Herbs - A Love Story

I remember the day I fell in love with herbs very distinctly. I was a senior in high school and my friend Vrinda and I were on a bike ride through a beautiful marsh in Oakland, CA. My time with Vrinda was always multi-sensory and so enriching. Home cooked Indian food, great music, beautiful art, rich poetry, exuberant dance. Needless to say, our friendship was a blessing. On this particular adventure, though, we paused our ride in the fading sun next to an unassuming shrub. "Taste this. Its like black licorice..." 

Truth be told I don't even remember what she had me taste, but it was glorious. And that is where it all began.

Since then I have been fascinated and drawn to the world of herbs. I love their intrinsic ability to heal. I love their diversity. I love that they smell, taste, and look beautiful (mostly). I have dabbled over the years in a smattering of remedies along with a few close friends and swear by Emily's salve to heal my wounds and Christine's salves to heal my hands. Also her magnesium rub is balm to my sad, sore muscles. And, as we transition in to the rainy season here, I am actively dreaming of all the wonderful things that will be in our new Medicinal Mandala Garden.

Fast forward to our upcoming trip to Mississippi, where Luke will officiate our dear friends Bryan and Mallory's wedding. Traveling in general is not so much our thing any more since we have farm animals. Traveling in winter the week before Christmas is mostly my idea of an expensive way to get sick. Which brings me to the real reason for this post: I recently learned about how to make an Herb travel kit. 

I attended a great webinar called "13 Essential Remedies for your Travel First Aid Needs," hosted by John Gallagher of Learning Herbs and Herb Mentor and Rosalee de la Forêt also of Herb Mentor and Methow Valley Herbs. It made me feel so much more confident and prepared to travel and care for us well. I highly recommend these sites and trainings they offer if you are at all interested in becoming an herbal enthusiast. I also love their approach to herbalism...you learn about herbs by being hands on with them. Be curious when outside. Try something new and make a concrete memory of the healing effects it had. So much better than pouring over endless books and feeling overwhelmed about remembering everything. For instance, just this week I tried warm milk with a cinnamon stick for insomnia. Yeah, passed right out. Who knew cinnamon was so great?

Are you interested in learning more with us about herbs and their powerful role in our health? Let us know any classes you might be interested in us hosting/teaching. Are you an herbalist who wants to teach a class? Let us know! Also check out some of our favorite herb purveyors: Mountain Rose Herbs and Urban Moonshine.