One of my favorite herbs -- oatstraw -- is a grass. Oatstraw (Avena sativa) is the dried leaves, or Oatstraw is considered an herb of longevity in India. American herbalists value it as a strengthener and nourisher to the nerves. Like oats themselves, oatstraw infusion is heart healthy and cholesterol-lowering. Many a menopausal woman has praised oatstraw's cooling, calming ways.
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Oatstraw Baths
straw, of the plant that gives us the grain oats, found in most households as rolled oats. I use a full ounce (by weight) of dried oatstraw, with or without seeds, in a quart of boiling water, steeped at least four hours, to make a restorative tonic (nourishing herbal infusion).
Use a sitz bath of oatstraw to ease bladder spasms and pain, uterine pain, and chronic intestinal distress.
Use an oatstraw footbath to soak away stink, sweat, cold, and pain from your tender tootsies.
Use oatstraw washes to nourish and heal those with skin diseases, flaky or dry skin, frostbite, chilblains, wounds and eye irritations.
For chronic conditions, take your oatstraw bath twice a week or more, and drink the infusion freely, for as many weeks as needed. In acute situations, use hot oatstraw baths and poultices frequently until pain subsides, then once or twice a day, as needed.
2 qts/liters oatstraw infusion
Add reheated, strained oatstraw infusion to a tub of hot water. Immerse self and soak away tensions.
2.2 pounds/1 kilo oatstraw
Boil water and pour over oatstraw in a 1 galon/4 liters water large tub. When cooled sufficiently, bathe. (Yes with the oats and all.)
excerpt from Healing Wise p 205
http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/store/item_view.asp?estore_itemid=1000020
