Back to Herbs

Plant-forward reminders for the first weeks of school.

Are you ready for your fall routine? As summer fades, many people, children and adults alike, will be making the transitions back to school soon.

Seasonal shifts are a critical time to take care and tend to our bodies, minds and spirit. Change is hard, and this is precisely what the plants are so great at helping us to do!

Do your symptoms kick up in fall? Even if you're not in school this year, you likely remember the anticipatory feeling of school starting. Often our bodies remember things that we're not 100% consciously aware of. If fall or back-to-school was a difficult time for you once, or more than once, old emotional or physical symptoms might get dredged up this time of year when school spirit is in the air.

Preventative Measures

In August and September I highly recommend that we check in with what part of us needs a tune-up. Summer's free-flowing energy has usually worn away our healthy habits and routines. Late summer/early fall is a great time to start doing deep immune support. Why? These herbs and mushrooms move slowly. When we take them when we are healthy and feeling strong, they support our body to prevent getting sick. Ready to get started? This could look like:

• A handful of Astragalus and Reishi in our broths*

• A dose of medicinal mushroom extract 1 x day*

• Taking a dose of elderberry syrup 1 x day*

• Taking tonic herbs to keep our weaker systems healthy, think nettles, raspberry. leaf, lemon balm or mullein

• Having Echinacea tincture on hand, for when the first sign of a cold appears

• Schedule a check-in with your holistic practitioner about other ways to prepare for cold-and-flu season

When I worked at the local herb shop I would often see dozens of folks coming in at the end of November, December and January asking what I recommended to help them stop sniffling and help their cough.

I honestly wished I could turn back the clock for them and have them start doing deep immune support in August and September. This is your sign! Prevent illness by supporting your body with plants and don't forget to wash your hands!

*Note: Check with an herbalist if you have an auto-immune diseases before taking immune-system stimulating herbs.

Nervous System Support

Another big part of starting school is the impact on our nervous systems. It's easy to get wrapped up in the excitement, the feeling of a fresh start. And often under neath that is various forms of stress, anxiety, and worry. This is a heavy load for our nervous system, which also involves our brain, who, after all is doing a lot of the heavy lifting at school!

There are plenty of herbs we can take to help us relax, yet avoid sedation. I encourage you to seek out herbs that are commonly found in teas to have on hand. This might be Peppermint, Chamomile or Lavender. Either as tea, tincture or aromatherapy, these herbs are gentle and can take the edge off a stressful situation. They are all easy to find in stores, tasty and generally regarded as safe. If you want a more personalized approach, reach out and we can talk about relaxing herbs that fit your needs and constitution.

Brain Power

Now for the brain: if you are someone who has trouble focusing, back to school can be tough. A great place to start is with the common, kitchen staple, Rosemary.

This abundant Mediterranean herb grows all over the bay area in yards and as hedges. If you have the plant near you, rubbing your hands on the plant and activating the aromatic properties can heighten your awareness and support blood flow. The scented oils of Rosemary offer a gentle push in the direction of focus and presence.

Another way to work with this plant would be to harvest some of the leaf and keep it in your pocket so that you can keep it in your pocket and use this scent-trick whenever you need it. We also work with it as an essential oil, hydrosol and tincture. Finding the right modality for you is important for success.

Other brain herbs for folks who are challenged with focus may want to become better familiarized with Gotu Kola, deeply said to be rejuvenating to the nervous system and reducing mind chatter. Brhami, aka Bacopa which is sportive for folks with ADD and ADHD or Lion's Mane, a mushroom that is widely known to support cognitive function.

Food as Medicine

There are so many wonderful plants to support us in times of transitions. Do not overlook the power of eating seasonally and supporting the body with an array of nutrients through our food.

Some of my favorite back-to-school foods are:

• apples and pears

• savoring the last of summer melons and berries

• yummy roots like potatoes, carrots, beets

• the beginning of winter squash

• mushrooms, in particular shitake

• well cooked meats in the slow cooker

• bitter melon in eggs!

It's critical to enjoy nutritious snacks to get through school days. Packing your lunch the night before can ensure that you have a balanced meal ready for the next day. I love nut butters and fruit, seed snacks or jerky as a mid-day pick me up.

Fall Energetics

It is important, as fall approaches to give ourselves permission to slow down. Summer is fun! Long days, so much to do. As the days grow shorter we start to turn in and we have the opportunity to practice saying "no."

• "No thanks"

• "I'm tired"

• "Next time"

• "I'm busy"

• "That's not my cup of tea"

• "Not tonight"

Saying "no" is matter of practicing our limits and boundaries. Saying "no" is what allows us to say "yes" to what we really want. I'm not sure who said this first, "No." is a complete sentence.

Fall is also a wonderful time to get out and hike in the Bay Area. When we have the opportunity to witness the seasonal shifts of landscapes changing, it is easier to adapt these shift in our home and internal environments. To enjoy the wind on our face, to step out of your day-to-day routine, to witness the wilds and see great peaks, hiking is medicine to the body and spirit.

A few of my go-to easy Bay Area hikes include:

• Tennessee Valley

• Redwood Regional

• Mt. Tam

• Rodeo Beach

Last and certainly not list, the inside job of "going in" which starts in fall. Visit your local garden as often as you can to see the shifts in the plants in your neighborhood. What changes week to week?

Cut a bouquet of flowers to bring the changing-life-energy of fall to your table. Enjoy the beauty of fall blooms (sunflowers! dahlias! marigolds!) as you sit and take in nourishment. Have gratitude in the gifts of the earth that sustain our life.

A flower essence that always comes to me at this time of year is Blackberry. Perhaps, it's more of the essence of the fruit. As a plant that blooms in very early spring, we now enjoy the literal fruits of the plant's labors in smoothies, salads and snacks.

What is your blackberry? What have you tended to, and seen grown in this year? What are you most proud to harvest this fall?

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