Wild Interconnection

09/30/2023

Herbalists working from a wholly shifted perspective, from a true holistic model recognize the differences in each person’s body and lived experience. We recognize that each person comes to us with a different constitution (are they hot or cold? Damp or dry? Tense or lax?), a different history, different symptoms (even within the categorization of the same condition!), and, of course, different health goals. From this perspective we can really start to do some foundational work! We can look at this person as a whole, and find herbs that can start to shift things, to build more resilience. We can make lifestyle and nutrition recommendations to help build them up, as well.

That shift in perspective is a huge one! We are no longer looking for a named condition, and then figuring out what substance will work best to combat it – we’re looking at symptoms and the state of the body, and matching herbs and lifestyle choices to try and shift it back into a more comfortable state.

If this is something you’re interested in I’d love to chat more about it with you at my Sunday Tea & Chat events! They’re free, open to the public and super low key. Just show up with a nice cup of tea and lets discuss all things herby!

Visit the post for more.

09/25/2023

A shift in perspective, seeing through new eyes, a lens change -- so many ways to say the same thing, and yet its hard to put to words how life changing it can be when it happens.

The shift from a Western medicine perspective, to something more holistic can be a huge one for people -- so often we come to holistic medicine looking for something more, something better.....and we are met with advice that is just a Western perspective dressed up with herbs and supplements.

Plants are different, we can't think about them and use them in the same manner we would expect a pharmaceutical to work. There is no herb for psoriasis, and there is no supplement that will cure diabetes.

If we want different results, we have to look at things differently. We have to build up our foundations, and seek out the places where we are working against our health goals, and then seek out plant allies that wont just cover up our imbalances, but work with us to bring about a change in health.

Providing accessible herbal care to all in the community

09/18/2023

What would it look like if healthcare in our country was accessible, and allowed you autonomy over your body? Would we have better outcomes, less stress, more health?

What does health even look like?

We all know our healthcare system here in the US is deeply, deeply flawed. Providers are generally overworked and pushed by administrators to meet goals that are dangerous for the patient. Patients struggle to find time to see their providers, or struggle to afford healthcare/insurance. Providers talk about “low compliance” but rarely take the time to really understand what the needs of their patient are, or why they are struggling to enact the recommendations made. Meanwhile, insurance companies and huge hospital systems are basking in record profits every quarter.

I think we would all agree that people deserve accessible healthcare (among other basic needs) as we try to survive late stage capitalism. Every person deserves access to care that helps them achieve what their vision of health is in their body.

(Read more of this blog post at: https://wildinterconnection.com/2023/09/14/115/ )

Accessible Herbal Care For The Community

09/17/2023

I'm launching my website officially this week, and planning to start consultations, offer classes, and blog! Sign up for my newsletter to keep in the loop 😊

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/chsvQFd

07/20/2022

Carduus nutans: I’ve been quite enamored with the musk thistle lately. 💕 Such a vibrant bloom, and it’s so soft compared to the rest of the plant.

The musk thistle has similar medicinal properties to the more well known milk thistle as a liver protector/healer.

Did you know that some thistles are also edible? Musk thistle is one of them! Don't let all the spikes fool you, there is a tasty treat in the stalk once its peeled.

06/21/2022

Medicine is all around us if we know where to look!

I rented some land this spring to start a farm. Its been a lot of hard work converting an old, organic pasture into a field, but its also come with the excitement of discovering all of the wild plants that come up!

This week I’ve been noticing this beauty popping up – sulphur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta). It is a member of the rose family, and one of a few native cinquefoil’s to my area (Midwestern US).

The rose family is well known for it’s medicinal properties, from the rose, blackberry root, raspberry leaf, hawthorn and more. Particularlly the rose family is known for its astringent properties, leading herbalist Michael Moore to coin the term “YARFA” – yet another rose family astringent. Cinquefoil is no exception!

This astringent actions makes cinquefoil a great ally for skin and mucus membrane excesses – diarrhea, sunburn, gum problems, skin wounds/infection prevention. The whole plant can be worked with – roots for a strong decoction, or the leaf and flowers for a more mild infusion.

Henriette Kress mentions on her website that it can also be helpful to bring courage to someone who needs it! She recommends that anyone stuck in a situation that isn’t serving them to take some cinquefoil for a few weeks and watch yourself make the changes you need!

05/29/2022

Dandelion flowers are one of my daughters favorites, and I get why! A field of cheery, bright yellow flowers appearing after a long, cold winter can make me almost euphoric!

Like rose, and tulsi, dandelion flowers are considered an exhilarant – an herb that uplifts the spirits when you’re feeling less than cheerful. When winter feels like its been going on forever, and you’re starting to wonder if you will ever see the spring, taking tincture of dandelion flower can keep you holding on!

If you infuse dandelion flowers in oil you can work with it as a sore muscle and joint rub, a moisturizer, or you can add some cocoa butter and beeswax, turn it into a salve, and work with it for eczema.

But there’s still more gifts that dandelion has to offer us! Did you know that every part of dandelion from flower to root is edible? From flower petal fritters, salad leaves, and roasted roots as a coffee substitute – dandelions are here offering us a true abundance of food and medicine.

Dandelion leaves are great as a salad green! They can be bitter (less earlier in the year, more later in the year) – which is an important taste many of us are missing out on! Bitter plants are often cleansing and stimulating to the liver and gallbladder, helping you clean out the stagnation from a heavy winter diet. The leaves are also a mild diuretic, but also contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals (especially potassium), to replace what you lose with the diuretic action.

Dandelion root is a special treat – it can be worked with as a sustainable coffee replacement! Roasted in the oven, and then boiled in a decoction, it tastes great on its own or with other herbs.

The root also has bitter properties and can stimulate the liver and gallbladder even more than the leaves. If made into a tincture it can be worked with as an appetite stimulant, or to stimulate the digestive juices prior to eating. This is important work! Bitters can really get things flowing, and help you to digest you food more thoroughly.

Working with plant allies that grow in your own bioregion is ecologically important – and so easy to do with abundant friends like dandelions. They are one plant that you can harvest as much as you would like every season, and never have to worry about hurting the population! Enjoy dandelion season, friends!

05/02/2022

Have you met my friend Tulsi?

Also known as Ocimum sanctum, or Holy Basil, Tulsi is one of my favorite plants to work with.

A cup of tea with Tulsi in it feels like a warm hug from your best friend. A gently warming herb and an adaptogen, it can help you cope with stress -- but it also carries the quality of being an exhilarant!

Similar to chocolate, Tulsi can help to lift you up when you're feeling down. Even better though, Tulsi will help to support your adrenals when you're stressed, and lower the spikes of cortisol in your blood.

Another favorite action that Tulsi has is the ability to lower blood sugar levels. It can help your levels stay more regulated, and is so effective that its recommended that diabetics keep a close eye on their levels while taking Tulsi.

Tulsi is one of my favorite herbs to work with for trauma and PTSD. Its increases blood flow to the cerebellum, and seems to also act on the hippocampus and amygdala. Over time, working with Tulsi can help you work through and even heal from trauma and PTSD.

Its also a great herb to grow indoors!