The Healing Powers of Plants on Our Journey to Our True, Loving, Fearless and Radiant Selves!
How are you feeling today?… Calm? Grounded? Strong? Well rested? Creative? Hopeful? Happy to be you? All of the above? Good for you!
And even better if you get there au naturel, without taking happy pills, painkillers, sleeping pills, energy drinks, anxiety meds, and the whole host of prescription or OTC drugs that help us mask any physical or emotional discomfort…
Why? Because, while drugs may act quickly and bring us an instantaneous relief in a true emergency situation, they often come with a really hefty cost when used as a long-term therapy. Way too often they simply mask physical symptoms without addressing the root causes of the problem, while at the same time taking a heavy toll on our vitality, life force and energy levels. Not to mention the numerous side effects that come with use of pharmaceuticals, which often hurt the body’s vital systems, and at times threaten life itself.
By medicating our slightest discomforts we often avoid hearing what our body and psyche are trying to tell us. What needs to change in our lives? What unexpressed emotions, needs, desires are asking to be released or expressed? Which old patterns or fears do we no longer need to carry? What are the new qualities or experiences that we are longing to acquire on our quest for our true loving, kind, fearless and radiant selves?
The world of plant remedies offers a healthy and intelligent alternative to standard medication. So, how are the medicinal plants different from the meds? And how can they be used as potent healing agents?
Honeysuckle
The answer is simple. Plants have populated the planet since time immemorial, and carry in their DNA the wisdom and healing powers of the Earth. Their energy matrix has been integrated and interwoven with ours for millennia, in the form of food and medicine. Plants, when used wisely and with discretion, have safely taught our bodies and psyches how to adjust to our ever changing human condition in order to persevere, thrive and evolve.
How do we use plants? One way is to lean on them in order to overcome a specific condition – for example, have a cup of a ginger decoction to break up a cold, or apply an arnica ointment to a bruise or a sprain to help it heal. Unlike the allopathic meds, plants will not just mask or eliminate the symptoms but rather help the body to heal itself and, magically, teach it to function at a more optimal level when faced with a similar situation in the future.
This is exactly why when we use plants daily for a few weeks, they bring a deep, lasting and a well-integrated positive change to our long-term health and well-being. This also is the idea behind our comprehensive herbal wellness programs that harness powerful healing synergies between three herbal remedies used on a daily basis over a one-month period.
Another striking difference between plants and medications is that every plant remedy carries multiple wellness benefits and nourishes many energy systems in the body at the same time. Ginger for example will work with the respiratory, immune, digestive and circulatory systems of the body, and also reduce pain and inflammation. Digestive bitters will stimulate and tone the liver and the gallbladder, increase production of bile, help drain any digestive excess, reduce inflammation, cleanse the lymphatic system and tone the immune system. As you can see, these magical green beings are incredibly skillful at multi-tasking!
But do we have to be sick to use medicinal plants?
Not at all! Plants nourish our energy and vital health systems, gently detoxify the body, and bring our health to its best expression.
In addition, plants work with human beings on many levels – not only physical but also emotional and energetic.
Does your mind often feel scattered? Do you feel too agitated to focus on the task at hand? Are you easily stressed? Do you often get upset or angry? Do you fear speaking in public, taking an airplane or staying in the dark? Do you feel sluggish or stagnant? Do you get tired easily? You get the idea: plants can work with us on many different planes to address a really broad spectrum of issues!
Plants are living beings full of energy, have different personalities and distinct strengths… just like us! Some are heating, drying and quick to act, like cayenne pepper, and others are slow, moist, cold and nourishing like marshmallow root, just to give you some familiar examples. Some are grounding and calming, and others are energy-moving and uplifting… Your choices are really wide, and depend on your personal needs and your physical/mental/emotional makeup!
So, how do we take plants? As hot water infusions, decoctions, capsules or liquid extracts/tinctures, depending on the nature of the plants and parts used, as well as personal preferences. We can also use essential oils by smelling them, diffusing them around the house, applying them topically (diluted in carrier oils like jojoba or olive oil), or taking them internally as capsules (for example oregano oil diluted in olive oil).
Another interesting way to work with energetics of plants is by using flower essences. The most well known flower essence set was formulated at the beginning of the 20th century by Dr. Edward Bach, and consists of 38 vibrational essences. Flower essences help to move through certain emotional states (for example, fear, terror or shock), or work with out-of-balance personality traits like impatience or inability to say no, among others.
There are many wondrous ways to heal, learn, and re-discover our true essence with the beautiful green spirits of the Earth!!
Which one is calling your name?
Join us for an in-person class!
Plant Magic for the Season of Gratitude, held on November 18th from 7pm-8:30pm. @ 119 Crosby in SOHO!
For details and to register, please visit www.thealchemistskitchen.com
Katya Varlamova
Name : Katya Varlamova @warmicitaherbals
Birthplace : Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Métier : Clinical herbalist, naturopath, founder of Warmicita Herbals
Sources of inspiration : Being in nature and being around kids are both incredibly inspiring to me! My monkey mind turns right off and I find myself inside the mystery, fully immersed into my senses and the flow of the moment. I find it very liberating and inspiring.
Sources of motivation : My awesome friends, and people in general – their unique gifts, talents and courage to create and to love. I also love working with oracle cards. When I lack clarity on a particular issue or a state of being I ask a very precise question and the response is always right on… coming from my higher self and bringing a deeper understanding of the situation.
What makes you happy : Waking up to my family in the morning is amazing. I treasure every moment we spend together and every second of my son’s irresistible laughter. I also love staring at flowers and making anything herbal! Being in the mountains is always special and uplifting… Peruvian Andes is a place of pure and deep magic for my heart and my soul, and this is where I experience most clarity, connection and renewal.
Favorite reads : “Master and Margarita” and “The Witches of New York”
Favorite tunes : I love DiSarli tangos, songs of Mercedes Sosa, Billy Holiday and the Beatles. Music from South America (Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia) speaks straight to my heart – from the rhythms and the melodies to the Spanish lyrics!
Favorite foods : I love Peruvian and Japanese cuisines, and everything arugula and avocado. Mangos and cherimoya when I am in South America are always a special treat. And of course lots of berries whenever I can get them!!
Beauty tips : After cleansing my skin I love spraying rose water all over my face before applying a home-made botanical facial serum (an ever-changing mix of seed oils, essential oils and plant extracts). The rose water tones and nourishes the skin without drying it, as well as helps the serum’s oils reach deeper levels of epidermis. Plus it is such a fabulous treat to the senses, and a magnificent way to start the day!
Taking a flower bath is another favorite of mine. Lavender + roses + calendula + chamomile is my absolute favorite, and I also love fresh rosemary and sage baths.
Favorite ways to unwind : I love Argentine tango and dancing pretty much to any kind of music. Hanging out with plants and my amazing friends and family are always a treat as well!
What gets you in a working flow : I love doing a quick yoga sequence in the morning before diving into work… to release body tensions, get the energy flowing, and clarify the mind, followed by a cup of sencha or an energizing ginger decoction!
What are you working on now : I am formulating Warmicita’s new herbal wellness kits, gardening, and working with clients privately.
Favorite motto / quote : “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin
