Hello Dear Community,
In light of the Coronavirus, I’ve been getting a lot of requests for herbal medicine and advice, and I wanted to share a little bit. Like everyone else, I am still digesting the seriousness and scope of what we are dealing with. For me the illusion of denial started to fade Wednesday as more media has been coming out of the situation in Italy. While I support staying calm, it’s dangerously unfortunate that we have not had clear leadership to contextualize both the threat of the virus and the actions we can take to flatten the curve so that the most vulnerable and affected people can get the help needed.
In the days before this escalated, I had been writing about how to deal with the flu. Since the Coronavirus is impacting us more, I am researching and following my teachers and colleagues in science and herbalism. It’s a lot to digest! So instead of waiting until I’ve made it through more of that, I want to share with you some key points.
Witness your fear and anxiety. Wishing it away won’t do anything, but acknowledge it, hold it in your arms with compassion, know that it is not You.
Move fear and anxiety physically through your body: run, jump, dance, do yoga, sing, whatever it takes, let it move through you like a wave.
Be aware of your mind, your media consumption, how you are present with loved ones.
You always have the capacity to connect. Connect to the above, to the vast wisdom of the skies and the cosmos. Connect to the below, to the earth, to all the holds the shaking, to our ancestors, to the heartbeat of our planet. Connect to allies: plants, animals, friends, family, etc. Strengthening our web of communication is vital for our spirits, especially with social distancing and self isolation. Affirming our webs may help us adapt to changes and new frameworks as we co-evolve together and with this and other viruses.
Go back to basics. Are you sleeping, eating nourishing foods, staying hydrated, exercising, breathing? Start with the basics.
There is a lot to digest right now. Pay attention to your physical digestion as we digest on so many levels. Choose easy to digest foods: infusions, soups, stews, smoothies, congees, lots of greens. Add herbs like ginger, cumin, fennel to your food. Drink mint and chamomile teas.
Confront preparation steps. Having plans in place will help ease the mental toll.
Ground yourself with breath, feet on the ground, root medicine, eating roots, and anything else that helps you ground yourself and move frenetic energy. Remember that if you are empathic, it’s likely you will be processing your own load plus what’s in the collective. Taking care of yourself is where each of us must start, ESPECIALLY if you are a caregiver.
As far as flus go, remember fever is your friend as long as it’s not dangerously high. Fever is the body’s way to kill viruses. Warm baths, wearing extra clothes, and taking diaphoretic herbs like elderflower and yarrow can support the natural arc of a fever. The energetics of diaphoretics is a bit more complex (see my last newsletter- February) and should be considered on an individual basis. That said, elderflower is generally considered safe for all ages.
Flu part two: historically more people die from opportunistic bacterial confections than from flu viruses. Garlic is getting poo-pooed in the press, largely thanks to the kooky cures posted, but an appropriate use of garlic is as a preventative antibacterial during a viral infection. I like it best as an oil paste on bread or mixed into food. Raw is the most potent but I like to heat the garlic lightly to increase digestibility by adding to hot foods or lightly heating garlic bread.
Preventing the dry environment that bacteria likes in the lungs can be useful by using humidifiers and drinking moistening lung herbs such as mullein and linden. Linden is not usually considered a lung herb though that function is in its material medica, and I’ve used it this way for years with positive results. Think mucilaginous plants like slippery elm and sassafras leaf.
If you are healthy, please consider the vulnerable population and follow the guidelines for flattening the curve. Take care of yourself.
Right now I am stressed and I bet most of you are too. I have an adrenaline rush that I have not felt in ages but I know this is also taxing, so I am using nervines and adaptogens to support my nervous system, such as: ashwagandha, St. John’s wort, rhodiola.
I am using dandelion root medicine to support the liver and ground my fear and anxiety. I dreamt of dandelion last night as a beautiful woman. It was that moment of spring where everything is bright neon green for a day or two and dandelion woman was there shaking her mane of golden hair, vibrant, calling out. I share that with you because dandelion is a powerful transmuter from root to flower and as one of our first spring flowers in the Northeast, dandelion is a symbol of perseverance and hope.
I am taking yarrow, echinacea, and elderberry to support my immune system. Yes I am eating garlic! Now is a great time to make some shiitake broth.
Remember the Wise Woman motto: use the best of what you have with gratitude. We might not have all the plant medicine or food supplies we want exactly when we want it, so I invite you to open to your channels of connection, trust and intuition- in harmony with science and common sense. We will get through this together.
Like everyone, I am following updates from the appropriate sources as they become available. Producing preparations for retail has not been my focus, and I will be evaluating my inventory to see what I can make available. More on that after I inventory.
Also I am available for phone or Skype sessions to coach you through which herbs and food will best support you. May you be nourished. May you feed your whole self.
With love and green blessings,
Emily
