herbs

Before harvesting or using punarnava, please make sure to carefully read the disclaimers below.

Punarnava, the Sanskrit word for the medicinal plant commonly known in English as spreading hogweed, literally translated means “renewer” or “rejuvenator.” Punar- means “again,” and -nava translates to “new.” Punarnava is steadily gaining attention in the expansive world of natural health medicine as a powerful medicinal herb with a wonderful laundry list of health-promoting benefits supporting longevity and youthfulness.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is on my mind today after wildcrafting the root and leaf on a chilly, rainy morning this week. Despite the mud, wet days are great for root digging; it’s easier to unearth them.  And, as mullein is considered a noxious weed in many places, no one will likely protest should you dig it up!  Though disrespected as a lowly weed, mullein is a beautiful and immensely useful plant.

Sleep pillows are a sweet way to help when a restless mind or body, recurrent anxiety dreams, or even outright nightmares are keeping you awake. The use of sleep pillows is not new.  “Dilly pillows” stuffed with dill, lavender, and other relaxing aromatic herbs were traditionally used to help babies relax and fall asleep. Sleep pillows also make great gifts, something to keep in mind as the holidays approach.

So, I have a problem: I’m a bit of a spices junkie.  I didn’t realize this until someone recently pointed out to me how all the recipes I share with them require so many different herbs and spices (hi, Grandma!).  I thought for a moment, and realized it’s true—I probably have 40 different spices in my cabinet, and I frequently online-window shop at herbs and spices stores, reading about exotic spices I’ve never heard of and imagining how they might taste.  Perhaps it’s because

A loss of appetite can really get you down in more ways than one! When you don’t eat you lose vitamins and minerals. The herbs I’m going to cover in this article are great for stimulating the appetite, as well as stimulating digestion.

Fall is approaching. Here in Durango, Colorado, and the surrounding mountains, the leaves are already changing and the nights are chilly.  On one hand, fall is my favorite season.

Kitchen Witchin’ Part 1 shared valuable medicinal uses for kitchen herbs and spices that many folks have on hand. For part 2, let’s continue unleashing that inner witch by bringing some botanicals out of the medicine cabinet and into the kitchen!

Herbs and spices elevate the flavor of our food, giving it that little something extra. We use them in tonics to cure what ails us. They stock our cabinets waiting to be utilized. Yes, herbs and spices are like the icing on the cake. But while they both are used to enhance the flavors of our food, have you ever wondered what exactly the difference is between the two?

At one point, my kitchen windowsill was lined with four mini planting pots: one lavender, one basil, one peppermint, and one cilantro. That was a brief point in time, since I quickly learned that each of these plants are special, with different needs and unique potentials (yes, I learned that by killing them. Or letting them grow wild). But they are worth it! Since I’ve refilled the pots with fresh herbs, they’ve been very experience-enhancing, whether I’m cooking, focusing, or relaxing.  Below are the benefits and care tips I learned from my own little garden.

Did you know you could grow your own medicine? There are so many reasons to do it! One of the best reasons is for the many benefits that it provides you and your environment. If you don't have space in your yard for a big garden, don’t worry; many of the plants can be grown in containers. To have the Echinacea growing in your yard when the cold or flu strikes, or some Aloe Vera for burns is a blessing.

The benefits of growing your medicine garden/medicine wheel are many. The nutrition and healing properties of the plant are only a couple of reasons.