“Nettle Dreams” © D. Yael Bernhard The Art of Health is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Like many people, I have a morning ritual. As soon as I wake up, I stretch a little, then walk in bare feet into my kitchen. There I open the glass canning jar sitting on my kitchen counter, and strain out the liquid that’s been steeping overnight. This goes into my fridge, where it will keep for up to two days – but first I measure out a mug full, then heat this up in a small pot, which takes just a few minutes. During that time I go outside or stand by my window and look at the eastern sky, allowing the morning light to flood my eyes and stimulate my pineal glands. Then I sit down to taste my morning brew, and start my day with the best liquid nourishment that money can’t buy – not one, but five different herbal beverages, which I rotate on a regular basis: nettles leaf, red clover blossoms, oat straw (the green parts of the oat plant), comfrey leaf, and linden flowers. These are