Fresh peppermint leaves glistening with dew, held in soft morning light. The shape mirrors the rhythm of breath, evoking ease, purification, and sacred vitality.

Peppermint

(Mentha piperita)

The Breath of Ease and the Heart’s Companion

Fresh peppermint leaves by peppermint oil, held in soft morning light.

Traditional Healing Wisdom

Peppermint has long been known as the heart’s friend, a healer of breath, nerves, and digestion. It carries a cooling presence that softens fire in the body and stills the restlessness of the spirit.

Sidi teaches that peppermint:

Its fragrance brings calm. Its taste brings clarity.

Whether chewed, steeped, or used as a poultice, peppermint restores inner movement where the body feels stuck.

In Prophetic tradition, peppermint is described as a companion to the nerves and digestive system, assisting the flow of breath and the quieting of internal heat. It gently tones the gastric membranes and supports harmony across the liver, spleen, and lungs.

Its presence is especially supportive when one feels congested in thought, bloated in emotion, or bound by pain.

Grounded Wisdom in Modern Research

Modern clinical studies affirm peppermint’s traditional uses in digestive and respiratory care. Quality evidence highlights its gentle, cooling influence on the gut-brain connection and its soothing effect across the nervous system.

Clinical insights include peppermint’s role in:

  • Digestive and Nervous System Support

    • Peppermint oil has been shown to relax smooth muscle tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, offering relief from abdominal tension and discomfort. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found peppermint oil significantly improved global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain, with a relative risk reduction of 35% and 24% respectively compared to placebo (Zhang et al., 2022).

    • Another recent systematic review concluded that enteric-coated peppermint oil was effective in short-term management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with tolerable safety profiles and minimal side effects (Alammar et al., 2023).

    • Menthol, peppermint’s primary active compound, has been shown to activate TRPM8 receptors, helping reduce nausea, calm the stomach, and relieve tension-related headaches (Alfaro et al., 2025).

  • Emerging Cardiometabolic Benefits

Energetic Temperament in Unani Tibb

In the Unani system, peppermint carries a cold and dry nature. Its presence gently clears internal heat and calms the flow of excess moisture through the digestive and emotional pathways.

This herb often brings ease when the body holds:

Peppermint supports those with choleric or sanguine constitutions, especially during the spring and summer seasons. These qualities benefit from peppermint’s ability to open the breath, cool the heart, and restore ease where the body has been moving too quickly.

Its clarity comes not through force, but through presence. A presence that invites quiet release, steadiness, and return.

These preparations are drawn from the teachings of Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal, shared through the living tradition of Prophetic Medicine. Each method is received in a state of remembrance .

Peppermint Tea for Breath and Digestion

  • A small handful of fresh peppermint leaves

  • One cup of water just brought to a boil

  • Optional additions may include fennel seeds or a few petals of dried rose

The leaves are placed into the water and covered. As the steam rises, the breath softens and the belly begins to release. This tea is traditionally taken after meals, following menstruation, or during moments of emotional intensity when stillness feels far away.

Poultice for Cooling and Emotional Grounding

Fresh peppermint may be crushed gently and wrapped in a warm cloth. The cloth is placed over the stomach, womb, or chest. This poultice supports digestion, opens the lungs, and calms the nervous system through the skin.

These offerings become healing when the hands move with prayer and the body listens without force. Peppermint brings clarity not by changing the condition, but by softening the field around it.

How to Prepare and Use Peppermint

Preparation, Safety, & Spiritual Use

Peppermint is received with presence. Its cooling nature supports gentle infusions and poultices made from the whole leaf. The plant is prepared simply, often as tea or wrapped in cloth for external use.

Dosage Guidelines for Adults

  • One teaspoon of dried peppermint or a small handful of fresh leaves may be steeped per cup

  • Tea is received after meals, before rest, or during times of emotional heat

  • Fresh leaves may be wrapped in cloth and placed over the womb, chest, or back

  • Essential oil is diluted before topical use and is not taken internally

Safety Considerations

  • During pregnancy, peppermint is traditionally set aside unless part of a guided blend

  • While breastfeeding, it may reduce milk supply

  • Those with reflux or cold digestion begin with small amounts

  • Essential oil is not placed near the face or skin of infants

  • When using medications affecting the stomach, bile, or nervous system, peppermint is prepared simply

Spiritual Use

Peppermint clears heat from the heart and belly. It is offered when breath feels blocked, when grief gathers in the lungs, or when emotional intensity disturbs rest.

Sidi taught that peppermint softens agitation in the soul and brings movement where there has been holding. It returns the breath to rhythm and the heart to quiet.

peppermint oil used for topical use for womb healing, women's health, stomach pain, ibs, and peppermint leaves in the background

Spiritual Reflection and Divine Wisdom

Peppermint carries clarity in its breath and softness in its arrival. Its coolness settles into the chest and the belly without interruption. It opens the places where emotion gathers and brings movement to what has grown still.

This herb is a companion in the return to presence. Its energy reflects Al-Latif, the Subtle, and Al-Rahman, the Merciful. It moves without force and brings spaciousness where there was once holding.

Some experience its presence in the lungs. Others feel it in the stomach or womb. The way it works may not be seen. It is often felt in what leaves, rather than what appears.

Peppermint brings rhythm back to the breath and spaciousness back to the heart. Its work is quiet. Its presence is complete.

Scholarly Sources and Peer-Reviewed Research

Alammar, N., Alammar, L., & Ford, A. C. (2023). Efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 118(Suppl), S682.

Zhang, S., Wang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2022). Peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 56(4), 451–464.

Rahimi, Z., Fattahi, M., & Khosravi, M. (2025). Peppermint oil in mild hypertension: A randomized pilot study on blood pressure and anxiety regulation. PLOS ONE, 20(4), e0321986.

Alfaro, M., Li, J., & Costa, R. (2025). Menthol and TRPM8 modulation in digestive disorders: A mechanistic review. European Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology, 41(2), 110–123.

Al-Jamal, M. S. (n.d.). Spiritual Healing: A Sufi Guidebook of Prophetic Medicine. Higher Consciousness Publications.