At some point a very long time ago someone in the Nordic region discovered that his/her aches and pains from the hard days’ work were soothed by lying on a rough linen sack of grain that was warmed, possibly by a nearby fireplace. The idea has been passed on from one generation to the next and today wheat pillows are a popular choice in Scandinavia for natural health and healing. In modern times we may be in need of them more than ever with the aching necks and shoulders we get from working at our computers!
What’s in it?
Wheat pillows are typically filled with course grains of buckwheat. Today a mixture of relaxing herbs or a few drops of herbal oil is typically added. Lavender is the most popular for encouraging relaxation but with the very wide range of dried herbs available for easy purchase today, your favorite aroma is easy to achieve (particularly if you choose the do-it-yourself option, below). In Scandinavia, linen has long been the preferred fabric even in modern times when linen is no longer produced in Scandinavia. Pillows containing ecological grains, herbs and essential oils are becoming increasingly available today, as are pillows made in ecological cotton or linen (linen is by its nature a fairly ‘clean’ crop since it requires very little pesticide).
Warm or Cold?
For reducing muscular aches and pains go for the warm pillow. This means warming the wheat pillow in a microwave (start with just a couple of minutes at 650 W) or slow oven (100 C or 212 F for 10 minutes). The heat stimulates blood circulation in tight muscles and relaxes them. One result of this relaxing effect is also better sleep. Popular uses of a warm pillow in Scandinavia are: pain reduction during childbirth, easing menstrual pain, encouraging peaceful sleep for children and warming cold feet.
A cold pillow also has many uses. These include the treatment of headache, swelling, bruising, insect stings or menopausal symptoms. Cool your pillow in the freezer for 15-20 minutes and place on the affected area.
Do It Yourself
While there are very many good wheat pillows available for purchase today, even basic sewing skills suffice for making a wheat pillow. You’ll need:
Course buckwheat or other course grain from a mill or other supplier;
A generous quantity of mixed dried herbs of your choice;
Enough linen to sew a rectangular pillow that you can hang over your shoulders – you will need enough fabric to sew both a pillow and an outer pillow case which is washable;
Needle and strong thread.
Sew the inner pillow, leaving one end open. Mix together the grain and herbs and stuff the pillow. Sew closed the pillow. Sew the pillow case, leaving one end open to stuff the pillow in.
If you warm your wheat pillow frequently, the grains will begin to dry out. This will reduce its lifetime. In order to avoid this, microwave your wheat pillow with a glass of water or warm in the oven next to an oven-proof bowl of water.
