You'll Be a Better Herbalist Knowing 1 Herb 40 Different Ways Than Knowing 100s of Herbs

Knowing how to use one herb 40 ways will make you a better herbalist. 

Have you ever found yourself buying herb after herb, learning a little about each one, and somehow still feeling like you don't really know what you're doing? If so, you're not alone.

This episode will encourage you to slow down, go deeper, and build the kind of intimate plant relationship that turns into real herbal wisdom. The kind that grows your intuition and skills, saves you money, and keeps your apothecary from turning into a very overwhelming collection of herbs you barely know.

What's in this episode:

• Why going deep with one herb beats collecting herbs you barely know
• Echinacea beyond immune support: wound healing, lymphatics, toothaches, and more
• Chamomile beyond sleepy time: digestion, anxiety, skin inflammation, and antispasmodic action
• The power of slowing down and actually tasting, smelling, and sitting with a plant
• Mel's top 5 essential herbs for her apothecary
• Herbal monographs, the new shop, and the herb of the month deep dive on Substack

For full show notes, resources, and links visit: theherbalistspath.com/blog/know-one-herb-40-ways

Learn more in our herb workshops, herbal monographs, and deep dive herbalism programs on our new shop page coming soon! Stay tuned for our 30% off grand opening! 

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Transcript

Welcome And The Overwhelm Trap

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, welcome back to another episode here on the herbalist path. I am really stoked to have you here and to chat about today's topic because whether you're a brand new herbalist getting into this stuff or you've been studying herbal medicine longer than I've been alive, which is almost 48 years, I think that you are going to resonate with the topic that we're gonna cover today. Because one thing that happens, like this happens for everybody as they get into herbs. It is such an exciting thing to start learning about. You start learning about one herb, and then you're just like, oh my gosh, I want to learn about all of the herbs. And then before you know it, you are completely overwhelmed or overloaded, or maybe you're not even putting those herbs to the great use that they can be utilized for. So you're kind of missing out on the whole big thing. And so today's topic really is all about why it's really important to get to know how to use one herb 40 different ways, than trying to get to know 40

One Herb Used Forty Ways

SPEAKER_00 1:10

herbs that you're using just one way each, right? That's where really big overwhelm happens. It's also where you spend way too much money. So let's dig in a little bit more. And if you can relate to this, like that exciting feeling and the like, I just want to cram all of the things into my brain. I get it. Definitely have been there. I think I'm kind of still there, but I've definitely reached that part in my herbalism journey where most herbs I work with I use in a multitude of ways, which really comes in handy because when I'm in a pinch and I need something, but it's not my standard thing that I would run to, or maybe I don't have that one available, I can always be like, oh, but I know this other herb has these properties and I can use it in a totally different way. So it becomes so much more empowering that way. And if you are in that mode of like, let me just cram all the information into my brain and learn a hundred herbs, but don't really learn them, just know they're whatever is popular on social media, kind of claim to fame. I just want to encourage you to like slow your role a little bit. Just chill out. And like I said before, get to know one herb and how you can use it 10, 20, 30 different ways. It's going to open up so much space for you. Space to slow down and just deepen your connection to the plants, to yourself, and just not be so rushed. Because I think this day and age, we are so overloaded with information. We're all rushing and freaking out from the left to the right, all over the place, just more and more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more. But imagine what it would feel like if you were to just slow down, take time, smell a plant, taste a plant, feel a plant, get to know that plant on a much deeper level. I can guarantee you it will bring you a level of peace that you've likely not felt in a very, very long time. And I mean, peace is rather fleeting these days. If you're paying attention to anything happening in the world, I don't know. I've definitely spent my share of time being very mad and upset. And don't get me wrong, I still am. I am also at this just like laughing and disbelief. Like, what in the hell? Every day. Every

Slow Down For Peace And Savings

SPEAKER_00 3:50

day. And I am at a point where I'm like, okay, I can't just sit there and bug out on all of the things. I can do what I've got in my power, and that's what I'm going to work on. And I know one of the greatest things I can do to contribute to the betterment of this world is encourage people like you to use more herbal medicine because it is better for you. And it is also better for our precious planet, which is, you know, obviously being raped and pillaged left and the right these days. So, anyways, I got onto that tangent because I was talking about how things are stressful in the world today. And the prices of everything are skyrocketing at exponential rates that are not livable for so many people. And when you start to focus on just a few herbs at a time, suddenly you don't have to go out and buy all of the herbs. Believe it or not, I know I've got like this is just a piece of my apothecary right behind me. You don't have to have that many herbs. Keep in mind, I've been doing this over 25 years. I know these plants pretty darn intimately. And some of them I rarely ever touch. Honestly, I've maybe got about 10 herbs that I use on the regular. Others are just like, cool, I got this for backup or for particular situations where I or somebody in my community may really, really need it. So now imagine you being able to do that. You get to know these herbs so deeply and that you can use them in so many different ways. Suddenly, not only are you saving money on your apothecary, but it won't be as cluttered as the one behind me. So that's a really, really beneficial thing. And just to put it into context, you know, what happens is social media is here, everybody's learning so fast, word gets spread about one herb being really popular to do one thing, and suddenly that's like the thing. And I think that Echinace is a prime example of this. And while its claim to fame definitely came about before social media was around, uh, it really got known for being an immune stimulant, right? Really, like in the 80s and 90s. And it's phenomenal for that. It really, really is. It is amazing as an antiviral, as an antibacterial. It fights off fungal infections, but it is so much more than that. It is an herb that we always have on hand here in my home. I use it in our first aid kits, always. Always, always, always. Any camp outs we're going to, I bring echinacea. Well, and just in case somebody gets some kind of bug while we're out there, sweet, zap it as quickly as we can with the echinacea. But also, it's a great wound healer. So if somebody does get injured, which most

Echinacea Beyond Cold And Flu

SPEAKER_00 6:40

of the time when I'm going on adventures with my family, we're doing things that are pretty prone to people getting injured because we like fun and adventure. Um, so it's really nice to have something like echinacea that can help heal wounds and regenerate skin cells and tissues really quickly, specifically echinacea, because it is an antimicrobial. And when we have that protective barrier of our skin being broken open, that is a prime opportunity for bacteria to get on in there and cause an infection and make our immune systems have to bug out. So it is technically acting as an immune defense there as well, but not necessarily for colds and flu, right? Another reason I love echinacea, it's a fantastic lymphatic herb. So it gets your lymph flowing really, really well. Plus, it's helping all activate all of our immune cells at the same time, which are hanging out in the lymph, waiting to just meet up with the bad guys and eat them all up, things like that, right? So it does get the lymph flowing. If you're somebody who, you know, maybe in the wintertime you just eat too much heavy stuff and you're just like, I feel like a plub. Maybe try something like a lymphatic herb, like echinacea. This is also going to be specific if you are recovering from illness, right? Because the lymph helps to flush away all of the toxic bad cells or the foreign invaders. It also helps to rid the body of any of the immune cells that may be old and tired and worn out. So it's really just flushing things through. And uh echinacea is definitely something we use very often. Well, not very often, anytime there is a toothache or infection in our home. And of course, I've used this for many, many clients in my community that are always mind-blown. So that's just like a handful of ways that you can use echinacea that's beyond, like, oh, it fights cold and flu, right? Uh, another herb to think about. Super common herb, yet again, chamomile. What do you think of chemomile for? You probably think of, oh, that's the sleepy time herb. That's the calming, relaxing herb, which it very much is. It is a lovely, gentle, yet so powerful, nerving herb. But it's also one of the better herbs for our digestive system. It is very bitter, so it is it's rich in bitters, which is going to stimulate the digestive secretions, get the bile and the enzymes all flowing. It makes peristalsis, so the smooth muscle-like movement of the digestive system that kind of pushes things down and out happen. It's also an antispasmodic for smooth muscle tissue, specifically for the digestive tract. So is there, if there is like cramping and irritability happening, chemoma. Actually, I use this often when my daughter was younger and she was just kind of prone to anxiety and nervousness. She loves to live in the land of what if, which we all know as we grow older,

Chamomile For Nerves And Digestion

SPEAKER_00 10:00

that we can't control the what-ifs, right? We can only control the now. I'm trying to work on that with her, which I wish somebody worked on that with me when I was almost 13. But, anyways, back to the story. She would complain, you know, she'd start getting upset about something. And instantly her comments to me were always like, Mommy, my tummy hurts. And she developed this beautiful relationship with chamomile to the point that, like, in the beginnings, I'd be like, Yeah, I'll make you some tea. And she would drink my tea, but even more so, she would pull out the chamomile flowers and just chew on them. Eventually, I got to the point where I noticed, like, I'd say, Yeah, I'll make you some tea, and I'd start the tea water and I'd make the tea, and she wouldn't drink it, but she would feel better. And then we got to the point where I've noticed I could just say, Hey, I'm gonna make you that tea, and I'd go start the hot water and she'd be good. And then it's now to the point that she doesn't even need that anymore. But I just think it's really cool that she's developed that relationship and that the chemomel directly addressed both her anxious nerve. So being a nervine, it also addressed her tummy ache. It is a great carminative herb to ease that gassiness and bloating and stuff like that. So extra bonuses, right? It's also fantastic for easing inflammation on the skin. So when we have heat and redness in the skin, we can turn to chamomile, uh, redness in the eyes, like pink eye, chamomile can be a great eye wash. I know many people that use it as a hair rinse, things along those lines. So, point again is that when you start to look at herbs for the many different ways you can use them as medicine, as food, as fiber, as a friend to just be with and spend time with and soothe your soul in that way, the better off you are going to be, the more knowledgeable and skilled herbalist you become. And again, you save your family so much money. And if this means anything to you, I'm gonna start doing an herb of the month thing over on Substack. By the way, I recently started on Substack. I've still yet to do a whole post, but I'm really gonna get going over there and I'm super excited about it. So if you are on Substack, please do follow me over at the Herbalist Path. I would love to hang out and connect over there. I like how it just feels like a really genuine kind of space, not like the hustle that social media is. So I really do love it for that. And if you want to connect over there, I would totally love to do that. And if you want to dive deeper on different herbs, one of the ways you can do that are by one, like studying them, right? Studying them by like being with them, by tasting them, by touching them, by feeling them, by smelling them, by watching them grow, by just looking at how beautiful they are and identifying the shapes of their leaves and their flower petals, and you know, get intimate. Listen

How To Study Herbs Deeply

SPEAKER_00 13:10

to them. These plants are wise and they have so much to teach us. Another way you can study them is through herbal monographs. So I at the time of this recording being released, which today is June 2nd, it'll probably be released sometime around the 5th or so. Um, I am in the process of building out a new shop space on my website, which I'm so excited about because over the years I have created so many programs, so many amazing workshops, and yet nobody can get to them on my website. So I am releasing many of my programs and workshops and herbal monographs because we do an herb of the month study inside the community herbalist certification and mentorship so that my students get to do that deep dive with one herb. Of course, they're learning a lot of other herbs too, but when you do that deep dive, it just gives you this level of empowerment. So I'm taking those monographs and I'm going to make them available for you on the new shop page. So I'll probably be doing a new exciting sale when I release the shop or open it up. And I hope that you come check it out. I'll definitely like put a podcast commercial or something like that in here and make it available for you. I will make sure that it is linked here in these show notes, at least once it gets published. So there's a lot of work that goes into the back end of that. It's so funny because I can be like, oh, I've made these programs and these lessons long ago, years ago. They're just hanging out in the great abyss. Um but the whole other aspects of like what it takes to get it ready and available for you is a whole nother ball of whack. So I'm grateful to my team. I have a lovely new couple of team members helping me do that, which makes my world a lot cooler. I get to talk about herbs more, which yay, herbs. So, anyways, um, hopefully this is encouraging and inspiring for you and just helping you see that like you don't have to know all the herbs, my friend. You don't. You can know just a couple of herbs. You can use just five herbs in your apothecary and be good to go. If it were me and I had to choose five that like we're good with, it would be echinacea, uh, yarrow, plantain, calendula. Hmm, now we're getting a little scary here. Do I have to limit it to five? Okay, I will. Just for you. Um, I would probably go, gosh, it's so tough. You know what? Let's go with Camomile because I'm like thinking Ashoganda for myself or Tulsi for myself. Actually, maybe we'll go with Tulsi. Tulsi it is. Tulsi's number five. You could also go with just 10. Hey, right? You could do that. So, anyways, if this is helpful or inspiring for you, I would love, love, love to hear about it. Please share it with your friends and shoot me a message. Let me know that this episode

Five-Herb Apothecary And Closing

SPEAKER_00 16:20

was helpful and I look forward to connecting with you soon. And please check out my new shop. I'm really excited about it. There's lots of great workshops, whether it's herbal first aid skills or kick the sickness with a quickness or my deep dives, where you learn about the anatomy and physiology of the liver and the best herbs to work with the liver. I do that for the skin too. Like there's some, there's some pretty good stuff in there. So, anyways, thank you so much again for tuning into this episode. I hope you have the most amazing week ahead of you, months, years, whatever you got ahead of you. I hope it's wonderful and I hope it is filled with an abundance of love and plants. All right, take care of yourself so you can take care of each other. Bye.