Herbal Health
With Kirsten Shanks of Orchard Street
Our connection with nature is innate. However removed our day to day life may seem from a natural way of being, the fact remains; We are nature. Plant Medicines have been held in the deepest reverence since time immemorial. Not only for their remedial potential to enhance, heal, support, transcend and evolve, but for the potential they serve to act as a conduit between humans and the natural world.
Re-establishing a harmonious relationship with nature through herbalism can profoundly elevate our wellbeing; boosting energy, supporting stress response, enhancing immunity and providing a radiant glow from within. Weaving herbalism into your life should be a gentle process, no need to rush or overcomplicate things ~ this is the foundation of a lifelong relationship. Plants can be consumed in a variety of forms; as food, tea, powders, tinctures.
Day 1. Know thyself.
Before we can even begin to tap into the wisdom of nature, we need to learn to listen to what our body yearns for. Cultivating self-awareness is the first step to self-empowerment. Learning to listen to the subtle whispers of our body requires quietude. Stillness. Space.
Embrace herbalism today by spending a meditative moment sitting peacefully in nature. Perhaps remove your shoes, allow your body to connect to the earth beneath you. Observe the natural world around you, sit in the quietude and space it provides, allow your thoughts to roam, notice how you are feeling.
Day 2. Food, the first plant medicine.
The plants at the core of a plant based diet serve as the most powerful medicine we consume each day. While we may turn to specific herbal medicines for deeper therapeutic support and healing, food offers us an irreplaceable array of bioactive compounds and potent nutrients that can’t be found from any other source.
Embrace herbalism today by reflecting on the food you eat. Consider the life cycle of the fruits and vegetables consumed; the seed that germinated, the sun that shone, the rain that fell. Consider the colour, texture and taste. Honour the full spectrum of nutrients within and life force energy available to you with every bite.
Day 3. Tea.
One of the most accessible ways to weave herbalism into your daily life is through tea. For a millennia the benefits of botanicals have been reaped through simply infusing the dried plant in hot water. Herbal teas can become an integral and enormously remedial part of your daily ritual, one that honours health and celebrates nature.
Embrace herbalism today by taking time out for tea. Use the opportunity to consciously select your tea based on what your body needs, tapping into the benefits of the botanicals within the blend. Sit quietly, sip mindfully, let your body imbibe the healing potential of the plant medicines.
Day 4. Elixirs Powders.
Taking a herb as a powder is a beautiful application of ‘food as medicine’. Consuming herbs as a powder ensures you consume all of the plant; not only the bioactive compounds but also nutrients ~ vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids which bring innumerable longevity enhancing benefits. Elixir Powders are naturopath blends of organic botanicals designed with therapeutic purpose in mind and can be woven easily into your favourite recipe!
Embrace herbalism today by creating an Elixir to suit your needs for the day with our simple 3 step Elixir Bar process.
⦁ Choose your flavour; cacao, chai, matcha, dandelion or espresso?
⦁ Add your elixir powder, purification, vitality, radiance, immunity, lovers, bliss,
Blend with your choice of plant based milk! Make it a frappe by adding ice and a few dates! Or opt for a latte by gently heating it on the stovetop after blending.
Day 5. Tinctures.
In this traditional process herbs are long-soaked in alcohol to extract the plant’s full spectrum of active constituents. The benefit of tinctures is that they contain a potently high amount of phytochemicals, reach the bloodstream almost immediately and are super easy to weave into your daily flow.
Embrace herbalism today by exploring herbal tinctures, and how you could incorporate these into your daily routine. Perhaps some Liver Drops in a glass of water 20 minutes before each meal, creating a digestive bitter tonic that supports detoxification. Or carry some Calm Drops in your handbag, dropping under your tongue whenever you feel the need for nature’s calming touch.
Day 6. Single herbs.
Now you are beginning to become more familiar with your body's needs and natural affinity to plant medicines, you can start to explore the benefits of individual herbs. Herbs taken in unison offer a synergistic effect ~ each plant enhancing the effect of another. However when taken alone, you have the opportunity to feel the way this plant works in your body, to ultimately build a relationship with this plant.
Embrace herbalism today by choosing one herb to consume, using your body’s needs as a guide. Explore which herbs may assist you in whatever this may be. Blend them into elixir, add to a bliss ball or chocolate recipe, or simply drink as a tea with hot water (and perhaps a little wild honey). Try to consume your chosen herb at least three times throughout the day, noticing the way you respond, aware of any subtle differences to your normal state of being.
Day 7. Medicinal mushrooms.
Medicinal mushrooms have been used to support human health for centuries, particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Studies show the fungi kingdom can help boost immunity, slow aging, regulate blood sugar, fight fatigue, enhance cognition and support your stress response.
Embrace herbalism today by exploring the magic world of mushrooms! Try adding a little reishi to your morning brew and notice the anti-anxiety effect take the edge off, sprinkle some chaga into your hot chocolate for some powerful immune support, dust a little lions mane into a latte for a potent nootropic creation or add a dose of shroom blend into your daily smoothie for a systemic effect to body, mind and spirit.
