Old Fashion Herbal & Stone filled Wash Cloth.

    

Ahhh instance relief….

While watching my two granddaughters I once again realized and remembered the healing power of a washcloth. I don’t know about you but I naturally use a wet washcloth for many things when people are sick or injured and small kids around. 

My grandmother was the one that used washcloth for everything. She had cleaning rags, body washing rags and medicine rags. The newest and nicest rags were for body washing.  When they got a bit used and pilly or falling apart, she would put them in the medicine rags pile or move them down to a cleaning rag. She would not keep cleaning rags long because they would have served their purpose. But out of all the rags, I remember the medicine ones the most.  

Those healing rags did magic; all on their own. If you have never used a powerful wash cloth like that, it is a must try. On a headache, a muscle pain or even cooling down a fever; it works like a charm.

     For me I have taken these healing rags a step farther. I use them either, hot or cold with stones and herbs placed inside. I have sewn wash clothes together and use them as the skin of my medicine bags. Depending on what your ailment is, I conjure up a recipe. Some rags are wet and then frozen separately or together with wax paper between them. If you place wax paper inside the pocket, it makes the medicine bag not freeze shut. 

My herb and stone recipe goes into a muslin bag like the ones you use for tea or you can find organza bags for really cheap, especially if you don’t want to reuse the bags a lot. Some people have different ideas about aseptic techniques.

If you’re looking for an indirect way to treat your ailments you can place these rags on your feet or hands. Let’s say you have a light headache coming on, place a cool washcloth on the pressure points on your feet for an alternative way to use these medicine rags. This technique works just as well as placing it directly on your neck and forehead. Since we have so many nerve endings in our feet, this way may work better for some situations. Often young children are not able to handle the cool or hot on the direct spot so, this method works well to heal and distract from the injury or illness.  You can alternate hot and cold evenly. Not leaving either on any longer than comfortable. Use safe thinking about how long to leave these packs in place. 

Here are some recipes you can use. 

These recipes may be used on children. 

A word of caution! 

For young children or people that cannot communicate well, watch for uncomfortableness as a sign if the remedy is working or not. 

Headaches  Use a hot or cold bag. Depending on what will soothe you best, may alternate.

Tension headache usually presents with a low dull ache in the temples and the sides of the head. The manganese in Sugilite is believed to help cure headaches, other stones that work well; jet, amber and tiger's eye. Using peppermint, vervain and/or lemon balm can help but they are strong smells, that seem to clear your olfactory senses and help alleviate some types of headaches but huff carefully. Some use a paste made of cayenne peppers on the temples to stimulate the brain's natural healing.

Migraines affect vision and is debilitating. I recommend using a foot soak in hot water and herbs/stone bags and place a cool washcloth at base of the back of the neck, don’t use any herbs. Amethyst, Chrysocolla, Aventurine and Magnetite work well. Some smells can work but that will be up to you. Smells can aggravate migraines.

Sinus headaches have pain behind the eyes and cheekbones with a feeling of pressure and a pushing pain in the front of the faces may affect upper teeth. Place packets in eyeball sockets with your eyes closed. Rose quartz, amazonite and sodalite are great stones. Breathing in Eucalyptus or rosemary lightly helps. Drinking ginger tea and taking Echinacea is an antiviral that kills the bacteria in the sinus cavity.

Nausea can be caused for many reasons. These are some common things that can be used to assist in settling the gastrointestinal system no matter what the reason maybe. Often disturbance is in the third chakra also known as Manipura; located close to the solar plexus called Issues in self-esteem, fear and guilt are often the root of most nausea bouts. By using citrine, sodalite and peridot placed near the area that is feeling the most upset.  Practicing sacral deep breathing and inhaling mint or orange can help with settling the mind to work with emotional imbalances.

Bruises that are clearly seen or not, can benefit from stones like carnelian. It not only treats a bruise but works on many injuries of the body like: major surgeries, menstrual pain and bloating or fevers. Use white distilled vinegar in a compress for about 20 minutes shortly after a bruise occurs but not to be used on fevers.

Pulled or strained muscle pain (hot or cold)   Azurite and Turquoise helps decrease the pain and swelling while  desert rose helps builds the muscles with small traces of calcium and minerals. By apply rosemary oil small drops to external only injuries helps decrease pain. For instant relief use small amounts of white flower oil(found in Asian stores) drop on sore areas and cover with a warm medicine rags for a few hours. Caution to any types of icy hot effects if left to get cold on skin could increase pain.

Menstrual cramps can at times be very intense. Smokey quartz and blood stone work best by helping the body be less grounded allowing a flowing energy. Pietersite or (Tempest stone) balances the endocrine system balancing the hormones. These stones affect the root chakra known as Muladhara; located a fist size space blow your navel. Raspberry tea and eating ginger rich foods are found to help decrease the intensity of the cramping.

First published in June 2013 Paranormal Underground Magazine