5 Holistic Remedies for Smoke Exposure
Written by: Selysa Love
If you are on the West Coast you are likely exposed to hazardous levels of wild fire smoke. Smoke exposure can cause fatigue, headache, irritable eyes, respiratory agitation, a feeling of fogginess, and emotional imbalance. As you and your loved ones are dealing with these symptoms, remember to be patient, loving, and gentle with one another; our bodies are not used to working this hard just to take in new oxygen. Let the love in the air be thicker than the smoke.
I’ve assembled five holistic remedies for you to brighten this dim time:
1. Drink Herbal Tea
Inhale the steam to help move (and remove) mucous and saliva, which filter the contaminants in the air.
Licorice is one of the best teas for soothing a dry and uncomfortable throat. It tastes nothing like licorice candy, I promise.
Lavender and chamomile calm irritability, anxiety, and stress. A cooled, steeped chamomile tea bag can even be used as a gentle eye wash to ease dehydrated eyes.
Echinacea boosts immunity and reduces inflammation.
2. Diffuse Essential Oils
Smoke is dry. Running a diffuser around the clock adds humidity to the air, moistening the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
Eucalyptus opens bronchial tubes in the lungs. This is especially recommended for people with asthma or lung conditions.
Peppermint opens sinuses, reduces headaches, and improves clarity of cognitive function.
3. Rinse Sinuses with a neti pot
This cleansing practice is thousands of years old, from the yogis in India. Here’s an instructional video about how its done. I highly recommend doing 30-60 gentle khapalabati breathes afterwards to expel all of the mucus and moisture.
4. Filter your indoor air
Keep your windows and doors sealed as much as possible. Get a new high-quality filter on your central air conditioning/heating system, or invest in a HEPA approved air filter. Make your home a clean-air oasis, giving your body a break from the smoke.
5. Get a reiki healing session
Reiki, a hands-on healing therapy from Japan, relaxes the tight muscles around the air passages. It helps the central nervous system reset and heal from tension and trauma. In addition, it reduces the phycological and physiological agitation from exposure to polluted air. Reiki healing also helps shift the mind from anxious and/or depressed to uplifted, peaceful, and whole.
Often, the simplest techniques are the most profound, and we can lean into ancient wisdom for healing. May we rise from this smoke with more wisdom, strength, and love.
