The courage to open

Author

Artemisia O'bi
May 24, 2023

This past weekend I was able to spend time with family members that I had not seen or talked to in years. It was such a nice time of reconnection and sharing, but prior to getting together, I felt a little bit unsure. Would it be weird? Would I feel weird? Would interactions seem forced, fake, or awkward?

I had a lot of questions, but I realized that all I needed was the courage to open.

It can be hard to be open to whatever our lives have for us when we are hypervigilant or worried, when we have chronic stomach aches, when we can’t sleep, when we’re feeling low. Maybe you can relate.

Herbal medicine has the gentle, yet perceivable, capacity to help us feel more grounded in potentially-uncomfy experiences like this, when we have arrived in moments of uncertainty and face emotional hills of various sizes to climb.

While packing for the trip, I stood in front of my apothecary cabinet and thought about what sort of formulation could be good for this occasion. Maybe everything would be fine, but what could I bring in case I felt off? A few weeks ago, I wrote about the blend of hawthorn leaf, flower, berry + mimosa bark + rose petals I was working with during a time of grief, and I still had this tincture in my bag, but I wanted to work with herbs that could help me feel calm and grounded in the moment, while also supporting my digestion while traveling, which can sometimes be difficult. I put together an herbal granule formula of reishi mushroom (lingzhi), wild asparagus (tian men dong), and prepared licorice root (zhi gan cao) to drink as a tea while I was away from home.

  • Reishi mushroom - lingzhi in Chinese medicine - was written about in the Shen Nong Ben Cao, an ancient text that is considered the first materia medica (book of herbal medicine). In fact, it is written about six times in the book - more than any other herb - and is considered a superior herb, one that everyone can take and work with for long durations. It has an affinity for the Heart, Liver, Kidneys, and Lungs to boost or support digestion, gentleness, and a carefree mind. Reishi also calms the spirit and relaxes the Liver, making emotional expression and regulation easier and more flowing.

  • Wild asparagus - tian men dong - also has an affinity for the Kidneys and Lungs and functions as a tonic for what Chinese medicine calls Yin deficiency, which often presents with insomnia, hot flashes, thirst, dry skin/hair/nails, a red tip on your tongue, night sweats, and sometimes really vivid nightmares. Wild asparagus helps address Yin deficiency by helping the body clear dampness, which is the accumulation of fluids that can come from diet and lifestyle and can lead to a feeling of “stuckness”.

  • Prepared licorice root - zhi gan cao - is called prepared licorice root because of the way it is stir-fried (prepared) in honey to alter its energetics and actions. This method of preparation warms it and enhances its capacity to moisten and tonify. Licorice root has an affinity for the Heart, Lung, Spleen, and Stomach, and acts as a harmonizer in formulations to help all of the herbs present act better together (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts).

The time I spent with my family was full of love and good chats, and I’m sure I would have been fine without the presence of herbal medicine, but I was comforted by the formulation of plants I chose to bring along for the journey. I felt grounded in my own body and able to be open and expressive in settings that had the potential to feel difficult.

Also, when traveling, it’s likely that we will encounter more starchy, carbohydrate-heavy foods or rich foods, especially when eating with a group, as these foods are often easier to make and serve in larger quantities. These foods, though delicious, are a lot more likely to lead to dampness in the body, which can bring about feelings of sluggishness, brain fog, and phlegm. The digestive support from the herbs in this formulation helped to mitigate any dampness that may have accumulated in my body.

This snapshot gives an example of the way herbal medicine can be easily incorporated into daily life and illustrates how one formula can address multiple potential disharmonies at the same time. Once you get to know a few herbs, you can start to see how you can work with herbs regularly in life, rather than only reaching for herbs when you’re sick with the flu or are in lots of pain. Let me know if you need help getting started or are curious to learn more about how herbs might support whatever you’re going through - you are welcome to comment below or respond directly to this email.

Hope you’re all well!

Warmly,

Artemisia

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