One of the super fun things I sometimes get to do is hang out with herbalists to geek out about herbs. That happened again a couple of weeks ago, and the result is this podcast episode about herbs, sleep and mental health.
Hosted by my old friends at Eclectic Herbs, some of the episode is a love fest: how we love herbs, how we love other herbalists, how the plants keep us from burning out.
herbs for sleep and mental health
Much of the episode is about using herbal medicine, especially for insomnia, anxiety and depression. As we move through tumultuous times, having these herbs as allies is more important than ever.
We also discussed herbal and nonherbal approaches to sleep and mood. The latter includes cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia — which I’m now offering for Alaskans and Oregonians.
Mel, who runs the podcast, sent me some sample questions in advance to prepare. But after talking about so many things, we almost didn’t get to the one I most wanted to answer: which herb was most speaking to me right now.
Toward the end of the podcast, you’ll hit the part where she tries to end the conversation. And you’ll hear me inelegantly say”wait, wait, there’s one more thing to talk about!”
the mood herb we need now
If you watched my herb walk videos early in the COVID-19 pandemic, or have attended almost any of my classes since, you’ll know that lavender was my 2020 herb of the year. Why? Lavender does all the things we needed then, being antiviral, a digestive aid, and terrific support for anxiety, depression and sleep.
We still need those things. But with the world on fire around us (the Twin Cities and Iran as I write this), we also need to keep our hearts whole. That means seeking out anything, however small, that sparks our joy. And herbally it means hawthorn.
I’ll write more about that in a different post, but know that we talked about both seeking joy and finding hawthorn in the podcast.
Listen to the podcast here:
help for you
If you’d like to chat about supporting your mental health and sleep, my practice is open to Alaskans and Oregonians. Book your appointment here.
And if you’re elsewhere, I hope that resources like my blog and this podcast can help. Please do reach out if you need suggestions or help vetting alternatives.
