The wonders of herbal medicine offer us healing in countless ways…
Tinctures (a.k.a. Herbal Drops) are an effective, yet effortless way to bring herbs & healing into your daily life. When herbs are extracted in alcohol + a percentage of water, the full spectrum of the plants medicine is extracted which can then be directly absorbed through our bloodstream without having to pass through our digestive system. With this, the plants healing actions begin to work immediately. We can work with adjusting the dosages depending on acute & chronic ailments.
I’m writing this to you today to help you better understand how tinctures & plant medicine is used and how much value it can add to your daily wellness routine. Just a few droppers, a few times a day, with you wherever you go, to support you in so many ways.
I’ve worked on developing a complete line of herbal drops to cover the basics ~ counting a total of eight tinctures! We have digestive support, nervous system support, immune support, sleep & cognitive support… Then we have a herbal drops like Dreamweaver & In my Feels, which we may not need on a daily basis but are there for us when we do.
At the end of this sub I will provide a link to a questionnaire in hopes to get all your questions answered with a follow-up sub! I would love to have a monthly or quarterly Q&A… But I will need your help.
I work with herbs on a daily basis, they have magically found their place in my life, offering their support in so many ways…. I enjoy both herbal tea infusions & tinctures. Currently, I begin my morning, before my cup of coffee with 2 droppers full of Burdock Root, it’s gentle and the taste is sweet and earthy, you can even add it straight to your coffee. I love this first thing because it’s not super bitter to taste but as a nutritive bitter tonic, it gets my digestion moving in a subtle way. Also, Burdock works wonders on the skin by clearing impurities & toxins that block the sebaceous glands. We love digestive support this time of year. I use Balanced Bitters daily.
Most days with breakfast I have a small glass of fresh pressed orange juice with a pinch of salt and 2 squirts of Uplifting Spirits. I love this adaptogenic tincture which works to restore my overall vitality with reishi mushroom, schisandra berry, ashwagandha, holy basil & calendula. I cycle through this tincture, using it consistently every few months, but especially during the wintertime. Like most herbs, maybe aside from our nutritive tonics like lemon balm, holy basil or milky oats, I will cycle through them, taking them consistently for a period of time and then taking a break. We are not overusing or misusing adaptogenic herbs (or any herbs for that matter) while we overwork & deprive ourselves of sleep over here. Our overall health, eating nutritious foods, sleep & exercise are always a top priority ~ having a healthy baseline will only help the herbs work more efficiently.
Plants all have different energetics which affect each of us differently. Some are hot or cold, damp or dry and so on and so forth, I won’t get into the specifics here but these energetics relate to how our bodies react to plant medicine. So when I formulated my collection of Herbal Drops to sell to the masses, I made sure to bring balance to them and create tinctures that anyone could take without worry. And as with everything, when working with herbs always listen to your body and trust your god-given instincts.
I love tinctures because they are easy to take and bring along on the go. Just a couple droppers full and you’re on your way. No worrying about digging through a billion supplement bottles and downing a handful of capsules (no hate, I do use a a few supplements) But you actually get to connect with the plants through their very unique taste which is just another wonderous facet of plant medicine ~ It’s another way we come to learn much about it’s healing properties. Plus, you’re getting the full spectrum of constituents from the plant extracted with water & alcohol. And using the weight-to-volume method I follow ensures we are making potent & effective medicine. You can see in the photo at the top, the color & depth of the tinctures - you will also notice those glass droppers become stained & you will find sediment at the bottom of your bottles (always give your bottles a little shake before each use!)
A little glimpse of how I infuse healing herbs into my daily routines & rituals…
Throughout the day, I take my Balanced Bitters, 2 delightful droppers full before meals. They are a centerpiece at the dining table along with the salt & pepper. As we know, these bitters are formulated in perfect balance to support the full spectrum of the digestive system to keep our digestive juices flowin’. Like all herbal drops, you may add these to pretty much any other beverage but I prefer taking them straight. This tincture can also be added to cocktails for enhanced flavor ~ ie; martinis & manhattans, etc. If I’m ever experiencing any digestive discomfort like gas or bloating, I reach for these bitters or my single-plant tinctures of Ginger or Chamomile.
If i’m out and about I will bring a vessel of herbal tea and whatever herbal drops I’m currently taking. (I always keep Find Your Center in my bag, for obvious reasons). This is the most approachable, gentle blend ~ with sweet, nourishing tonic herbs which work to coat our nervous system, soothing it’s frazzled edges. A tincture for all and the perfect one to begin your herbal medicine journey with.
Moondance lives on my bedside. I don’t often have trouble falling asleep but if I am particularly stressed and can’t relax my mind, I will take a few droppers for a little peace and quiet and it always works like a charm. I also have Moondance Herbal Tea available which is a slightly different blend to be enjoyed an hour or so before bed while winding down with a candle and a good book.
I reach for Headspace when I can’t seem to focus, find the words, or suffering from tension or a headache. The flavor is herbaceous & rosemary forward and pairs perfectly with green tea or matcha!
I like to seek help from the next few tinctures more for sacred rituals saved for a particular time of need. Maybe I want to explore my dreams a little deeper, Dreamweaver is the answer to bring clarity to the dreamspace. Maybe I’m sad or grieving or I’ve been too in my head and need to shift my focus, we’re looking at Heartspace. Finally, we have a longtime favorite, In My Feels, which brings us back into our body, reignites our fire and gives us a nice confidence boost… a truly magical tincture that I don’t fuss over enough.
I make all my tinctures as single-plant extracts, this way I can use them more interchangeably as needed. My medicine cabinet is abundant from years of making herbal medicines and I love having so many options to choose from and get really specific in my actions of healing. I always dream of offering custom blends through an intake process and I do so for friends and family but I have yet to develop a system…one day! …soon! (Maybe tell me how much you would benefit from it to inspire me to make it happen)
I do have Single-Plant Tinctures available in the shop ~ with pretty good descriptions for their uses, check them out if you haven’t… Grab yourself a thoughtfully curated blend & a single-plant tincture to get yourself started. Maybe Find Your Center (the most approachable) and a bottle of Milky Oats or Ashwagandha. When you get them, create a habit of taking them 3 times a day. Once before you begin your day, once midday & once you’re settling down for the night. Create a ritual of carving out a small moment to nourish yourself & your spirit during your day. Do this daily. Be diligent. Be open. Be mindful. And be reflective.
Don’t feel like your herbs are working for you? My best advice first is to be consistent! If you’re only taking your tinctures whenever you feel like it, sure they are working but you won’t get the results you are looking for. On the flip side, you are consistent with taking your herbs but you still aren’t feeling it… Stop taking them. A lot of times, we don’t notice how much plant medicine is actually working for us because we are so accustomed to how pharmaceuticals work and herbs are subtle in their magic. When we heal incrementally, it can be hard to actually notice what’s happening.
Make friends with your herbal medicines, they want to be in relationship with you.
There truly is so much beauty in plant medicine and this year I am devoted to sharing it with you.
I would love to hear your questions regarding herbalism, herbal medicine & herbal remedies. Please drop your them in the comments below! Your engagement is so helpful & beyond appreciated! I would love to gather this little herbal community together and build something beautiful.