As a society it’s so easy for us to trust western pharmaceuticals, partly because many of us don’t know about the many benefits plants offer us. When you trust the plants you worry less. Less worry gives the body more time for healing. When the body has proper time to rest the immune system can function as normal.
My experience with plants has been both intentional and subconscious. My journey started with formulating and researching for my eczema and blossomed into a daily wellness practice. Each rising I intuitively blend my herbal teas and drink around 32 ounces or more of herbal tea each day. This supplies my body with water, vitamins, minerals, and various other benefits.
What I realized in doing this was that my body was drawn to specific herbs for specific purposes. I often blend with oat straw, which is good for the nervous system. Oat straw is also a mucilaginous herb, much like the oatmeal you'd eat for breakfast. When I really started digging deep on my inner healing journey, around covid times, I would make nettle infused oat milk. I made this concoction because I suffered from extremely itchy and dry skin at the time. Nettle is packed with vitamins and minerals and has antihistamine properties. The antihistamines work amazing for allergies (seasonal or otherwise) and greatly helped to reduce my itching. When I found that I didn't have time to make homemade oat milk each rising I started buying oat straw in bulk so that I could continue to receive those benefits with a little less work. With consistency, I started to see my eczema's inflammation reduced and the skin itself become more soft.
Later I went on to work with herbs like red clover and ginger. Red clover is amazing for supporting women's reproductive health and also helps to detox the body. Ginger is great for nausea and digestion. I found that I was constantly bloated from a combination of overeating and improper digestion. I was also eating late into the night, causing my body to run a variety of functions at the worst times - like trying to digest meals while I'm trying to sleep.
There were days where my optimism wouldn't prevail and I would remember how I felt happier after drinking coffee. I began to realize my connection with energy and how that facilitated a good mood for me. I then began to focus on using herbs that stimulated me positively and helped me focus. I also used herbs that helped to boost my moods. Some of these herbs included lemon balm, peppermint, ashwagandha, and astragalus.
These experiences helped me formulate many of the herbal remedies available on my website and those that are unreleased. It wasn't until recently that I realized through these experiences each plant called to me for a specific purpose and allowed me to create my own medicine. I created the Good JuJu tea blend to improve mood while reducing depression and anxiety. I created the Bitty Powder to help improve digestion and reduce bloating. I created the WooSah Capsules to reduce tension and pain in the body while also relieving migraines. I created the Get Up & Goji tea blend to replace coffee and support energy levels.
Trusting plants has helped me to become less dependent on western pharmaceuticals, reduce potential side effects, and listen to my body. In most cases, non-emergency western medicines facilitate healing in the body by suppressing our symptoms. Our symptoms are signs; it's how the body communicates with us. Migraines can be a sign of tension in the body. Bloating can be a sign of overeating and even parasites in the gut. I love taking a root cause approach to my healing because it allows me to understand how my actions and my environment affect me physically and mentally. Whether I want to relieve inflammation, reduce toxin build up, or strengthen my immune system, there are herbs to support me every step of the way.
I hope in reading about my experiences you are more likely to try herbs for yourself. My greatest hope of all is that you open your heart to what plants have to offer us and you find healing on your own journey to holistic health. Herbs can function as your primary form of health care when you are open to the support they offer mentally, physically, and spiritually.