Things have changed in the past three years for me when it comes to herbalism. This blog used to be a place where I shared what I was learning about specific herbs, concoctions I made and concepts I was exploring. My learning experiences have changed, and this blog is no longer the same learning tool it was in the past.

At the same time, I am completely immersed in Chinese herbalism and medicine. I learned more about anatomy in 9 months than I ever knew about Western herbalism in 8 years of study. We were continuously tested on single Chinese herbs, every other week for a year, and then a half a year of formulas. I had to memorize information about plants I had never seen growing or tasted, which was really weird. But it was also really, really neat. There is something exhilarating about reading formulas from a book originally written in 220 AD. Forcing myself to learn about herbs in an intellectual way by going to class, reading textbooks and classics was a valuable experience which informs my herbal practice as much as plant spirit medicine and folk herbalism do.

Another big transition based on my studies of Chinese medicine is the use of base formulas and the flavors, nature and Organs entered of the individual herbs for formulations. When I look at the formulas I have written, like for my Etsy shop, I feel a sense of conflict. I don’t see the world in the same way anymore; I don’t see dandelion as a liver herb, but as expression of certain energies present in our planet. Formulation have become much more strategic, where in the past I was more experiential and experimental. I went with my gut, with what was available, with what I was craving, with what the herbals said. Now I follow my treatment principles and diagnostic information as well.

I have to interject that I there is no sense of ‘better’ or ‘worse’ withing myself and my journey of herbalism. I don’t think it is better to have done it one way or another. It just is. Whatever personal influences or interpretation surround me are simply an expression of where I am in that moment, like a snapshot of my psyche.

Which brings me here, to this moment.

Herbalism is a daily practice which takes many forms. I have expanded my personal definition of herbalism to be how I engage with and practice plant medicine to promote the innate healing potential present in an entity. I used to think it happened in the body, but now I see that it happens in many areas of life. Whenever I engage with plants, I am practicing plant medicine. In the past, I didn’t think that was valid, but what do I know? I wrote a paper called “If Plant Medicine Worked Doctors Would Use It” and thought flowers were stupid.

I am so blessed to be in over my head with Chinese medicine. This term I have 4 shifts at school directly treating patients (yes, I said patients, not clients) with acupuncture, herbs, shiatsu, diet therapy, supplements, yoga, lifestyle recommendations, ect… Herbalism surrounds me, but it is not all that I do anymore. These aspects were not available for me to work with in the past. There are about 100 different products I make and sell in my Etsy shop. That is a form of herbalism, too, albeit in a really broad, generic sense. But then there’s a floral designer in me, a gardener, a house plant collector, a neighborhood wanderer, a photographer, a decorator, a friend which are all expressions of the herbalist. These faces have always been there and most likely will always be.

Where will this leave Dandelion Revolution? What will be become? What will I talk about and share? I used to do a lot of monographs, for example, but my brain is just not cut out for that right now. Plant therapy is more my style.

After a photo shoot for my Etsy shop, I am left with all these beautiful botanical bits – flowers, leaves, and petals galore. They are too lovely to compost, but not cut out for a bouquet in a vase because the stems are trimmed. I threw them all in a wooden box as I was tidying up and left them there.

It was like a horizontal, flat arrangement. They sat on my printer next to my computer, so I could smell it when I was working. When else do I get to have flowers on my printer?

A week later, it was dried and browned, but the roses still smelled yummy. The flowers had shrunk, but the beauty was still evident. Delicate, old-fashioned, reminiscent.

It’s the last hurrah for the Cherry Blossoms. It is also the last hurrah for April. Why not capture them both?

I found one Cherry still in bloom on Ankeny St., but by the time I brought the bunch of blossoms home they had fallen to pieces. I just had to share these, so lovely!

Then there was this tree that looked like an elder tree. But look at their flowers? They don’t look like elder flowers, but I guess it could be a decorative cultivar. The flowers look more like a cherry blossom. Either way, they are

It is getting warmer. And brighter. Things are green, really green. Rose and calendula are in bloom! They come home with me, flowers stuffed in pockets and lunch boxes, and those which are not dried or arranged in a vase go straight into a cup of tea.

Roses and calendula together remind me of a lovey tea I discovered in a lovely herbal by Shatoiya De La Tour called Earth Mother Herbal. It was in the herbal library at Sage Mountain and was one of the books I spent the most time with. One of the things I found so useful about this particular herbal were the formulas and recipes at the end of each individual herbal entry. For Marshmallow, De La Tour gave directions to make a love lubricant with oils, herbs and coconut butter. For Thyme, a minty, soothing (this also had Marshmallow root in it) and antiseptic (this is where the Thyme came in) throat lozenge followed the monograph. For Eleuthero, it was a spicy immunity chai recipe.

De La Tour included a section about herbal-themed seasonal celebrations, like a harvest feast or spring tea time. I love what she says about tea time:

Like the siesta of the Latin nations and the lengthy petite dejeuner of the French, English tea is a civilized pause in the days activities. I think it is one of America’s downfalls that we allowed the Puritan work ethic to wipe out this most delightful daily repast. My dream is to start a time time revolution in the United States, only instead of throwing the tea into the Boston Harbor, we will sit down and drink it! (p 173)

I agree!

Each celebration had an herbal tea or two along with an herbal-infused menu. One of the teas for the tea time is called Painted Desert, and is utterly delicious and refreshing.

Shatoiya De La Tour’s Painted Desert Tea

• 2 parts Elderberries
• 1 part Sage
• 1/2 part Raspberry Leaf
• 1/2 part Calendula
• 1/2 part Roses

Blend all ingredients and steep at a ratio 1 teaspoon per 1 cup boiled water for 10 minutes.

Inspired, I made my own version which reduces the Sage, adds in Rose Hips and Chamomile and swaps out Raspberry leaf for Lemon Balm. These seemingly little changes add a different type of complexity, as it is slightly more sweet and citrus flavored. Sometimes I add in Damiana, Rosemary and/or Nettle. Any way I blend it, the combo of Sage, Elderberries, Roses and Calendula reminds me of a warm and breezy late spring day.

Gan Mai Da Zao Wan is a Chinese formula from the Jing Gui (The Golden Cabinet), a medicine text written by Zheng Zhong-Jing in 220 AD.  It is in the Calm Spirit category and its strategy is to tonify Heart Yin and Blood deficiency as it calms the spirit. It is also addresses digestion.

(It never ceases to amaze me that we are using formulas written 1800 years ago, and they are more relevant than ever.)

Gan Mai Da Zao Wan is specifically used for what is called ‘restless organ syndrome’. There isn’t an exact analogous syndrome in the West, but it can be compared loosely to worry, an over-active, racing mind, and anxiety. Any excessive emotion can injure the body (and in fact is the only internal cause of disease in Chinese medicine), and in this case it injures the Heart fluids of blood and Yin. The Heart houses the mind and spirit, so when the foundational Yin and blood are deficient, the Shen or spirit cannot be held in check, thus mental-emotional symptoms get even more out of whack. It’s a vicious cycle.

Gan Mai Da Zao Wan is incredibly simple, containing herbs just three herbs, two of which are food herbs.

• Fu Xiao Mai – Sprouted wheat berries – Triticum spp.Poaceae (Grass, often called Gramineae) family.
• Da Zao – Jujube dates – Ziziphus jujuba, Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn) family.
• Gan Cao – Licorice – Glycyrrhiza glabra, Fabacea (Legume) family.

I was inspired by the overall concept of using a grain, a berry and licorice like Gan Mai Da Zao Wan, to create an herbal tea blend to calm the spirit and simultaneously restore a stressed-to-the-limits nervous system. Specifically, shot adrenal glands from overwork. The adrenals are more akin to the Kidney in Chinese medicine, so my inspired tea is not completely analogous, but that is to be expected.

A nourishing grain provides bodily support through the digestive interface. Both Gan Mai/Wheat and Milky Oats enter the Spleen/Stomach and are nourishing and nutrient rich. They both have spirit calming actions, too.

Da Zao/Jujube and Hawthorn Berry are red (the color associated with the heart and blood) and tonify. Da Zao enters the Spleen and Stomach, but can indirectly tonify the Heart and blood because the Earth organs (the Spleen and Stomach) a major source of blood production. After the Earth organs have transformed food and drink into Blood, it is sent to the Heart to be distributed in general circulation.

In Western herbalism, Hawthorn is of course used for supporting the heart and circulation of blood. In brief, it relaxes the capillaries and promotes free and smooth flow of blood. The Hawthorn used in Chinese herbalism is a different species but very similar; it’s main use is to promote the digestion of heavy, rich and fatty foods, which in turn keeps the arteries free of gunk and the heart healthy.

Both versions have licorice, a tonifying and harmonizing adaptogenic herb. I added another adaptogen, Holy Basil/Tulsi, to support the ability to withstand constant onslaught of stress and improve cerebral circulation and memory (Winston, p169). Memory and concentration is associated with the Heart in Chinese medicine, so it fits in this formula concept quite well. Plus, Holy Basil/Tulsi tastes and smells yummy (it’s in the mint family, after all!).

Nourishing Milk Oat Tea Blend

• Milky Oats – Avena sativa, Poaceae (Grass, often called Gramineae) family.
• Hawthorn Berry – Crataegus spp, Rosaceae  (Rose) family.
• Licorice – as above.
• + Holy Basil/ Tulsi – Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lamiaceae (Mint) family.

I drank this tea almost daily for four weeks and noticed my retention of my studies was improved. It usually takes me about three months to feel the effects of adaptogens in reducing my stress level, mostly because I add more and more stress to my plate constantly while in school. That’s just me, though. Maybe it would take less time for someone else. I made it a quart at a time, and let it steep overnight to thoroughly extract the goodness. The tea was quite refreshing and plenty sweet.

It seems like everyone is talking about (and taking) adaptogens. Perhaps you have heard of Rhodiola? Or Eleuthero? American Ginseng, Panax Ginseng, Oplopanax and Eleuthero are well-known adaptogens from the Araliaceae family and have been used for a long time. Holy Basil or Tulsi is another popular and very tasty adaptogen that I see all over the place.

Adaptogens are not just an herbal or health fad or even a trend; I think they will continue to be utilized as more people experience their restorative actions. I have written a few entries featuring adaptogens in the past; here’s one on Astragalus, a bit about Tulsi, and this one about Ashwaganda and Kidney yang tonics.

The interesting thing about adaptogens is that, like many other herbs, they are both specific and broad in action. Specifically, each herb of course has a local history and usage for a certain body system or process, and broadly as a whole they increase our body’s ability to deal with the stress of life. Eleuthero is known to address exhaustion, but it also “improves reproductive capacity and uterine health” (Mary Bove, Medicines from the Earth lecture notes, 2011). Schisandra is a red berry and like many pigmented herbs is is an antioxidant. It induces Phase I liver enzymes, and supports glutathione during phase II detoxification of the liver.

There are three phases of stress: alarm phase, resistance phase and phase of exhaustion. Adpatogens are known to increase the phase of resistance, but I think they can regulate our alarm response and can be helpful in recuperating while in exhaustion.

Clinical researchers explained adaptogens as:

“herbal preparations that increased attention and endurance in fatigue, and reduced stress-induced impairments and disordered related to the neuro-endocrine and immune systems” – Panossian, A. Wikman, G. Evidence-based efficacy of adaptogens in fatigue, and molecular mechanisms related to their stress-protective activity. Current Clin.Pharmacol. 2009, 4, 198-219.

Sounds pretty good, eh? Who doesn’t need increased attention and lessened fatigue?

I had an order for my shop for a to create a tincture blend to support and balance the reproductive hormones and reduce stress. This was a perfect time to mix Vitex, White Peony, Dang Gui, with the adaptogens Shizandra, Eleuthero, Shatavari and Ashwaganda. Vitex supported by Shatavari and Ashwagands addresses the ovarian and pituitary hormones which orchestrate menstruation, dang helps the production and movement of blood, schizandra calms the spirit and with Eleuthero regulates the HPA axis (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis) and tonifies the Kidneys. The “K” in Kidneys is capitalized because I am referring to the concept and function of the Kidneys in Chinese medicine, not the physical organ called your liver in Western medicine. Some of the functions of the Kidneys relate to the adrenal glands in Western medicine.

When stress effects the menstrual cycle and hormones, it is good idea to investigate the a Liver component . Chai hu/bluplrurum was my herb of choice in this blend to address that component, as it is acrid and promotes helps the Liver flow freely. Liver Qi stagnation is common in women and can upset menstruation or contribute to PMS symptoms of irritability, breast tenderness, cramping or symptoms which get worse with stress. Bai Shao/White Peony is sour and through the sour, condensing flavor, sedates an excessively active or constrained Liver which then can overact on the organ it controls, the Spleen. Bai Shao tonifys Blood, too, and can regulate menstruation, and blends nicely with Chai Hu/Bluplrurum.

Have I ever told you home much I love herbs? Or how amazing I think Chinese Medicine is? Look at what these plants can offer (and graciously so).

Yes, I am in love.

Chinese herbs + gangsta = awesomeness. Check out their tumblr.

An ideal Saturday afternoon for me consists of a walk, a nap, a cup of tea and playing with herbs! I was lucky enough to spend last Saturday just so, with lots and lots of herb exploration. I had a number of  orders to fill for my herb shop which included making some body sprays.

If you have water, an essential oil and a spray bottle you can make a body spray. It is that simple.

It doesn’t take much more to make them a bit more sophisticated with extra skin soothing properties and a longer lasting aroma.

Directions for your basic 2 ounce body spray:

• Gather your essential oils, uncap them, and smell them together. Is your nose pleased? Play around with your configuration until you find the mix right for your needs.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon vodka, brandy or other alcohol, 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel , 1/2 teaspoon glycerine, 1/2 teaspoon witch hazel extract to a bottle.
• Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Shake well.
• Add essential oils: 8-20 drops per bottle. The exact amount will vary on the quality of the oil. I find that higher quality essential oils will require less drops to create a nice blend that lower quality oils. Some oils always require less drops. For instance, a single drop of rose otto can be split between two bottles to impart its fragrance.
• Shake again, spray to test the concentration, adjust if needed.

While not true ‘fixers’ like those used in perfumery, the bit of viscous aloe vera gel and glycerin give the essential oils something to bind to and offer skin soothing properties, as does witch hazel extract. The vodka acts as a preservative and helps to lightly tone the skin with its astringent, cleansing action.

High quality essential oils is key to a great body spray. When I first started blending oils, I had about 12 old and gunky oils that I found on the free table in the basement of the Co-Op where I worked.  The free table consisted of sub-par items which have been broken, returned or expired…so it was no wonder that these oils were kind of limp!

I followed the guidelines from the essential oil gurus, but they just didn’t smell robust or appealing. Thinking more is better, I kept adding additional drops, but even using 40 drops in a 2 ounce bottle didn’t do the trick.

Eventually I replaced my old oils with higher quality oils that smelled vibrant and rich. Once you notice the difference it is hard to go back the typical oils in the health food stores! My favorites are Plant Spirit and Floracopia. Mountain Rose offers a wide array of organic oils, which I appreciate.

Use your essential oil body spray as a light deodorant, natural perfume, facial toner, or for a skin soother for sunburn, hot days and itchy skin, or use a lavender-based spray as a nighty-night pillow spray. Don’t underestimate the power of essential oils to address emotions and stress. Kids and animals love body sprays too.

Body sprays make great gifts – I love featuring them in gift sets as they add a different dimension to connect with the essence of plants and permeate the senses with their luscious beauty. Pair them with tea or coco mix, or with a sea salt bath soak. The possibilities are endless!

I have cleavers on the brain. They are growing tall and thick this time of year in the city and in the woods and meadows. I’d like to share a few links about this awesome and prevalent herb I found out there on the interwebs.

Myrobalan Clinic talks about harvesting cleavers and has some nice pictures of cleavers growing in the hedge rows.

“Tastes like Easter!” Penny Scout: Tracker of Plants touts the deliciousness of cold-infused cleavers and nicely summarizes herbalists’ description of the use of cleaver.

Backyard Patch Herbal Blog gives a lot of background info about cleavers and a few recipes/preparations, including an enticing cleaver face wash. Got to try it!

A lovely personal account of the discovery of cleavers, found on Tales of a Kitchen Herbwife.

Whispering Earth discusses the elemental nature of cleavers as a harbinger of spring. I particularly enjoyed these words of wisdom from Lucinda:

Cleavers is all about getting things moving and flowing again. I see it as an initiator and indeed it is meant to be auspicious to drink it before a journey. It doesn’t force change, just gently encourages the body to wake and clear itself, helping to remove excess fluids through its diuretic action.

The Verbal Herbal says (and I concur!):

Cleavers is often found growing next to chickweed. This is nature’s way of telling us they should be used together because these two herbs complement each other in formulas.

Looking for a yummy way to use all those cleavers? Wild Concoctions has a recipe for Cleaver Lemonade which I have to try. I love that cleavers can be “juiced” in a blender (since I don’t have a juicier). This has inspired me to make a cup or two of my own!

Even a Chinese medicine student knows Gui Zhi Tang is an really important formula. Gui Zhi is Chinese for Cinnamon Twig; Tang means ‘soup’ or ‘decoction’. It is named so because of the chief (representative) herb of the formula, Gui Zhi/Cinnamon. This formula is simple yet complex, and demonstrats the elegance of Chinese herbal formulation. I am not attempting to disseminate the theory behind this formula or its combinations, which I do not feel prepared to do as I am still exploring it as we speak, but instead will share a bit of my experience with this awesomely tasty and effective tea.

I hesitate to even call it ‘tea’. I mean, look at it! It is thick, opaque, rich. It is strong and it is definitely medicine. Food and spice medicine, at that. The experience of drinking Gui Zhi tang is not like sitting down with a cup of tea that consisted of one teaspoon of dried herbs steeped 20 minuets and strained. It’s like sipping stock, except stock is usually lighter than this tea.

Gui Zhi Tang is used for an invasion of external wind-cold due to a deficient state of bodily defense in Chinese Medicine terms. Since defenses are low for whatever reason, an illness like a cold can easily enter the body and cause typical symptoms like runny or congested nose, scratchy throat, headache and body aches (especially the back of the neck and occiput), chills or aversion to wind, fatigue and sweating.

Gui Zhi Tang is used for more than just alleviating a cold. It is used as a base formula for balancing Yin and Yang and the interior and exterior as it is itself a very balanced formula. How does it work? In brief, it balances the Wei (defensive) and Ying (nutritive) levels of the body through the actions, natures and flavors of the herbs in the formula.

It contains:

• 9 g Gui Zhi, Cinnamon Twig (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). Warm, acrid and sweet. Release externally contracted wind cold.
• 9 g Bai Shao, White Peony (Paeonia lactiflora). Slightly cold, sour, sweet. Benefits Yin and contains the week nutritive qi.
• 9 g Sheng Jiang, Fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Warm, acrid, sweet. Release the exterior and treat nausea and vomiting while warming the middle, directs qi downwards.
• 4-5 pieces Da Zao, Jujube Date (Ziziphus jujuba). Neutral and sweet. Helps the sour Bai Shao nourish and harmonize the nutritive qi and blood.
• 6 g Zhi Gan Cao, Honey-fried Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Warm, sweet, acrid.  Harmonize the actions of the other herbs.