Spring happenings+ classes+ herb of the month
Updated: Apr 25, 2022
Hello April!
In true mountain state style, spring arrived, and then dramatically departed, then graced us with its presence once again! Thanks to some much-needed precipitation, soon the hills will be lush, green, and painted with wildflowers.
This is a beautiful season to embark on your own holistic healing/herbal adventure. We want to give you the best tools to feel confident in your personal journey!
Spring Forward with a Healthy Liver
“Spring is the season when the life forces awaken again. The sap begins to flow; the plants begin their life cycle; the streams and rivers are gushing. In our bodies, too, our life flow awakens with force." -Rosemary Gladstar
Chinese Medicine also considers spring to be the time of peak Liver & Gallbladder energy time. A sluggish, stagnant, or deficient liver can't keep up with the stimulation of spring, which can exacerbate health conditions and lead to skin conditions, allergies, headaches, and more. You can provide a daily kick to your liver and digestive processes with bitters! We have a plethora of delicious herbal bitters to incorporate into mocktails or to spray/drop directly onto the back of your tongue 5-15 minutes before each meal to spark your digestive fire.
Our naturopathic toolbox is chock full of supportive tools for liver, lymph, and digestive health including:
Castor Oil Packs - check out this video on how to use a castor oil pack!
Restorative Cleansing Protocol tincture kit
and much much more, including 200+ bulk herbs and tinctures as well as books and DIY resources for you to explore, learn, and make your own botanical creations!
Herb of the Month- Meet Chickweed #vervainHOTM!
What is chickweed?
Chances are you've seen this "weed" more than once and perhaps not even realized what a delicious food and powerful healing remedy it is! Native to Europe, chickweed is now one of the most common weeds in the world.
Chickweed Uses & Benefits
Chickweed is high in saponins, which are soap-like constituents that act as an antimicrobial within the plant. In humans, these saponins have many beneficial functions, including regulating blood sugar, supporting a healthy microbiome, and modulating inflammation. Stellaria media iscooling and moistening, so is excellent for hot tissue states, such as irritated eyes, dry coughs, an inflamed lymph system, and skin conditions that are red, irritated, and itchy.
Additionally, chickweed makes an excellent nutrient-dense food! Salty in flavor, it contains beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, and zinc. This is a wonderful food to add to your diet, especially after fall and winter when we've typically been eating heavier foods.
Identification & Harvesting
This herb prefers cool weather and moist, relatively shady spots, although it's possible to be found in sunnier locations as well. It's often associated with early spring (hello!), but can also be found during the fall and winter in some places. One of its distinguishing characteristics is a line of fine hairs running down the side of the stem and changing sides at each node (the part of the stem where the leaves are connected). The leaves are bright green and ovate with smooth edges and pointed tips, and are in opposite pairs along the stem. The flowers are reminiscent of stars that are 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter and have white cleft petals. The color of the anthers ranges from yellow to green, brown, red, and purple. Egg-shaped fruits contain several tiny reddish-brown seeds.
Harve