Ask an Herbalist: Summer Wellness Tips from Moon Canyon Healing
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Wellness
Ask an Herbalist: Summer Wellness Tips from Moon Canyon Healing
June 1, 2023
Amidst the business of our day-to-day, it’s too easy to forget how much of our wellness is intrinsically tied to nature. Whether it’s the nourishment of in-season ingredients or time spent immersed in the elements, there’s so much balance and joy to be found—and in the hopes of harnessing that power to the fullest, we’re introducing an entirely new series. In this first edition of Ask an Herbalist—the column in which Kristen Caissie and Sarah Dolan, clinical herbalists and co-creators of Moon Canyon Healing, share their learnings, insights, and advice for living in harmony with the seasons—we have our sights set on seamless spring-to-summer transition.
Ask an Herbalist: Summer Wellness Tips from Moon Canyon Healing
Attuning to the Earth
One of our most valued ways of working with our bodies and with herbal medicine is by aligning to the cycles of the seasons. When we are attuned to the natural rhythms of the land we live upon, we can begin to attune to the ways in which our bodies mimic that cycle. This attunement with the outer landscape gives us insight to the needs of our inner world. How is the earth shifting around us? What changes are we seeing in the plants growing in our gardens?
As we transition from spring to summer we can see the flowers starting to bloom. The days are getting longer and with that, we feel a longing to be more outgoing, more social than we had been in the winter months. We can sense an upward rising energy, outward expansion as our bodies, like the plants, are called forth towards the sunshine.
Spring: Cleanse & Nourish
Right now, in spring, we may have noticed a desire to reignite our internal fire, to bring in movement, stimulate digestion and support our lymphatic system after the long winter’s rest.
We can also see this reflected in the spring plants and their medicinal properties. As we have evolved alongside the plant kingdom for millennia, we see that the plants growing in each season offer to us their unique medicine, often it’s exactly what our bodies crave and yearn for. Wild weeds like dandelion, cleavers, chickweed and nettle are cleansing and nourishing to our systems. We love to work with these herbal allies to bring in some flow, clear out any stagnation that could have settled in winter, and bring that fresh green living energy back into the body.
Each season we curate a collection of herbal remedies that speak to the energetics of the moment. This spring our Seasonal Wellness Box is focused on digestion and lymphatic support. We formulated with bitter herbs to stimulate digestive secretions and blended a tea that focuses on cleansing the GI tract. As we clear and create flow in our bodies, we prepare once again to meet the demands of the summer months ahead with a gained capacity to shine.
Summer: Cool & Soothe
With summer right around the corner, we are now sensing the heat of growing days, the garden in full bloom, and the ways in which this season is asking us to express ourselves. We often like to focus our care and attention on the nervous system at this time of year.
The nervous system is our gateway for connection. The language of our body is sensation and the extent to which we are able to receive, perceive, integrate, and intuit is dependent on the state and health of our nerves and the broad, interconnected system they make up.
In this season our nerves can become highly taxing, it can be exhausting to be in full bloom. And just like the plants in summer, we too need nourishment, hydration and a shady respite.
Cold Infusion Tea
During these summer months, we call on the power of cold infusions to support ourselves from the hot and dry states that can deplete our bodies. Cold infusions are created by steeping herbs with mucilage and low-essential oil qualities in cold water. This draws out the demulcent of the plants meaning the part of the plants that help soothe dry/hot irritation and inflammation. Often we formulate cold infusions for our clients when they are experiencing gut inflammation or GI irritation. However, cold infusions are amazing all year round and we find that sipping on a cold infusion in the summer is pure pleasure.
In our online herbal shop, we formulated a tea perfect for summer. The Sun Tea cold infusion combines the cooling tart qualities of hibiscus with the demulcent and soothing qualities of marshmallow root. We also added lemon verbena, lemon balm and licorice to create a summer blend that relieves tension and brightens our spirits during the dog days of summer.
If you’re wanting to blend and make your own cold infusions at home below is a list of the herbs we love to use as well as instructions.
Cold Infusion Herbs
Marshmallow: Best for soothing dry, tense and inflamed tissues.
Ginger: This herb helps to bring heat to the body and when in a cold infusion can really help balance out the formula so it’s not too “cooling.”
Cinnamon: One of our favorite herbs! This warming and hormone-balancing herb when used in a cold infusion also shares its demulcent qualities.
Hibiscus: So great for cooling and packed with vitamins b and c, this herb also lends its demulcent qualities to cold infusions.
Rose hips: Packed with vitamin C these tart hips add a cooling and brightening effect to any blend.
Oatstraw: Like a hug to the nervous system this all-star herb when used in a cold infusion adds its soothing anti-inflammatory properties to your blend.
Brewing Guidance
Place a ¼ cup of herbs in a quart-sized glass jar or french press. Pour 24 ounces of room temperature water over the herbs, cover, and place in the sun to steep for at least 4 hours. Strain and serve over ice. Drink all at once or over 2 to 3 days (keep refrigerated).
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Photos by Bliss Kaufman
