A herbalist in the making
I have a particular memory from when I was a young girl ~ setting up my little apothecary down the side of the house, amongst the greenery, and making potions out of rose petals, crushed fern leaves and whatever other plants were surrounding me (oh to be a fly on the wall!). I’d lovingly distil these fragrant, stone-pounded plants in upturned jar lids, filled with water & sunshine so that they could develop their magical properties. Instinctively, feeling some type of connection and child-like understanding of the healing power of nature, it made total sense to me. As an adult, it still makes sense to me.
I still have this hairstyle and still hate wearing shoes!
Plants are our original medicines. Animals and ancient human civilisations were able to intuit their properties and this knowledge continues to be passed down the generations of societal and family lines.
Naturopathic treatment gently facilitates the link between humans and nature, and what a privilege it is to encourage this connection with those who seek it.
Walking along the beach with sand-crusted feet, filling your lungs with musty, botanical-scented rainforest air, or growing veggies in your backyard, ‘Nature cure’ comes in so many forms. You may have heard of the term ‘biophilia’ – which is the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living things. Essential for nurturing your nervous system, taking a break from technology and the busyness of life is absolutely critical. A really easy way to do this is by ‘earthing’ ~ kicking off your shoes & socks and standing/walking on the grass, breathing in the fresh air, and (hopefully) letting the sunshine warm your face as you dial into mother nature. Now, THIS will produce some serious serotonin which gets the feel goods happening and is a great way to induce calm and focus.
Plant medicine is my favourite treatment for clients and is the main reason I was drawn to study Naturopathy. You can use plants in so many different ways such as a herbal tincture, tea blend, capsule, steam, pessary, tablet, cream, oil, or even just as simple as eating them as food. Each plant has its own unique chemistry that exerts different effects on your system and these natural chemical constituents provide an endless number of holistic actions. Some of my favourites include:
Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea) which can boost your immune system
Echinacea purpurea
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) can help you sleep as well as soothe anxiety
The appropriately named Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) will ease cramps or pain
St Mary’s thistle (Silybum marianum) will help detoxify the liver & help digestive function
Withania / Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) is a beautiful tonic and adaptogen which will help you cope with stress and convalescence
Energetically plants can help dry out damp conditions (eg a phlegmy cold or flu), cool & soothe excess heat (menopausal hot flash anyone? ), or warm up a cold constitution (eg hypothyroidism or poor circulation).
A true source of joy for me is providing someone with a custom herbal blend that truly understands and provides them with what they need physically, energetically, and emotionally. This is the beauty of naturopathy - being able to create individualised, beautifully supportive herbal blends that fulfil the health needs of my clients.
My privilege as a naturopath is to act as a conduit between my client’s current reality and their desired health outcome.
BLISS BOMB ~ TEA RECIPE ~
For soothing the body, mind, and spirit
Herbal tea or tisane can provide therapeutic actions and making a pot is a beautifully meditative ritual that can bring a few moments of calm into your busy day. Making your own tea blend can tap into your creativity and let you choose the desired effects from your brew.
For a soothingly delicious calming cup try making my favourite nourishing blend below. nb Individual loose leaf herbal teas can be bought from your local health food stores and blended as desired.
BLISS BOMB ~ TEA RECIPE ~
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) - mild sedative & anxiolytic
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) - mild sedative & anxiolytic
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) - anxiolytic
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) - adrenal tonic
You could start with a teaspoon of each tea, blended in a jar, and add a spoonful of your mix to a teapot or brewing strainer. Steep in hot (but not boiling) water for around 5 minutes. Play around with it and once you like the ratios you can make up a big jar, ready to go.
You may like to add some honey to your tea, however, I find the licorice is very sweet so you probably won’t need any.
I hope you enjoy the mindful process of making your own special blend, B x
