A week with an unknown herb

I’m currently immersed in an exceptional course called Wild Edge of Herbalism with Stephanie Hazel. Each week, we take a herbal tincture without knowing what it is and notice how the plant impacts our energy, sleep, and mood.

This practice is deepening my relationship with plants and enhancing my herbal practice. Most modern training relies exclusively on the mind, memorising endless herbal categories. This herb’s good for sleep. That one supports digestion. Approaching a herb through the body is an entirely different experience. It asks me to step into the wisdom of my senses and trust what they reveal.

The first tincture met me deeply. From the first dose — just five drops — I felt calm spread through my body, while my mind softened its future-focus and settled into the present. What is this magical plant, I wondered? At week’s end, we learned its identity: lemon balm. I’ve taken and recommended lemon balm before but never experienced it with such potency.

A gift of this practice is that it removes the filter of expectation. When I know what herb I’m taking, the mind jumps in — am I imagining this because I know what it’s supposed to do? Blind tasting lets the body speak. The subtle becomes more trustworthy. And in our weekly class, I’m struck by how often our experiences mirror each other, a testament to the healing power of plants.

The plants are always communicating with our bodies — we just need to quiet our minds enough to hear them.

Photo by Victor Serban on Unsplash