Mugwort Ginger Foot Soak

Why people make this foot soak

Mugwort is a plant with a very long history in East Asian folk medicine — in the countryside, families traditionally hang bunches of fresh mugwort by their doorways around the Dragon Boat Festival as a protection against seasonal illness. Fresh mugwort is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and online. The flavour when taken internally is quite bitter, so the most practical approach is to combine it with ginger, boil it briefly, and use the water as a warming foot bath. For people who feel perpetually cold — perhaps from long hours sitting in air-conditioned offices, or after a bout of wind-cold — soaking the feet in warm mugwort-ginger water, followed by a cup of hot ginger brown-sugar tea, can produce a gentle warming sweat that helps the body settle.

Method

1. Rinse the fresh mugwort leaves under running water.
2. Place mugwort and ginger in a pot with 1 litre of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the mugwort and ginger pieces.
5. Pour the liquid into a foot basin, then add additional warm water to bring the temperature down to approximately 45°C (comfortable, not scalding — test with your elbow).
6. Soak your feet for 15–20 minutes, adding warm water as needed to maintain temperature.
7. For best results, follow with a cup of hot ginger brown-sugar tea while still warm.

Nourilo’s Tips

The combination works best when you follow up the foot soak with a bowl of hot ginger tea — the soak warms from the outside, and the tea from the inside, and together they can bring on a mild, comfortable sweat that helps clear wind-cold symptoms. This foot soak is also simply good for tired feet after a long day — healthy people can use it regularly to relieve fatigue and sleep better at night. If you are using dried mugwort rather than fresh, extend the simmering time to 15 minutes, and use about 19 g (19 g). This method can be used 2–3 times per week.