I chose to sit with marshmallow root, lavender, and angelic for the respiratory portion. I was not going through anything, but the lavender relaxed my body and lungs when I would have an asthma attack from time to time. I found that marshmallow eased the wheezing that came with an asthma attack, which was very helpful. My sister also has asthma, and sharing this herb with her was a great addition to her home apothecary. We prefer to use herbal remedies for it vs. pharmaceuticals. Doing breathwork, spending time in nature, cold showers, and hot baths have all come in handy. I am mothering myself by taking extra time to rest when needed, ensuring I drink plenty of water, and staying active. I nourish myself by rubbing myself down with lavender oil after a good shower, or my partner will rub my feet with oil. I have also added lavender in my shower to hang, and it's so therapeutic and prepares me for a good night's rest.

I chose to work with Hawthorn, motherwort, and ginkgo for the cardiovascular system. These herbs assisted me in being more soft, open, and focused. A self-care exercise I like to do for my heart is playing my heart chakra sound bowl every other Monday for meditation. I will follow up with a nice cup of rose petal tea with honey, and fresh flowers kept in my home. My father had a stroke a few years back. Herbs that I would recommend for him would be ginkgo tincture and a hawthorn and motherwort tea blend. In this moment, I am feeling blissful and content. Motherwort makes me feel cool and relaxed at night, whereas I usually sweat and feel anxious. I noticed after consuming hawthorn I felt more aligned with my heart.

I chose to consume Dandelion, Calendula, and Milk Thistle for the digestive portion and explored my culinary skills with Basil. I loved a fresh cup of dandelion tea in the morning. I noticed how energized I felt after each cup, and after a week, I noticed that my stomach did appear more slim and toned. Adding Calendula to my herbal baths has left my skin nothing but smooth, supple, and soft. I made a simple face toner mist with Calendula, apple cider vinegar, purified water, and one drop of tea tree oil, and my face appeared more awake and radiant. Milk Thistle just felt so good drinking energetically. I loved drinking it cold versus it being warm/hot. I noticed that drinking this herbal tea at night made me feel more relaxed and more open to getting to wind down for sleep at night. Last but not least, I chose these herbs because, in my opinion, they are simple herbs that have powerful healing effects. I also wanted to strengthen my bond with these spirits and experience them in a conscious and sacred way I've never done before. And finally, I use cinnamon and turmeric, and Basil is a go-to herb in my family's household. I could incorporate cayenne more when it's time for me to cleanse/detox.

Wild Yam Root I enjoyed trying this herb. I loved the smell and the mild sweetness it held. I noticed my menses were a little lighter than usual (I ingested 3 cups of tea three days before cycle and after.). The challenging, stubborn, annoying lower back pain had decreased, and I felt more at ease and less tensed. I fully embraced this herb’s calm, soothing effects. Taking time off and rest for my menstrual cycle felt good. I never usually sleep and am mainly on the go. This helped me shift my thinking about how I should constantly be doing something. It is good to rest and nurture myself.

After sitting with the Spirit of Burdock Root, I found myself grounded in each moment. As it touched my root chakra, I couldn’t help but think of ways in how I show up in this life and what I ultimately want to contribute to society in ways that are pleasing to The Most High and all mankind. It has also shown me where I’ve fallen short in certain situations and haven’t advocated for myself in healthy ways. Burdock reminded me to clean up the bullshit and fiercely fight for my health and well-being. Consuming this herb nourished me when I had outbreaks. It repaired my open wounds and calmed the inflammation. It strengthened my mind, restored my blood and shields the parts of me that need protection and extra care. I'm grateful.

Drinking Pau D’arco, I felt it touch my root, sacral and heart. I felt more inspired to do more also while being sweetly comforted by this herb. My body felt rejuvenated and I noticed the inflammation I was feeling in my right knee decreased. My vaginal felt more floral and I noticed I had less discharge ovulating. When I added the tea into my bath I noticed how soft my skin felt and also how feminine I felt at that moment. Grounded in grace and gratitude I enjoyed embracing Pau D’arco. It's replenishing,warming and rejuvenating. Getting creative, I chose to make reishi chocolate sauce with caco nibs. It was delicious! My mind, heart & womb felt restored. I’ve grown to adore my new relationship reishi. I’m still learning to respect the taste for what it is and fully embrace the raw essence of this spirit. I loved how it made my body feel. My mind felt relieved from brain fog & I found myself more intentional and focused. Grateful I get to strengthen my bond with reishi on my herbal journey as well as the other herbs introduced to me through this course. Lastly, elderberry simple infusion for the win! I just loved the taste of elderberry. Spending time with this herb felt so good to my soul. My immune and respiratory system couldn’t thank this spirit enough! Whether it was a cold infusion or hot infusion, my body enjoyed all that elderberry had to offer and more. I chose to work with these herbs because I felt it was what my body needed at the time and I’m so glad I listened.