On the Love of the Lotus
Passing through the Flower Market, I was drawn to the brightly colored water lilies, in deep pink, deep purple, and light yellow. It reminded me of the "Ode to the Lotus" from my textbooks back in the day, and I deeply appreciated the unique qualities of the lotus from another perspective.
The moment I paid, the florist instructed me to hold it upside down to prevent water from flowing out of the stem. The steps to revive the flowers at home were also completely different. In addition to cutting the stem diagonally like all flowers to facilitate water absorption, the most special step was to turn the flower upside down again and fill the stem with water under the tap. Water lilies love sunlight, working from sunrise to sunset. I watched it slowly bloom at 7 AM and close up to rest at 5 PM. I look forward to this cycle every day.
Every part of the lotus is a treasure, with different medicinal values, mostly consumed in summer. The most common parts used for tea include:
Lotus flower: Sweet and bitter in taste, neutral in nature. It enters the heart and liver meridians, clears heat and relieves summer heat, calms the heart and cools the blood, sterilizes and reduces inflammation, and dispels dampness and dissipates stasis. Suitable for cooling down and maintaining health.
Lotus leaf: Bitter in taste, neutral in nature. It enters the heart, liver, and spleen meridians, clears summer heat and promotes diuresis, raises clear yang, lowers blood lipids, and lowers blood pressure. Suitable for people with "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol) or those trying to lose weight.
Lotus seeds: The seeds of the lotus flower, sweet and astringent in taste, neutral in nature. They enter the spleen, kidney, and heart meridians, tonify the spleen and stop diarrhea, benefit the kidneys and astringe essence, and nourish the heart and calm the mind. Suitable for people with restlessness.
Lotus plumule: The green embryo inside the lotus seed, bitter in taste, cold in nature. It enters the heart and kidney meridians, nourishes the heart and calms the mind, clears the heart and calms liver fire, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, and eliminates dryness and promotes sleep. Suitable for people with insomnia due to internal heat.
The moment I paid, the florist instructed me to hold it upside down to prevent water from flowing out of the stem. The steps to revive the flowers at home were also completely different. In addition to cutting the stem diagonally like all flowers to facilitate water absorption, the most special step was to turn the flower upside down again and fill the stem with water under the tap. Water lilies love sunlight, working from sunrise to sunset. I watched it slowly bloom at 7 AM and close up to rest at 5 PM. I look forward to this cycle every day.
Every part of the lotus is a treasure, with different medicinal values, mostly consumed in summer. The most common parts used for tea include:
Lotus flower: Sweet and bitter in taste, neutral in nature. It enters the heart and liver meridians, clears heat and relieves summer heat, calms the heart and cools the blood, sterilizes and reduces inflammation, and dispels dampness and dissipates stasis. Suitable for cooling down and maintaining health.
Lotus leaf: Bitter in taste, neutral in nature. It enters the heart, liver, and spleen meridians, clears summer heat and promotes diuresis, raises clear yang, lowers blood lipids, and lowers blood pressure. Suitable for people with "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol) or those trying to lose weight.
Lotus seeds: The seeds of the lotus flower, sweet and astringent in taste, neutral in nature. They enter the spleen, kidney, and heart meridians, tonify the spleen and stop diarrhea, benefit the kidneys and astringe essence, and nourish the heart and calm the mind. Suitable for people with restlessness.
Lotus plumule: The green embryo inside the lotus seed, bitter in taste, cold in nature. It enters the heart and kidney meridians, nourishes the heart and calms the mind, clears the heart and calms liver fire, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst, and eliminates dryness and promotes sleep. Suitable for people with insomnia due to internal heat.