3 Soothing Herbal Tea Recipes for Stress, Inflammation & Digestion

Explore a collection of herbal tea recipes with Step-by-Step Harvesting & Preparation

There’s something deeply healing about making your own tea blends using herbs you’ve grown, gathered, and lovingly prepared. Herbal teas offer more than flavor—they bring comfort, nourishment, and subtle shifts in body and mind. They connect us with the rhythms of the earth and the wisdom of plant medicine.

Today, I share three of my favorite herbal tea recipes to support stress relief, reduce inflammation, and soothe digestion. As a clinical herbalist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, I guide you step by step through the process of wild harvesting, drying, blending, and preparing each tea. These recipes are simple, effective, and easy to integrate into your daily self-care rituals.

Let’s dive into the beautiful benefits of each herbal tea recipe.

1. Stress-Relief Herbal Tea

Herbs: calendula, lemon balm, tulsi, lemongrass, mint, and hibiscus

Enjoy a peaceful cup of stress relief herbal tea, specifically designed to offer a moment of tranquility amidst the chaos of everyday life. This perfectly blended tea combines the best natural ingredients, each carefully chosen for its well-known stress-relieving and relaxation-promoting properties. This vibrant herbal tea for stress is like a warm embrace for your nervous system. It combines calming nervines with gentle adaptogens and a touch of bright, floral tartness to lift your spirits.

Why it works:
Each herb in this blend supports stress relief in its own unique way:

• Calendula brings sunshine to the blend. Known for its lymph-moving and skin-healing properties, calendula also supports emotional balance and is often used in folk traditions to lift a heavy heart.
• Lemon Balm is a gentle yet powerful nervine herb. It soothes anxiety, promotes relaxation, and may even support cognitive function and mood regulation.
• Tulsi (Holy Basil) is a sacred adaptogen in Ayurvedic medicine. It helps the body adapt to stress, balances cortisol levels, and supports both emotional clarity and physical stamina.
• Lemongrass adds a fresh citrusy note while gently calming the digestive and nervous systems. It’s often used in Ayurvedic and Southeast Asian herbalism for its cleansing and soothing properties.
• Mint cools the body and sharpens the mind. It’s a familiar herb with strong carminative effects, and it harmonizes beautifully with the other herbs in this tea.
• Hibiscus adds a beautiful ruby color and a tart, fruity taste. It’s packed with antioxidants and helps regulate blood pressure, adding a heart-supportive element to this stress-relief blend.

When to enjoy it:
Sip this herbal tea for stress relief in the late afternoon or early evening to unwind from the day. It also makes a great iced tea for hot summer days when stress and heat can feel overwhelming.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Herbal Tea

Herbs: blackberry leaves and lavender

This soothing, earthy-floral anti-inflammatory tea is a gentle remedy for inflammation in the body and mind. It’s perfect when you’re feeling inflamed, puffy, sore, or emotionally agitated.

Why it works:

• Blackberry Leaves are an often overlooked herbal gem. Traditionally used to soothe sore throats and gut inflammation, they contain tannins and antioxidants that help tighten tissues and calm inflamed mucous membranes. They also lend a grounding, forest-like note to the tea.
• Lavender is well-known for its calming scent, but its medicinal value goes much deeper. It’s a powerful nervine that supports restful sleep, eases anxiety, and has natural anti-inflammatory properties. Lavender also helps open the lungs and soothe tension in the chest.

Together, these herbs offer a potent mix of calm and clarity, addressing both physical inflammation and mental overstimulation.

When to enjoy it:
This anti-inflammatory tea is a beautiful companion during stressful periods, recovery from illness, or when you’re experiencing symptoms of systemic inflammation—like joint pain, skin flare-ups, or fatigue. Drink it warm in the evening, or steep a strong infusion to use in a healing herbal bath.

3. Digestive Herbal Tea

Herbs: fresh ginger and lemongrass

This warming, zesty digestive herbal tea is designed to kindle your digestive fire, support metabolism, and relieve symptoms like bloating, cramping, or sluggish digestion. This is my favorite of the three herbal tea recipes because strong, healthy digestion is essential for everyone’s health. These two herbs are a cornerstone of good digestion.

Why it works:

• Ginger is one of the most trusted and widely used digestive herbs in both TCM and Ayurveda. It stimulates circulation, warms the body, relieves nausea, and helps break down food more efficiently. It’s especially helpful in colder seasons or for those with signs of “cold” digestion like bloating, gas, and heaviness after meals.
• Lemongrass supports healthy digestion with its carminative, antimicrobial, and gently detoxifying properties. It also adds a light citrus aroma that harmonizes with the sharpness of ginger, making this tea feel bright and balanced.

This combination is simple but mighty. It not only helps with digestion but also uplifts the mood and invigorates the senses.

If you’re looking for a gentle, effective way to support your digestion naturally, try my specially blended herbal tea—handcrafted with care.

When to enjoy it:
Drink this digestive herbal tea after meals to ease bloating or sluggishness. It’s also a great way to start your day with a gentle digestive boost, especially if you’re feeling heavy or slow in the morning.

Tips for preparation

1. Boil one cup of water in a small saucepan or kettle.
2. While the water is heating, prepare your herbs. Measure out one teaspoon of each dried herb (lemon balm, lemongrass, mint, holy basil, hibiscus, and calendula) and add them to a tea infuser or directly to a teapot.
3. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, pour it over the herbs in the teapot or cup.
4. Allow the herbs to steep for about 10–15 minutes, depending on your preferred strength. If you want to extract even more goodness from the herbs, you can infuse them overnight.
5. After steeping, strain the tea and enjoy.

Note: You can adjust the quantities of each herb according to your taste & health preferences. Additionally, you may add a natural sweetener like honey or agave syrup if desired.

Harvesting & Growing Your Own Herbs

In the video, I show you how I harvest some of these herbs straight from my garden and nearby wild spaces. Harvesting herbs is a sacred act—a way of building a relationship with the plants and the land. It’s important to approach wild harvesting with care and respect:

• Only harvest what you need
• Never take more than one-third of a patch
• Positively identify each plant before harvesting
• Avoid harvesting from polluted or sprayed areas

Overharvesting can lead to the disappearance of native plants, so cultivating your own herbs is a beautiful alternative. Many herbs—like mint, calendula, lemon balm, and lavender—grow easily in pots or garden beds. Growing your own also ensures freshness, sustainability, and a deep connection to the plants you’re working with.

Watch the Full Video

In the video, I show you three herbal tea recipes that I love to make and drink. I walk you through the full experience—from wandering through the garden, harvesting each herb, drying and storing them properly, to finally preparing these beautiful blends. Making tea can become a daily ritual, full of mindfulness and intention.

Watch the video here:

Thank you for joining me on this journey into the heart of herbal tea. May these blends support your well-being, calm your spirit, and reconnect you with the healing rhythms of nature.

Curious to try my herbal blends? You’re welcome to visit my shop here.

Marketa
Clinical Herbalist & TCM Practitioner