Grief Relief

Why have I been relying on these chosen plant medicines in my own grief?

Because…

Hawthorn is a cardiovascular powerhouse; it has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure (Wood, 2008).

And why is this beneficial for grief?

Because the heart is the primary seat of emotion according to The Yellow Emporer (Chinese medicine).

When you experience immense grief, your heart breaks. A member of the Rose family, hawthorn surfaces as a prime healer of heartache and grief.

Rose has long been used to comfort and calm the heart! Think about how you feel when you walk past a rose and gently rub the petals between your fingers and then take a very long inhale… this scent alone is a gentle antidepressant and also has sedative properties which can help uplift the emotions while providing a sense of ease.

Rose supports nervous and digestive systems, cooling the heat of anger and inflammation.

As a heart tonic, rose inspires self-love, deepens our relationship with others, allows our walls to gently come down or keeps a protective bubble around a us while healing old AND new wounds.

Motherwort is a potent support for cardiovascular and nervous systems. According to Juliet Blankespoor (n.d.), motherwort is “a highly versatile medicinal. It is one of my favorite remedies for anxiety and stress.”

I find that it has an affinity for grandmothers, mothers and daughters… So those who have lost a mother (or maternal figure) or a mother who has lost a child might find the leaves and flowers of this lion-hearted plant to be especially helpful.

Tulsi (Holy Basil) is revered throughout India for its physical and spiritual properties, and has a long history of being used to increase energy, vitality and as an herb for longevity and wellbeing.

It helps us feel less hopeless and more in tune with the world around us, which is imperative when grieving (I know that after the loss of my parents and our son, I felt hopeless and out of sorts with the world around me, often wondering how the world just keeps going…).

A member of the Mint family, tulsi supports digestive, immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. All of these systems can become compromised during the grief experience.

As many of us who have experienced deep grief and/or who support others through grieving know, we live in a medicalized society that wants to numb the human when faced with grief and also readily characterizes grief and bereavement as a condition from which one should “recover.”

I don’t think we recover… We feel, engage, and allow this energy to break us down and build us back up!

And in collaboration with the wisdom of the natural world, grief can help to bolster our intuition, strengthen our bodies, and heal our heart.

May this be as true for you as it has been for me!