By Yaya Patterson, Root Woman & Smile Herbalist The smoking of plants has a strong history in the healing arts traditions across the globe. Smoking has been used ceremonially in nearly all earth-based religions. Popular smoke options such as tobacco and marijuana were once deemed sacred, and were thus employed with specific intentions. There…
To gain confidence as an herbalist, Jim McDonald suggests picking just one or two herbs and focus on them completely– Grow them, eat them, read about them, make medicine with them, etc. If you really got to know, say, Peppermint and Chamomile, you could work with an enormous variety of health problems with those two…
You may know of flaxseed as a wonderful digestive healer and gentle laxative, or maybe as a cardio-protective herb full of nourishing, anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids. This beautiful, blue-flowering herb is also the source of linen, oil for oil paints, and the seeds we enjoy for their culinary and medicinal purposes. While I myself enjoy…
Reishi’s Chinese name translates as “Spirit Plant”, or “Herb of Spiritual Potency”. It is a remarkable, adaptogenic mushroom that has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Like all adaptogens, Reishi has a normalizing effect on our overall physiology, and it can help restore us to health from a truly incredible range of…
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…
It’s tree pollen season. Maple, Oak, and Elm are the big offenders here in Maryland, and I am allergic to them all. I didn’t have allergies growing up in coastal Maine, but when I came down here to live I learned all about the wide variety of symptoms that can be caused by seasonal allergies.…
Gotu Kola, Centella asiatica, is a delicate, mildly flavored plant that is commonly found growing in damp marshy areas and next to gently moving streams and creeks around the world. It is used in the traditional medical systems of India, Africa, Europe, and Asia. In India, this plant is sometimes called Brahmi, and can be…
3 N’s for the Nose: Neti, Nasya, and Nettles by Tom Wolfe Part 3: Nettles “Boiled with barley and eaten as a porridge several times a day, the fresh or dried leaves of sister spinster stinging Nettle loosen and bring up deep congestion without irritating sensitive respiratory tissues…Considered a specific for adults with asthmatic allergies,…
Fall is a glorious time of year, but the sudden chill in the air, the leaf mold piling up, the wind and cold rain that herald this season of transition can be very hard on the respiratory system. Colds, flus, allergies, and lung irritation can come upon us quickly and intensely, and who wants to…
What is Nasya Oil and Why Should I Put It Up My Nose? Nasya oil is an invigorating Ayurvedic therapy used for more than 5,000 years to treat ailments occurring above the collar bone. This balancing herbal oil improves a number of discomforts including but not limited to clogged nasal passages, hoarse voice, stiff neck,…
With Fall and the new school year upon us, it’s smart to be prepared for the upcoming challenges to our immune systems. Here are just a few things that can weaken our immunity: Some of these stressors can’t be avoided, but fortunately there’s a lot that can be done to avoid a cold or flu…
Licorice Benefits You may know of Licorice as the black jellybeans or rope candy, or perhaps as an ingredient in traditional root beer, but there is much more to Licorice root than its sweet earthy taste! (and those jellybeans are flavored with anise these days anyway!) Licorice is a powerful medicinal herb, and an excellent…
Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis, is one of our most valuable native herbs. Goldenseal is one of the most powerful antibiotics in the herbal world. It can be used both internally and externally to treat infections of various kinds. Goldenseal acts as a tonic to the body’s mucous membranes. Because it combines the antibiotic effect with tissue…
Many of us love the changing of the seasons, and we can’t wait to get outside when the temperatures start to warm up. But it’s during seasonal changes that we are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections. Here are just a few herbs that can help. These herbs can lessen our respiratory suffering when we’re sick…
Herbs for the Lungs, Part II Many of us love the changing of the seasons, and we can’t wait to get outside when the temperatures start to warm up. But it’s during seasonal changes that we are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections. Here are just a few more herbs that can help. These herbs can…