Bathhouse... So much is hidden in this word. So many positive emotions and pleasant memories. The Russian bath is the most famous Russian tradition in the world, which carries not so much the meaning of physical purity, but rather the meaning of spiritual purity. It is she who is the reason for the appearance of statements about strange Russians who do not go to the bathhouse to wash, but indulge in thoughts about the frailty of existence. There are many interesting things in the Russian bath tradition: special utensils, brooms. This article is about one of the types of brooms.
Linden broom is one of the most beneficial effects on the human body. However, with the advent of fashionable new products, such as bamboo, they began to forget about linden. It does not have a unique appearance and cannot boast of exotic origin. That is why in our society, which is greedy for overseas curiosities, it is not very popular. By the way, linden has many beneficial properties.
Tea is prepared from linden; it is included in medicinal herbal preparations for inhalation. One of its most important properties is its beneficial effect on the lungs. But why use all these fees if you can take a linden broom to the bathhouse? At the same time you can take a good steam and warm up. Our ancestors truly believed that linden could warm the soul.
It was from linden that houses and baths were built, mead was brewed and kvass was prepared. Linden honey was highly valued. And many bath attributes are still made from linden. Few people know where the expression “false seal” and others like it came from. In fact, scammers, at one time, also appreciated this tree. Thanks to its soft structure, it was very easy to cut a fake seal out of it. And the ease of processing wood is no reason to cut bath utensils from it.
What are the benefits of linden brooms?
The benefits of wood have been known for a long time. Bark, branches, leaves and flowers were actively used by our ancestors to strengthen the immune system. The lifespan of the plant is 300-400 years. Grows mainly in western Russia. The flowering period is characterized by a rich aroma that attracts bees.
The linden bath broom has absorbed all the medicinal properties. It contains vitamins, tannins, carotene, essential oils and other important components. What else is a linden broom useful for?
- The smell of leaves while vaping relaxes, calms and clears your head of bad thoughts.
- Cleansing the body by removing waste and toxins.
- Removal of mucus, clearing of the bronchi and a general beneficial effect on the respiratory system.
- Relief from headaches and treatment of insomnia.
In addition, linden itself alleviates colds and lowers temperature. It has a diuretic effect and cleanses the kidneys of stones and sand. The infusion acts as a bactericidal agent, softens the skin and gives hair silkiness and a healthy shine.
Benefits and harms - indications and contraindications
As you know, linden is a medicinal plant, since its leaves, buds, and flowers are used for preventive and medicinal purposes. Thanks to which a number of diseases are treated, including colds and bronchitis. In addition, linden can be useful as:
- antipyretic and diuretic;
- a remedy for insomnia, headaches and migraines, stress and depression;
- soothing and softening the skin;
- remedies for acne and various rashes on the face;
- a means through which toxins and waste are removed from the body;
- massager, after its use all salts in skin tissues and muscles are dispersed;
- antimicrobial agent for treating various minor skin lesions;
- its effect has an excellent effect on the hair structure, making hair.
Important! In addition to their positive qualities, linden brooms can also cause harm under certain circumstances. This happens in cases where there is an individual intolerance to linden. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that people who have cardiovascular diseases are strictly prohibited from visiting the bathhouse.
How to steam a linden bath broom
The benefits of a linden broom will be most effective if it is steamed correctly. Fresh branches do not require long-term heat treatment. It is enough to rinse them with warm water in a steam room to wash off the dust. A dry bunch can be brewed in several ways:
- Immerse in warm water heated to 80 degrees for half an hour until the leaves become soft.
- Pour in cool water for 3 minutes, transfer to warm liquid for 5 minutes. Then leave in boiling water for 10 minutes, covered with a towel. The handle remains dry.
- Leave in cold water for a couple of hours, remove, wrap in a damp towel overnight. Pour boiling water over it in the morning.
When to harvest oak brooms
Good oak brooms will be made when the branches are cut in mid-July - early August. Time also depends on the year and latitude. The leaves should already have grown to almost full size and tear well, and the cuttings should be firmly attached to the branch. Choose trees under which burdock grows. This means it is healthy.
Oak brooms for a bath are made into a flat fan, but the leaves are arranged randomly in both directions. To understand how to properly make a broom from oak, it is better if the preparation takes place on the table. It is necessary to distribute the branches into thinner and thicker ones. Fold the thick ones onto a plane so that their leaves form a flat fan, compress their bases into a rope. Then add thin branches to the formed shape, placing the leaves in a common plane. The broom handle from the bases of the branches is well tied with a rope or two tight ties, the branches are pulled together and parallel.
Preparation of linden brooms
When are linden brooms prepared for a bath? How to store them correctly? These and many other questions remain relevant when collecting and using linden. The service life and preservation of healing properties depend on the correct choice of location, method of binding and storage.
Choosing a meeting place
Industrial plants, highways, exhaust gases and emissions spoil the environment. Contaminated trees are not suitable for making brooms. It is worth choosing a place that is not within the city limits. It is better if it is a forest, grove, park or summer cottage.
When to collect linden brooms
The optimal harvest time is the beginning of May and the end of June. At this time, the tree blooms and is filled with healthy juices. You cannot choose very young trees so that they do not die. You need to cut young, intact shoots half a meter long with garden shears. The linden tree itself should not look sick or dry. What time are linden brooms harvested? It is better to do this during daylight hours in clear, warm but windless weather, so that the flowers do not fly around. When linden brooms are cut in the rain or early in the morning in dew, there is a high risk of blackening of the leaves.
How and when to knit a linden bath broom
After deciding when to make linden brooms for a bath, difficulties arise with drying and knitting. Prepare linden branches for drying as follows:
- Choose a well-ventilated, dark room without direct sunlight.
- Lay out the shoots on newspapers, straw or dry boards. After a day, the branches should be turned over for another 24 hours.
- Further drying can be continued on a rope by hanging branches on it.
When to harvest birch brooms
The most correct time for harvesting birch brooms in central Russia: end of June - mid-July. According to the old Russian tradition - two to three weeks after Trinity. In fact, the collection time depends on the climate zone. It is determined by the condition of the leaves. They should become stronger, but still soft and silky. The tip of the leaf comes off when pulled, but the leaf remains on the stem. Another sign: there are already a few small leaves on the tree, but they are still present. If catkins begin to appear on the birch tree, it’s too late to make brooms.
They need to be cut on a dry, preferably sunny day. The branches are tied tightly into a broom, forming a handle, with a rope or two ties - at the end and closer to the leaves. Dry for two to four days in a dark, dry place in a suspended state. After drying, you can dry the brooms, giving them the desired shape. You can use a paper shell or mesh.
How to collect correctly?
The correct collection of linden branches for a bath is done when the most active growth of trees is observed - it is at this time that productive circulation of microelements occurs throughout the body of the plant. It is better to collect on a sunny day - the bright rays of the sun increase the intensity of the photosynthesis process and the amount of useful components in the tree. You should not tear branches - it will easily damage the plant. You need to collect young branches that appeared this year. They are cut off at the base and then laid out to dry.
The actual collection factor is not only the timing, but also the place where the branches are harvested. We recommend choosing groves located away from roads. If the plant grows in a summer cottage, it can also be used.
The maximum amount of microelements necessary for the body is found in linden leaves and inflorescences, collected during flowering periods of the tree. It is quite possible to combine the collection with the process of thinning the crowns of park and garden trees, carried out during the same period.
The cordate linden species usually blooms for two weeks in June–July
Too hot days shorten the flowering period, and this is important to take into account when planning harvesting work. For harvesting, days are specially chosen when most of the flowers have bloomed or a small number of them still remain in the budding phase.
Of course, we must avoid collecting branches affected by pests and phytopathogens, as well as branches with ripening fruits. Raw materials that are wet after dew or rain become very dark during drying.
When preparing brooms, you should not cut down trees or large large branches, causing irreparable damage to these noble plants.
How to knit correctly - methods and rules
Knitting brooms begins after they have withered a little and it is advisable to do this in the shade, in a cool place. It is important to ensure that direct sunlight and humidity do not fall directly on the branches. This will help maintain the natural color of the product.
Advice! In order to make a beautiful broom, you need to place thick branches in the middle and thin branches on the outside. Knit a broom and fresh blanks, previously dried in a cold, dark room with good ventilation.
Brief instructions on how to knit a handle:
- It is advisable to use pruning shears for cutting;
- curved branches are placed with a bend inside the broom to form a dense fan;
- With a tight grip, tie the branches into a tight base in the direction where the transition to the leaves occurs;
- the handle should be equal to 1.5-2 palms;
Basic mistakes and recommendations
Recommendations:
- To quickly get rid of a cough or runny nose, you can breathe in the aroma from a steamed broom for 5–7 minutes.
- You need to start the massage with smooth movements, gradually accelerating.
- You can't make hard blows. They will not only cause pain, but will also leave marks on the skin.
- It is forbidden to dry products in the sun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_nH4wXq0f8
Eucalyptus is an exotic plant. The climatic zone of its growth is subtropics. Since the plant has many beneficial properties, bath brooms began to be made from it.
Steam a juniper bath broom in 3 steps
A juniper bath broom is usually steamed in one way. It is important to use fresh branches for the bath. If they are overdried or stored for a long time, then they will not be fully used: when steaming, the needles will simply fly off into the branches. A high-quality juniper broom is steamed as follows:
- You must first soak it in a container, preferably a basin, in water at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- After this, the juniper branches must be removed and the water thoroughly shaken off.
- Fill the container with boiling water and place a juniper broom there for a quarter of an hour, closing the container with a lid. After that it can be used.
