Anxiety is a word that we hear quite a lot these days, and with good reason: there is plenty of it to go around! We use “anxious” to describe a whole range of feelings, from nervousness to paralyzing panic attacks, from back-to-school to global events. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety this way: Anxiety…
This week’s Blog will look at three main herbs in Smile’s Own Nerve Soother Tea Oats in Milky Seed State Holy Basil from Ayurveda Fragrant Red Roses Milky Oats Seeds are AWESOME for the nervous system!!! Here is a separate excellent blog “Restoring Nerves with Milky Oat Seed” Holy Basil is not called “Holy” for…
In the words of herbalist David Hoffman, “Skullcap is perhaps the most widely relevant nervine available to us in the materia medica.” This beautiful member of the mint family is native to North America and has a long history of use in this area. Herbalists today favor it as a powerful nervine, sedative, painkiller, and…
You’ve probably seen enough articles on anti-viral herbs, immune herbs, and remedies for the lungs for the moment. So let’s turn to an equally important aspect of health and preventative care in challenging times: herbs to support us when we are experiencing anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and fear. There is a group of herbs known as…
You may know of Passionflower as a premier herb for stress, anxiety, and insomnia. This gorgeous flowering vine relieves pain, calms the mind, and relaxes the muscles. You can often find bees drowsing in the beautiful blossoms, proof of the passionflower’s soporific effect! Passionflower was used by tribes in the Americas for millennia before making…
Mugwort is such a widespread and hardy plant that it is often taken for granted or condemned as a weed. But this fresh, lively herb has a time-honored place in healing traditions from all over the world, and its medicinal applications are powerful and diverse.
I know it’s not quite Spring yet, but I’m spending a lot of time with gardening books and seed catalogs, thinking about what I’d like to get done in March. With all this plotting and planning, I’d like my mind to be as sharp and clear as it can be. But to be honest with…
When it comes to herbs, sometimes 1+1 is greater than two. In the science of herbal formulations, synergistic combinations of herbs are discovered in which the herbs enhance each other’s activity to achieve a specific medicinal purpose. In these formulas, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Lemon Balm and St. John’s…
You may know of hawthorn as the “heart herb”, and for good reason. It strengthens the heart muscle, regulates the heartbeat, and raises or lowers blood pressure depending on the need. Clinically it is used with heart problems such as angina, mild congestive heart failure, and recovery from/prevention of cardiac arrest. But hawthorn has another…
Patience in the New Year January marks the beginning of a new year, and for most of us it brings on thoughts of new beginnings, new resolutions, new plans. We promise ourselves we’re going to eat better, exercise more, be more organized, more efficient, more fabulous. It is tempting, at this time, to start a…
Mistletoe has been part of human culture and medicine for millennia, appearing in mythologies and medicine books across the world. There are hundreds varieties of mistletoe with different medicinal qualities, and today the focus is on the European variety, Viscum album– Viscum for the viscous stickiness of mistletoe berries, and album for their whiteness. Before…
I am always on the lookout for friendly, accessible, Vata-pacifying herbs. For times when I’m feeling exhausted, run-down, or a little blue, fresh Milky Oat Seed is a true comfort and helps me feel grounded and well again. The oat plant, Avena sativa, gives us oatmeal, rolled oats, and oatstraw, all of which are excellent…
It’s good to know a few herbal allies for creating calm, especially for children, and especially these days. We all do our best to manage the stress and over-stimulation of our modern times, but young people can use a little extra help. Anxiety can manifest itself in a variety of ways, and hyperactivity is one…
The change to Fall is one of my favorites, but it does bring challenges to the immune system and adrenals. I like to mix up some of this tonic to give myself a leg up for the seasonal change. This is a fantastic recipe because it combines therapies for immunity, stress, and energy into one…
Passion Flower’s fantastic beauty is a medicine in itself, but this lovely vine has much more to offer than its stunning, dramatic blooms. This time of year in the garden, Passion Flower vines are 4-5 inches tall with a few tiny leaves. But given time, sunlight, and water, they will climb as high as any…
Catnip, Nepeta cataria, is a perennial herb, a member of the mint family, and one of the friendliest plants around. Its soft, aromatic leaves give you an idea of its gentle, calming effect on the mind and body. The square stems are a dusky purple color and grow quickly and abundantly with lots of water and…