to reinvigorate the heart’s energy and restore the muscles. Hawthorne is a great herb for meditation because it is thought to open your heart to any emotions that may come up. It can help ease you into acceptance and compassion towards your thoughts and emotions. It is also great for mindful meditation and can nurture compassion, love, and kindness for yourself. Try having a cup of hawthorn tea (ASIN: B07L5BXPCQ) before a meditation session.
15. Nettle
Nettle is an herb that has many health benefits. It is a great source of vitamins, iron, and calcium and strengthens the immune system. For meditation, nettle is thought to bring us awareness and help us accept uncomfortable or difficult thoughts. If you are meditating to work through some difficult or uncomfortable moments in your life, then nettle can help you open your mind and find clarity in difficulty. Nettle extract can be added to some water or a scent diffuser to prepare your meditation space. You can also have some nettle tea before you begin meditating.
Our Final Thoughts
Sometimes it can be difficult to get into the right mind space that is required for meditation. If you find that you have a tough time emptying your mind of stray thoughts and distractions, then a calming tea or a subtle scent can be a great way to focus your mind. We listed down the 15 best herbs for meditation that can help you still your mind. Try them out and see which ones work best for you.
