Nourishing the Self with Herbs
What does it mean to nourish yourself? Can you really relax into doing this? For some people it's essential and obvious to do self care and nothing stands in their way. But others of us are more comfortable caretaking and doing for others or think self care is selfish.
Nourishment is what allows us to grow. Developing nourishing self care practices is like putting the oxygen mask on your own face first.
How can herbs help?
Here are a few ideas. Take time to sit down with a Cup of Tea (four finger pinch of loose herbs or 2 teabags) and do nothing or as little as possible, just add that cup of tea to your busy day to care for yourself in the midst of the doing. You can also make a quart jar and take it with you to sip through the day as your water bottle or put in the fridge to reheat when you come home.
If you don’t have tea or the means to make tea, use calming extracts in hot water, even from the sink, and maybe a bit of honey and/or milk of your choice. Chamomile, Holy Basil, Turmeric, Ginger, Damiana, Skullcap, or Passionflower for instance.
Prepare a Warm Bath with rose or lavender infused oil, maybe a couple of handfuls of epsom salts. A nice soak can help us recalibrate and drop out of our busy heads. If a bath isn’t an option, take a hot shower then oil the body after (or least your face and the soles of your feet), dress and get warm and maybe make that cup of tea, or close your eyes, for even a few minutes, and let go as the oil soaks in. Massage the joints and any sore areas as the oil is applied. It truly is an act of self love to oil the body.
Adrenal Tonics with Ashwagandha, Eleuthero, American Ginseng and Schizandra can help us rebalance the hormones of stress reactions and calm the system down as well as giving us strong vital energy for doing what we love. Turn on the parasympathetic nervous system with the breath. An extended exhale to inhale ratio can help when driving or stuck in an uncomfortable situation or thought pattern.
Sleep is essential for health. Herbs can support good deep sleep and can be worth their weight in gold. You’ll have to try a few to find what works best for you. Take a dose in the evening and bedtime and again if you wake in the middle of the night. Any herbs will take a number of nights to amass full effect, it will take time for your sleep chemistry to rebalance. Overtime you can decrease dosage as your situation improves and eventually let go of the herbs. Here are some ideas of ones to try, Hops, Valerian, Passionflower, California Poppy, St. Johnswort, and Ashwagandha are all potent sleep herbs. There are more options and you can combine these or use them as singles.
Nervine Herbs strengthen our nervous systems physically and energetically. Green milky oats re-sheath the nerves with longer use, Skullcap quiets the busy mind, and St. Johnswort with its strong sun nature lifts the spirits and lets us drop the worry habit. Try them as singles to find what resonates and has effect with your unique self and then try them in combination.
With our Custom Pharmacy, you can design your own formula using any of the herbs mentioned. We carry over 150 different single plants AND a number of formulas with a long history of efficacy. Of course you can have any formula recommended by an herbalist compounded as well, we recommend working with a seasoned practitioner who can help you pinpoint what might work well for you.
We learn how to use herbs by using them and trusting our own bodies to lead the way.
