One morning, blessed to have an opportunity to come down to the beach alone and in the quiet of a fresh sunrise, two little park ducks made a special appearance.
After doing some journaling and vibing up my chi, a darling duck couple bee-lined as fast as their little webbed feet could waddle across the park straight to me.
Maybe they just wanted a sip of my tea, but I saw it and took it as a sign.
In researching their spiritual implications, I learned that they carry the message of emotional balance.
As water and land creatures that float at the waters surface, they were reminding me to find balance within my emotions.
The concept itself was revelatory to me. You mean I don’t have to keep swinging from one intense emotion to the next???
Since then I’ve used the image of a duck floating in the ocean as a tool to bring myself back to emotional center, especially in those crisis moments when the mind wants to go deeper.
I’ve also been able to notice more clearly the emotional effects of herbs.
Did you know that herbs can heal and balance emotions, too?
In my favorite book on herbs called The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasana Lad, two international leaders in Ayurvedic medicine, they offer this beautiful passage on plants and their power to transmit emotions:
Plants bring us love, the nourishing power of the sun, which is the same energy of all the stars, of all light. These cosmic energies emanated by plants thus nourish, sustain, and make grow our astral body. In this way, the existence of plants is a great offering, a sacrifice. They offer us not only their own nutritive value but the very light and love from the stars, from the cosmos whose messengers they are. They bring to us the universal light so that we can enter the universal life. They exist for psychological, as well as physical nourishment. Our feelings, then, are our own inner plants, our own inner flowers. They grow in accordance with our perception of the nature of all life (Pg. 4).
Below is a selection of herbs I’ve been using for their emotionally balancing benefits.
For greater joy, satisfaction, and contentment try Cardamom or Licorice root. Both of these herbs are in my new, locally-grown, small-batch herbal tisane, Chocolate Holiday (look for it November 16, 2020).
For calming anxiety, overwhelm, irritation and anger, try Skullcap or Gotu Kola. You can find these in my Autumn 2020 small-batch, organic tisane, Hothead.
For more love, compassion and clarity, try Basil, Jasmine flowers or Rose petals.
To reduce and harmonize angry states, aggression and rage try Burdock root or Hibiscus flowers, both of which can be found in Hibiscus Healer (formerly known as Hibiscus Lemongrass, back in stock November 16, 2020).
For greater resilience, inner strength and rejuvenation, try Ashwaganda or Marshmallow root.
During such strange and transient times, I have found refuge in these plant medicines. Making a cup of tea has taken on new meaning with these herbs, as I see my emotional capacity and resilience grow with each sip.
I can’t recommend this ancient healing modality enough!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog and have found it useful.
Let me know your thoughts and/or findings on the subject in the comments!
Thank you for reading!
Blessings,
Amanda 💚
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