Our farewell to spring post celebrating roses from Kiva Rose Hardin is here! Her beautifully written articles marry the personal with the scientific, lore with experience, offering untamed and fresh insight. Herbalist, wildcrafter, artist, and storyteller, Kiva Rose lives in a canyon botanical sanctuary within the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. She is also the co-director of the Herbal Resurgence Rendezvous, held each September in the mountain Southwest, coeditor of Plant Healer Magazine, and publisher of the just released historical novel, The Medicine Bear by Jesse Wolf Hardin, and maintains an herbal blog, The Medicine Woman’s Roots.

Spring in the botanical sanctuary where I live is heralded each year by the return of dozens of species of birds returning to the mountains of New Mexico from more southerly climes in Texas and Mexico. The liquid song of the thrushes, the rising crescendo of canyon wrens, and the sweet chirps of the phoebes nesting in the cabin eaves all echo the message of lengthening days and warming soil. Down by the river, Alders are among the first trees to leaf out, the sweet smell of their resinous new growth filling the air, a fragrance so familiar and beloved that it makes my heart ache with love for my canyon home.

Beneath the shade of the silver skinned Alders grow tangled thickets of our native Wild Rose, Rosa woodsii, with its red bark, curved thorns, and delicately toothed leaves. A ubiquitous and abundant genus throughout much of the world, the rose has been known as an important medicine for thousands of years. Perhaps because of its beauty or due to in part to its wide availability, the rose has lost a great deal of its popularity as an effective herbal medicine in common times in much of the Western world. Nevertheless, it remains an incredibly effective herb that can be easily procured, is safe enough for elders and small children, and is remarkably multifaceted in its application. When rose is recognized in herbal medicine, the emphasis tends to be placed very firmly on the seedy red fruits known as hips, but in fact, all parts of the plant can be worked with medicinally, from flower to leaf to bark to root.

Each May when the Wild Roses begin to flower, I walk barefoot along the river bank with my woven basket on my arm, searching for the perfect hedge to harvest from. As the morning warms, the sweet heady scent of the blossoms fills the air and pollinators flock to the roses in a drunken frenzy. More often than not, I’ll find myself so enchanted by the languid flight of fat bumblebees as they travel from flower to flower that I forget that I’m supposed to be gathering petals rather than gazing at intoxicated insects.

Part of what I love about the roses this time of year is that when our species flowers, it’s not only the blossoms that are aromatic, but the leaves as well. The small, and oftentimes overlooked, leaves can possess an enticing musky scent during this season, a fragrance that perfectly balances the delicate sweetness of the flowers. In my years spent working with the Wild Rose, I’ve found that the leaves have their own notable relaxant nervine effect that can greatly compliment the calming action of the flowers. This relaxant effect is most pronounced when the leaves have a strong scent. When these aromatic compounds are not present, the leaf tends to be more simply astringent, and as so often in herbalism, it’s important to employ one’s senses to know exactly when to harvest. There’s no replacement for organoleptic assessment when working with the plants, and each experience presents us with an opportunity to become more knowledgeable of and intimate with the healing herbs. With Wild Roses, I strongly recommend smelling and tasting your rose leaves at different times of the year, and of all the different aromatic species, (domestic, wild, or feral) that are available to you. Some species don’t seem to have such aromatic leaves, so it’s a good idea to compare and contrast.

I usually harvest leaves at the same time I do the petals, and also include the leaves in most of my rose flower preparations such as elixirs, honeys, teas, and tinctures. This helps the flowers go further, but also seems to make for a more complex and complete medicine overall. In food like preparations, I tend to use a somewhat smaller proportion of leaves, since the texture may not be as desirable in some cases. However, small amounts of leaves do taste lovely in infused honeys and similar preparations.

Roses may be best known for the Vitamin C content, which they certainly do possess, along with numerous other bioflavonoids that make their leaves, flowers, and fruits a wonderful source of antioxidants. And yet, this is hardly the extent of their medicine! In Ayurveda, the rose is considered a rasayana, a powerful rejuvenative tonic that is applicable to all constitutions in all seasons, which is a wonderful example of the multifaceted nature of rose as understood by traditional medicine for countless generations.

I find Rose to be an especially valuable ally during our hot Summers in the Southwest, when Pitta disorders abound. Some indications that rose might be particularly appropriate include:

•  Feelings of overheatedness

•  Bloodshot eyes and/or nosebleeds with subjective feelings of heat, possibly accompanied by headaches

•  Heat rash and similar red rashes associated with heat or being overheated

•  Restlessness, irritation, and insomnia during warmer seasons or accompanied by feelings of being overheated

•  Strong or fetid body odor or breath not associated with organic disease, medication, or a particular food.

•  Hyperacidity, a sour taste in the mouth, and the inability to eat sour or acidic foods/drinks

•  Heavy menstrual periods with heat signs

Healing can sometimes be long term and difficult, but there’s no reason that it can’t also sometimes be delicious and pleasurable. The below recipes are two tasty ways to work with rose, the first being a traditional Ayurvedic rose conserve called gulkand, and the second being a tasty Indian drink that utilizes the gulkand in its preparation. Rose tastes so good that almost all of us can benefit from the joyful calm that the plant tends to trigger in people, so don’t save it only for when someone’s ill. Instead, stock up during the blooming season and utilize as desired!

~ Two Rose Recipes ~

Gulkand: Ayurvedic Rose Conserve

Gulkand is one of the simplest rose preparations to make, and infinitely useful as a medicine, condiment, and straight up treat. This sweet Rose preserve can be used year round, but is especially useful for those hot Summers where excess heat results in short tempers, exhaustion, irritability, and insomnia. This is a great treat for people of all constitutions, but particularly appropriate for Pitta dominated folks or those dealing with Pitta excess disorders.

Ingredients:

•   1 part fresh rose petals (any aromatic species will work, wild or cultivated, just make sure they’re pesticide free)

•   1 part sugar

•   Spices to taste (optional) – I especially like Cardamom, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon in my gulkand. Cardamom is particularly beneficial when there are clear heat signs and the gulkand is being used therapeutically.

Directions

•   In a jar or similar glass container, place a layer of Rose petals down first, then cover completely with sugar. If including spices, add spices to the layers of sugar, or just blend the spiced directly into sugar before beginning the layering process.

•   Repeat until jar is filled, with sugar on top.

•   Cover, and sit on a sunny counter and shake daily. I don’t usually recommend keeping any herbal preparation in the sun, but in this case the sunlight seems to help release the rose flavor and create the proper consistency.

•   In 4-6 weeks, your gulkand should be ready!

•   Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

Eat by the spoonful, add to milk, use to top ice cream, or any other number of yummy treats.

Summerflower Lassi: Cooling Rose and Yogurt Drink

This is one of my favorite recipes from Indian cuisine, and something I enjoy each Summer during the hot months here in New Mexico. You don’t have to use rosewater, and it’s very good just using 3 parts water, 1 part yogurt, and the gulkand. However, for the ultimate rose experience, the rosewater adds another layer of delicate rose complexity to the finished drink. You can also float fresh or candied rose petals on the top of the lassi for a beautiful presentation and even more rose presence.

Ingredients

•  1 part (preferably homemade, but full fat yogurt if store-bought) yogurt

•  1/2 part organic rose hydrosol (rosewater)

•  2 1/2 parts water

•  gulkand to taste (see previous recipe)

Directions

Add each ingredient to a glass or mason jar and stir or shake well before enjoying chilled.

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It isn’t often that business luncheons include a menu card listing all the local sources for the foods served. What a treat to read about the local farms and farmers who provided the delicious meal! When our Director of Sustainability, Alyssa Lawless, and I sat down at our table, we couldn’t wait to get to know some of the other business representatives—including, the folks from Rogue Creamery, artisan cheese makers from Central Point (who placed in the top ten as well.) While we were honored to discover we were among The 100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon as determined by a survey of more than 18,000 employees from 440 companies and nonprofits, we had no idea where we’d place in the rankings until we arrived at the very sustainability-focused luncheon sponsored by Oregon Business magazine.

Those who completed the survey were asked to rate how they thought their workplaces were doing in ten different categories, including recycling and waste reduction, having a “green” mission and company-wide goals, support for public transit and alternative transportation, energy and water conservation, and purchasing locally. Companies were then scored and rated based on the results. Drum roll please….!

Mountain Rose Herbs came in 9th out of all those businesses!

As this was our first year trying to make the list, we were so honored to be the only first-timers and the only Eugene, Oregon, company to be in the top ten.  Joining approximately 300 of our green-focused peers from all sorts of companies throughout the state, we listened to some inspiring speakers, including Oregon’s First Lady, Cylvia Hayes, challenge us all to work even harder to think beyond profits and ask ourselves what else we can do to improve the livability and sustainability of our communities.

On the drive back home, Alyssa and I were not only eager to share the trophy and our collective accomplishment with all our Mountain Rose Herbs coworkers, we also had an animated conversation about what else we can do as a company to improve our sustainability efforts. We heard some great ideas and suggestions of what other businesses are doing and Alyssa definitely has some amazing plans in the works to continue building Mountain Rose Herbs into one of the best green companies to work for…anywhere!

“Attending this event and being surrounding by like-minded Oregon businesses was such an honor. And what makes me particularly proud is that it’s my fellow Mountain Rosers that got us here! They support our sustainability initiatives, like the Mountain Rose River Project and our Carpool, Bus and Bike incentive program, and that’s why it works. Can’t wait to see where we go from here!”

- Alyssa Lawless, Director of Sustainability

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About Kori:

This post comes to us from Kori, our Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer. Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

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We are three weeks into our new adventure as beekeepers.  My amazement every time I peek in the hive, or the saucy pride I feel when I notice some of our bees working away on lavender, kale, and fruit tree blossoms has yet to wear off.  At this point, it is hard to imagine I will ever take these hardworking little honeybees for granted!

As a beginner (and I mean brand new, never-before, only-read-a-bunch-of-books novice), my first obsession was simply getting the bees to stay.  I wanted to make sure our home-built hive was as hospitable as possible and that the new bees had everything they needed to get off to a good start.

We started by preparing our hive—since we built a Kenyan Top Bar beehive, we needed to make sure that each of the 28 bars was an obvious choice where the bees would know to attach their combs.  We melted about 4 ounces of beeswax pastilles over low heat, and dipped lengths of hemp string we’d precut to be just a tad smaller than the bars into the warm wax.  We then just pressed the string along the length of the bar.  This way, the bees would have a guide from which to attach the combs they’d be building from scratch!  For added hospitality, I sprinkled a handful of beeswax pastilles along the bottom of the hive and shook several drops of lemongrass essential oil at each end of the hive.  We did this a week or two before we got our bees, so the hive was ready and waiting.

Herbal Bee Tea

Amidst all my pre-bee research, I came across the Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary (www.spikenardfarm.org) in Virginia.  They are a wonderful resource for organic beekeeping and bee health information.  There is a “Healing Tea for Honeybees” created at Spikenard Farm that I adapted for our Pacific Northwest bee scene:

(I used a mix of dried and fresh herbs and flowers, but you could use all dried or all fresh):

Heat 3 cups of water to boiling

Prepare a tea mix:

½ teaspoon organic dried chamomile

½ teaspoon organic dried yarrow

½ teaspoon organic dried nettle

½ teaspoon organic dried peppermint

¼ teaspoon organic dried sage

2 fresh Dandelion flowers

½ teaspoon organic fresh or dried hyssop leaves

½ teaspoon organic fresh or dried thyme leaves

2-3 big, organic fresh or dried lemon balm leaves

Put all of the herbs into a large tea infuser (you could use cheesecloth or simply put them in a jar and then strain them after steeping) and pour 3 cups of boiling water over.  Let this steep for 10-15 minutes.  Then, add 3 cups of cold water.  You will find this is a surprisingly strong smelling infusion! Check out the original recipe for other herbs you can add to the tea.

Once it has cooled to room temperature/lukewarm, stir in 1 cup of high quality, organic, local honey.  I put a quart of this in a chicken watering container and filled the tray with little rocks, but you could definitely use a quart-sized bee feeder too (store the remainder in the fridge and use if/as needed.) The idea is to put the tea out where the bees can take it if they need it and use in times of stress—new colony and hive, early in the season, late in the season, etc. I left it out for about a week until it seemed like the bees were doing just fine and had plenty of nectar and pollen to forage for.

At this point, our bees seem to be going strong.  We have been going in for a visit each week and have watched as they built the initial combs, the queen started laying eggs, and things have progressed to several full combs, hundreds of capped brood, honey and pollen deposits, and what looks to be an expanding operation! I love the faint smell of honey as I walk by the hive on warm, sunny days and the steady whirring buzz of all those bees working away inside.  And don’t even get me started about how fun it is to watch those bees clamber all over our garden plants and then speed off back to our hive!

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About Kori

This post comes to us from Kori, our Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer. Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

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As much as I wish I could simply open a book or do an internet search and find all the answers to my Menopausal challenges, I’m learning that my version of what I’m calling my “ transition” is as unique as I am. I am not interested in masking or pretending that I am not getting older, but I wouldn’t mind finding a little relief and learning some new ways to cope with these inevitable changes. Fortunately, there are some wonderful resources available, and I’ve come up with a few of my own solutions for the realities of how mid-life is shaking out for me.

I have always been someone who could fall asleep anywhere and sleep fabulously!  Well, I used to be someone who could sleep anywhere – now with the menopausal journey, I find it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep and keep from overheating into a blazing and cranky beast!  It has inspired me to develop a few coping strategies…

With a little experimentation, I came up with this tea recipe for my pre-bedtime ritual.  While there are some wonderful soothing tea blends available, I wanted something tasty, a little sweet, and calming.  I mix up enough to make a pot of tea, but you could reduce the amounts or mix it up and use a few teaspoons if you’d like to make a cup (I use all dried herbs for this tea, boiling the water on the stove and putting the herb mix into a large infuser. Once I pour the water into the pot, I let it steep about 4-5 minutes):

Sleep and Dream Tea

Ingredients

2 Tbsp organic Spearmint

1 Tbsp organic Chamomile

1 Tbsp organic St. John’s Wort

1 Tbsp organic Nettle Leaf

1 Tbsp organic Rosebuds

1 Tbsp organic dried Orange or Lemon Peel

While I drink this without any additional sweetener, you could add a little local, organic honey.  My grandmother used to give us grandkids a spoonful of honey right before bed, telling us it would give us “sweet dreams.” I’ve since read there is some truth to that folk therapy, as the complex sugars in the honey may help regulate the blood sugar, allowing for a sound night’s sleep without waking with a rumbly tummy.

Lavender Salt Soak

I’ve found a warm (but not too hot, as it can bring on a hotflash or flushing for me) bath soak in salts and organic Lavender essential oil right before bed, further helps relax and prepare me for a decent night’s sleep.  Since I’m not very fussy, I literally toss a handful of Epsom or Dead Sea salt under the running water, along with about 4-5 drops of Lavender essential oil.  Sometimes, I’ll add a little drizzle of some of my homemade calendula infused oil (calendula and sunflower oil) for extra luxurious softness!

Lavender essential oil has become my secret sleep weapon: During my weekly bed linen swap, I sprinkle a few drops of undiluted lavender essential oil over the mattress pad and pillows before re-making with fresh cotton sheets (the flannel ones are temporarily retired as they are just too warm now!) The clean, calming scent of lavender drifts all around me as I drift off to sleep—crossing my fingers I’ll be able to stay that way!

Other great resources for menopausal challenges and relief: New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way  by Susun S. Weed and Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar.

About Kori

This post comes to us from Kori, our Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer.  Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

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Our foray into the world of urban beekeeping has me thinking about how to keep our bees busy and well-fed for a nice, long season. We live in a fairly diverse, funky, downtown neighborhood with lots of fruit trees (we have six of our own) and established gardens and we know there are other experienced beekeepers all around us, so we’ve been making our list and taking stock of what we have and what we want more of for the most bee-tabulous garden ever!

We have an average-sized, rectangular city lot in an older part of town. Since there are already honeybees and pollinators in our neighborhood, we are able to build on what we actually saw them visiting last year.

I’ve learned that the bees and I are spiritually aligned when it comes to a preference for local native plants and heirlooms—turns out that hybridization has a tendency to reduce both the nectar and the pollen in plant varieties and these are the very parts of the plants that bees need!

The most popular plants in our garden for bees last year were some of our favorite herbs: Bronze Fennel, Lavender, Rosemary, the mints, and our prolific (and sometimes invasive) comfrey.  Since our “lawn” is actually a collection of various native grasses, Dandelion, Clover, and other yummy and diverse plants, it was a carpet of bees on warm, sunny mornings.

The bees were attracted to the bold, fat blossoms on the heirloom squash we grew too—pumpkins and winter squash tended to be their favorites and I took many photos of pollen-laden honeybees buried in those big yellow flowers.

I’m planting more Hyssop and Bee Balm (Monarda), and we’ve decided to create a lavender hedge along the curb of our southeast facing front yard.  We’ve wanted to do something gorgeous and useful in the front, but it tends to get the sun for most of the day and be pretty dry.  We’re going to take advantage of that sunny drainage (and the fact that we are not lawn-waterers), as this is just the environment Lavender loves.

We are also adding more flowering and fruiting bushes—namely red currant and blue elderberry—both native to our area and with the promise of delicious, healthy berries for us (and maybe some interesting flavors for the future honey.)

Hopefully, all this effort will create a multi-season bee buffet—not just for “our” bees, but for all those other creatures who manage to find their way to our little urban farm!

To learn about other herbs your bees will love, click here!

We offer many of these herb seeds to help get your garden growing…

About Kori

This post comes to us from Kori, our Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer.  Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

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Here’s the second installment in my series about Chinese herbal medicine and the herbs that Chinese and Western herbal medicine have in common. I hope that lots of fruitful conversations will grow from seeing these two traditions work side by side.

Qi, sometimes explained as vital energy or life force, is the energetic current of the body, and we acupuncturists spend a lot of time talking about it. It’s our version of electricity, so to speak. From a biological perspective, I like to compare it to ATP, the force driving our cellular machinery. Qi is moving, immaterial, and heavenly.

Many of the Qi tonics in Chinese medicine are seen as adaptogens and immunostimulants in the Western herbal tradition.

Regardless of what you call it or how you classify it, these herbs are seen as tonics addressing deficiencies of various degrees. Because we’re discussing Qi tonics, these herbs will go to the Lungs, the Spleen-Stomach, or both. These organs are the source of Qi production in the body. This means, they have a particular affinity for the Chinese medicine concept of these organs, not the organs themselves.

Ginseng / Ren Shen

Asian Ginseng, known in Chinese as Ren Shen, is one of the most famous herbs. Even people who know nothing about herbs have heard of ginseng. In my opinion, this is well deserved. Ginseng has some miraculous properties.

In Chinese medicine, we say it tonifies the Source Qi, the basis of all metabolic functions in the body. It also benefits the organs responsible for making Qi, the Lung and Spleen-Stomach, ensuring future creation of Qi. It can calm the Spirit-Mind and nourish fluids, too. It is usually used in cases of collapse (cold limbs and the desire to curl into a ball, spontaneous sweating, shortness of breath and the like), digestive insufficiency, and palpitations with insomnia or anxiety.

In addition to the traditional contraindication of avoiding eating turnips or drinking tea (all caffeinated beverages nowadays) while taking ginseng, it is best avoided in patients with signs of excess Heat (red face, fever, bleeding, headaches or dizziness accompanied by a feeling of the top of the head being about to pop off, etc.) or excess phlegm (copious phlegm with a hacking cough). Signs that you’re taking too much ginseng are headaches, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, hypertension, nausea and vomiting.

A more modern contraindication is in the case of parasitic infection. There is a concern that the ginseng would tonify the parasite while it also tonifies (or instead of, perhaps) the patient. In its place, we favor Eleuthero / Ci Wu Jia Shen, which I discuss below.

Ginseng is one of the few herbs in the Chinese materia medica that is considered appropriate for use without other herbs. This is a stark contrast to other herbs in a system based on poly-pharmacy. It is used singly as a rescue measure when someone is on the verge of collapse or grave illness. This, plus its other properties and unique growing needs, has made ginseng very expensive. Accordingly, since ginseng is so precious, we recommend double decoction to make sure all of its medicinal constituents are extracted.

You can also break off the ginseng “tails” or rootlets to make a good cup of tea rather than a medicinal decoction. Used this way with cinnamon bark, you have a great way to fend off the cold chill from air conditioners during the summer. You can also make medicinal wines (or  alcohol tincture) from the tails, and drink a shot-glassful daily. Another use for the tails is an addition to your favorite soup stock to “kick it up a notch”.

One final note, American Ginseng (Xi Yang Shen, Panax quinquefolius), of Wisconsin fame, is totally different in the Chinese materia medica from Ren Shen. They are both tonics, but American ginseng is seen to nourish Fluids to moisten Dryness more than Ren Shen, which tonifies the Qi strongly. That aside, it’s also a great addition to soup stocks during the summer when a cooling, moistening effect is desired.

Eleuthero Root/ Ci Wu Jia Shen

Eleuthero is one of my favorite herbs. I believe it is deeply underappreciated by Chinese medicine herbalists. That said, proper combining of this herb is required for maximum benefit. I wouldn’t use it as the only Qi tonic in a formula for this reason; instead it should be combined with other herbs to accentuate certain properties.

Also known as “Siberian ginseng”, from a Chinese medicine perspective eleuthero tonifies the Spleen and Kidneys, which is very different from the other herbs mentioned here. This means that there’s a tonification happening at the root of the body’s physiology in addition to the splenic level of day-to-day Qi production. The kind of fatigue that eleuthero would be good for according to these functions is a fatigue that comes with sore, weak, aching low back and knees, and a sense of heaviness in the body.

Eleuthero also calms the Spirit-Mind and invigorates the Blood, so it is good for insomnia, profuse dreaming and mild depression accompanied by fatigue.

As I mentioned above, eleuthero has the unique property of tonifying the host without the risk of tonifying parasites at the same time. This makes it a good herb to use in cases of deficiency during treatment of parasitic infections.

Rhodiola / Hong Jing Tian

Traditionally, rhodiola is a medicinal in the Tibetan materia medica. In Tibet, it is widely used for altitude sickness. Rhodiola has only recently gained popularity in Chinese medicine for its incredible adaptogenic effect. There has been much research on the topic, as a quick Google search will reveal. Personally, I found it useful when I was running daily and needed to improve my recovery time.

Like Ren Shen, rhodiola tonifies the Spleen-Stomach and Lung. It has the additional actions of engendering and activating the Blood, making it a good addition to formulas for physical traumas or burns. These two actions point to why it is such a good herb for athletes and people living very stressful lifestyles.

Sources disagree about rhodiola’s ability to have an effect on the Heart. In this instance, the “Heart” is actually referring to the Spirit-Mind. Some believe that the herb is calming and others that it has no effect on the Spirit-Mind at all.

Since it is a cooling medicinal (like white Ren Shen, but unlike red Ren Shen), it can be used more readily in cases where there are signs of Heat.

Common pairings are rhodiola with goji berries, schizandra and gynostemma for calming effects and with Dong Quai (Tang Kui, Angelica sinensis) for activating and building the blood.

Astragalus / Huang Qi

Astragalus has three particularly important functions as a Qi tonic. First off, it’s lifting, which means it’s great when there are cases of prolapse due to deficiency and low energy (we say, “when the Clear Yang Qi is not rising to the head.” I think the phrase is a good metaphor.

Secondly, with other herbs to tonify the Blood, it has the ability to build Qi to make Blood. This may be anemia, or it could be a sallow complexion, brittle nails and hair and dry skin. One of my teachers used to say that Dong Quai was the blueprint for the blood and Huang Qi (astragalus) was the energy to build the building. This is a classic pair for treating blood deficiency in Chinese medicine.

Thirdly, it strengthens the Defensive Qi, our version of the immune system. Because astragalus has an up-bearing nature, it is able to reach the most superficial Qi in the body. This is called Defensive Qi because it is the first Qi to encounter pathogens invading from the Exterior through the skin (see my first post’s section about 6 Stages Diagnosis).  Being active in the exterior, astragalus is also useful for cases of spontaneous sweating.

Since astragalus has an affinity for the Lungs and Spleen, it is also able to affect water metabolism in the body for edema due to deficiency. This kind of edema will be relatively superficial in the skin layer rather than deeper edema in the flesh.

Astragalus is another common addition to soup stock. It is commonly used with Dong Quai, but adding Goji berries would be appropriate, too.

In my next post, I will write about blood tonics that Chinese and Western herbal medicine share…

About Dylan Stein

We’re excited to share a bit of the Chinese herbal medicine perspective from acupuncturist Dylan Stein. Dylan specializes in dermatology, men’s health, and pain management. In addition to acupuncture, he also passionately practices Chinese herbal medicine and will be joining us over the next few months to introduce us to this ancient healing practice!

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by 
the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, 
treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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This post comes to us from Kori, our new Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer.  Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

Let’s color some eggs!

Nature is waking up with the colors of spring and our backyard hens have been getting their egg-laying motors running, just in time for Easter.  This year, I wanted to explore what sort of colors I might be able to create using readily-available dried herbs and spices.  It was an experimental adventure—some colors were subtle, others surprised me, and there were a few that just didn’t quite turn out.

I came away with some gorgeous eggs though, confident in the natural ingredients and the fact that I wouldn’t be eating anything toxic or dumping icky-soaked shells into my compost - not to mention inspired ideas for about 2 dozen more herbs and spices to try!

Basic Egg Bath and Dye Recipe

Ingredients

2-4 Tbsp dried herb or spice (up to ¼ cup for the “fluffy” herbs like Calendula flowers)

1 Tbsp organic white vinegar

2 cups hot water

Directions

First, I hard-boiled my eggs. While they were cooking, I brought my big pot of water to boil, and filled pint-sized mason jars with herbs and vinegar.  I taped a little slip of notepaper on the front of each jar with the name of the herb or spice so I’d know how each one worked (but you wouldn’t need to do this step if you are into the spirit of surprise!)

I tried the following organic herbs, teas, and spices:

Calendula Flowers

English Breakfast Tea

Cinnamon powder

Hibiscus Flowers

Turmeric Root Powder

Curry Powder

Chili Powder

Paprika

Dill Seed

Yarrow

Green Tea

Alkanet Root Powder

Spinach Powder

Beet Root Powder

Rosehips Powder

Chaga Mushroom

The longer you leave the eggs in the dye bath, the darker they will be.  Of course, this will all depend on your patience! I only had about a half-hour to an hour’s worth of patience in me, but I imagine if you left them in the bath in the fridge overnight, you could get some nice, deep colors. You could also boil and simmer the eggs in a hot dye bath on the stove if you wanted to do several eggs of one hue, and this would likely make for richer colors.  If you are coloring eggs with the young ones, however, you might want to have some other fun activities to do while you wait for the eggs to darken.

I think a spirit of adventure is a must—this isn’t a quick dip and dye project with synthetic processed dyes, but more of an opportunity to test and try the tints that the natural world has to offer. Enjoy the smells in your kitchen, the amazing colors, and the gorgeously subtle and surprising basket of eggs on your festive table.

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We’re excited to share a bit of the Chinese herbal medicine perspective from acupuncturist Dylan Stein. Dylan specializes in dermatology, men’s health, and pain management. In addition to acupuncture, he also passionately practices Chinese herbal medicine and will be joining us over the next few months to introduce us to this ancient healing practice!

The Awakening ~ Winter into Spring

In my kitchen window hangs a prism twirled by a solar-powered motor. It hasn’t budged an inch since about mid-Autumn. At least, that is, until a few days ago. We now find ourselves on the cusp between the seasons; Winter is turning into Spring. The sun is being reborn from the darkness of Winter, lighting the sky for more hours each day. Nature begins to awaken from its slumber.

In Chinese medicine philosophy, Winter is the season of quiet, of storage, and of stillness. The ground water has sunken down to the deepest soil, and frozen there. It’s as if Nature has been put on pause. The days are short, and the Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic tells us to wake late and retire early to match the season.

We lead busy lives. Luckily, Nature has built a period of the year when the days are short, gently suggesting we go to bed early and rest indoors to avoid the cold. If we do not honor this season of storage, we cannot experience rebirth in Spring. We need to find stillness to recharge in order to have the fuel for bursting forth like the buds and shoots of the currently slumbering plants all around us.

Winter is obviously the season of Cold. It is also the season of the Kidneys. We should eat with three things in mind to benefit the Kidneys and fend off the cold: emphasize gently warming spices (ginger and cinnamon, not cayenne and chili peppers), eat foods that nourish the Kidneys (beans, root vegetables, seaweeds, dark leafy greens, and walnuts), and eat foods that are very dark in color (black is the color of Winter in Chinese medicine), like black sesame seeds, blueberries, beets, and black beans. It is also the time to avoid cold or frozen foods in general. Check out my blog post about a mineral-rich, vegetarian alternative to bone broth to boost the Kidney energy and nourish the digestion.

Since Winter is a season of stillness, we should moderate our exercise habits for the time being. Instead of heavy sweating and intense exercise, try Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qi Gong, gentle yoga and walking meditation. In fact, all kinds of calm and centering meditation will be additionally beneficial in Winter. If you need to do heavier exercise than this, try Pilates or swimming as they focus on fluid movements that are less hard on the joints.

Winter’s Qi persists, but my kitchen prism has begun to spin. Spring is steadily approaching here in New York City. February 10^th marked the first day of Spring on the Chinese calendar. This is the Lunar New Year, Chun Jie. The Yang, or motive force animating the entire Universe, continues to grow stronger. Life is waking up. There are already buds on the witch hazel tree near my home. Spring is imminent; the season of new beginnings is upon us.

After February 10^th, start to make some lifestyle changes with Spring in mind. The resonances of Spring are the Wood element, Wind, the Liver, the green color of fresh shoots and grass, the tendons, the flavor sour and an upwards, bursting movement.

It is easy to notice the warmer weather and throw off our winter coats. According to Chinese medicine, we must continue to guard against the cold and the wind. Keep your scarf on! Continue your warming, nourishing, winter-chasing, immune boosting regimens even now.

Start to introduce pungent foods to benefit the Liver, but don’t abandon warming flavors. A touch of sour foods is good now, too. Enjoy a squirt of fresh lemon. Fresh ginger is also a good choice because it is warm and also pungent, or acrid as we sometimes call it in Chinese medicine materia medica-speak. This acridity helps to get the Qi moving in the body.

You can begin to do more active stretching to benefit the tendons. Like plants in spring, reach up to the heavens and see the Yang energy of your body rising from its deep winter slumber. Harness that rising energy to do your spring cleaning. Nothing bothers the Liver more than roadblocks, so make sure you clean out all the junk you can so when the Liver - the plan-maker in Chinese medicine - kicks into high gear, you’ll have nothing but open road ahead of you. It’s also a good time to do some big picture visioning and list making for this reason.

Here is one of my favorite traditional restorative winter tea recipes:

Spring Qi Tea Recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon for organic Dandelion (aerial parts and roots)

1/2 teaspoon organic Sweet Annie

1/4 teaspoon organic Licorice

1/4 teaspoon organic Barberry (roots and/or fruits)

3 buds of organic Red Clover

3 thin slices of fresh organic ginger

Directions

Bring herbs to a full boil in 1.5 cups water and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Divide into 2 equal portions for morning and evening. This formula benefits Qi, generates fluids, and protects the Liver. A few days of this tea is all that is required to reap its benefits.

As stillness turns to action, let’s take these last few weeks of winter as an opportunity to rest, to meditate quietly and to prepare our bodies for the bursting energy of spring. Recharging our batteries in winter will bear fruit all year long.

Yours in health,

Dylan Stein

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by 
the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to 
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Our winter post from Kiva Rose Hardin is here and it’ll make you swoon. Her beautifully written articles marry the personal with the scientific, lore with experience, offering untamed and fresh insight. Herbalist, wildcrafter, artist, and storyteller, Kiva Rose lives in a canyon botanical sanctuary within the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. She is also the co-director of the Herbal Resurgence Rendezvous, held each September in the mountain Southwest, coeditor of Plant Healer Magazine, and publisher of the just released historical novel, The Medicine Bear by Jesse Wolf Hardin, and maintains an herbal blog, The Medicine Woman’s Roots.

Living in the coniferous forests of the mountain Southwest, Winter here is evergreen even at twenty below and when covered in snow. The towering Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs are a constant reminder to me of the particular kind of intimacy one can foster with the plants during the cold moons. Standing up to my knees in snow with my face pressed against the soft gray bark of a Southwestern White Pine, I can smell the wild flare of spice and earth that lingers beneath the damp chill of the air. These moments spent immersed in the hush of ice-tipped twigs and frozen earth teach me about another layer of the forest, one that can only be learned in this season and place.

While Spring is generally the optimal time to gather the new green tips of conifers, even during the darkest days of Winter the needles and bark impart a lovely flavor to food, beverages, and medicines. Winter also an excellent time to gather resin, especially after storms that can often knock large chunks of this aromatic substance to the ground. This makes it much easier to gather, although I have certainly been known to shimmy up many a Pine to reach a choice chunk of resin. It also lessens the chance of us accidentally harming the tree by ripping resin directly off a tree wound.

Recognizing Resin

First, let’s explore what conifer resin even is. In my years teaching about plants and their parts, I have noticed a common tendency to mislabel resins as sap, pitch, gums, latex, and various other terms. Many people call the amber colored resin exuded on the trunks of Pine trees “sap,” but this is incorrect. In fact, sap is a fluid held that transports nutrients through the body of a tree. Sap can be cooked down to create syrups, as with Birch, Maple, and Fir, and these are considered healing medicines of their own in many regions of the world. However, the substance we refer to here is specifically resin, a viscous fluid that can become solid as it ages. It’s much more frequently found in some conifer species than others, but it’s not uncommon to see golf ball sized pieces of resin at the base of Piñon Pines here in the mountains of New Mexico. In some cases, the resin will still be liquid and very sticky, dripping in thick caramel colored streams down a branch or the body of a tree, sometimes near an obvious wound or missing pieces of bark. This resin can certainly still be collected, but is messier than the solid or semi-solid chunks.

All members of Pine family contain resins in their leaves, but some genera only produce resin on the body of the tree when exposed to trauma and injury. Other conifers are more mixed, and will require you getting out to your local evergreen forests to see what trees live there, and which produce enough resin to gather. I harvest much of my resin from various Pine species, but also from some Spruce and Fir species. These conifers are also a great starting place for learning tree identification. Many folks can feel intimidated by this process, but conifers tend to have fairly simple characteristics to help differentiate one genus from another. Even a quick search online can bring up websites showing the basic needle/leaf and cone differences of the primary conifer types.

Resin has long been known as medicine, perfume, incense, sealant, and much more, but perhaps the most well known resin is the fossilized form known as amber.  Often called a stone, this beautiful substance is actually the selfsame medicine we speak of here, though much older than what we will be harvesting from our forests.

Tips for Harvesting

When harvesting, it’s important to realize that resin circulates through the body of conifers, and helps to seal off any injury to the tree from insect infestation or microbial invasion. Thus, in order to avoid further harm to a tree, we need to be careful to harvest resin where it has dripped down the body of the tree or fallen on the ground, rather than harvesting directly from the wound. Trees have been historically tapped for resin, and some still are. It’s only possible to keep from killing the tree while doing this, in the case of certain species, if done very carefully.

While there may be more specialized methods, I’ve always just gathered my resin with my hands, a knife, and parchment paper lined container, sometimes with the aid of a couple strong twigs. If the resin is solid or semi-solid, it’s pretty simply to just pick it up off the ground, cut it carefully from the bark, or coax softer pieces off with a twig or two used in a chopstick like manner. If the chunks are very tiny, as can be the case with some Spruce trees, fingertips and a small knife can be used to coax the dried droplets of resin from the bark into your container, always being careful to leave enough to protect the tree. If the resin is still in an entirely liquid state, harvesting can be more of a challenge. Because it’s relatively easy to find large chunks of resin here, I rarely resort to collecting the liquid resin, but it is certainly possible. With a stainless steel scraper, similar to what is sometimes use in baking, and a twig, I’ll use the twig to help push the resin onto the scraper.  Again, it’s also possible to tap a tree for resin, but it’s much more likely to hurt the tree and should not be attempted without a more complete understanding of the process, hopefully with training from someone experienced in a non-harmful technique.

This hands-on approach can leave your hands a delicious smelling but sticky mess! As noted above, resins are lipid soluble, and can thus be cleaned off using most oils including olive oil, washing with soap water afterwards. Since resin is also alcohol soluble, you can use vodka or other spirits in the same way, although you may find this drying to your skin, especially in Winter.

You may want to keep a set of harvesting and processing tools on hand just for working with resin. It’s possible to clean up most any resin mess with oil and alcohol, but it can be very time consuming. If you also work with other resins such as propolis, it can be even more challenging. Personally, I have a stainless steel bowl I keep just for collecting resin and mixing kyphi style incense in, as well as stainless steel mixing and measuring tools for working the resin.

Medicinal & Other Uses

Incense

The harder grades of resin make a wonderful copal type incense all on their own, and can be burned over charcoal or on a metal plate on top of a wood stove or similar. These are strong and concentrated scents, so start with a small dusting of crumbled resin and build up to the fragrance intensity you prefer. You may want to read my previous post on incense called Plant Devotions in Smoke for more on crafting bioregional incense from your local conifer resins. http://bearmedicineherbals.com/incense.html

Tincture

Resin is also somewhat alcohol soluble and can be tinctured. However, be aware that is not water soluble and so low proof alcohol is not an especially efficient method of extraction. 95% alcohol is preferred for this use, and will extract as much of the resin as is possible. Consider resin a dried plant for the purpose of tincturing, and use an approximately 1:5 weight to volume proportion, or you can just eyeball it and throw in about one quarter to one third  of a jar full of resin, and then pour the alcohol on top.

Small amounts of a resin tincture can add a distinctive flavor to foods such as shortbread. It’s also highly anti-microbial and can be used in mouth washes similar to myrrh. Resin is distinctly expectorant and I sometimes use a small proportion of resin tincture in my cough formulae. Remember that resin is strong medicine, so start with low doses and adjust according to your experience. If you’ve worked with myrrh tincture previously, you’ll find that many conifer resins can be dosed and used similarly.

Perfume Base

Resin infused into a high quality oil, such a jojoba, can be a gorgeous base for a solid perfume. Likewise, a high proof alcohol tincture of a conifer resin is wonderful base for building perfumes. Not only do the resins add a deep, forest note to the perfume, they also seem to prolong the longevity of the perfume overall. This is especially complimentary to amber and woodsy aromatic formulae.

Evergreen Infused Oil, Creams, and Salves

As previously mentioned, resin is fat soluble, and thus, can be effectively infused into an oil. Using any basic infused oil recipe, we can first add the resin to a glass container with an air tight lid. If the resin is entirely solid, you can grind or smash it into smaller pieces, or right down to a powder. If it’s softer, you can freeze it first and break it down from there, or just transfer the sticky mess to the jar, as it will all dissolve.

From there, I prefer to place my container in a warm, dark place for several weeks. I prefer a warm method infused oil, and so often stick my jars of resin and oil into the woodstove warmer, taking out to shake periodically. I have other friends who use a crockpot (usually one dedicated to herbal preparation) on low for this purpose, but as I have very limited electricity in our wilderness sanctuary, I tend to stick with my woodstove. Sometimes all of the resin will dissolve into the oil, and other times there may be a sticky layer on the bottom of the container. If there are no bark or leaf bits floating in the oil, we can simply pour it off into a new container. If there is other plant matter in there, then it can be more desirable to strain the oil through a fine sieve or something similar.

This aromatic, healing oil can be used as is, or included as an ingredient in a salve or cream. Creams, lotions, and body butters made with conifer resins tend to be sensually forest scented and wonderfully warming, making it a perfect Winter indulgence for the skin. The oil can also be included in warming massage oil blends which can assist in healing old injuries or bringing circulation to stiff, sore muscles and joints.

Making Your Own Forest Balsam

This simple salve not only provides an instant fragrant fix of the wildwood wherever you are, it’s also a wonderful warming balm for old injuries, wounds that won’t heal, and sore, aching muscles and joints. It also makes a lovely first aid salve for any number of scratches, bruises, and abrasions, and can help heal cracked feet and hands during the Winter months, especially if a moistening herb such as comfrey or a bit of lanolin is added to the blend.

Here in southwestern New Mexico, many people think of Pine resin salve primarily as a treatment for pulling out splinters, embedded glass, drawing out boils, and for general first aid. It’s so common that it’s often sold in gas stations, and most any local logger or farm worker knows about it. You can just apply straight up soft resin to the afflicted area, but that can be messy, so I tend to prefer the salve, especially for deeply embedded objects that will likely take several days or more of application before results are seen. Because the resin is a counterirritant that stimulates blood flow and local immune response, the area may look more inflamed initially, but in general, this is a good sign and shows that the salve is working.

All in all, this is a very multipurpose medicine, and I would keep it in stock just for the aromatherapeutic properties even if it didn’t have so many other uses. Many folks find the scent of Forest Balsams to be very uplifting and anxiety relieving. I have a number of clients who carry it with them all the time, just to sniff or apply to their hands when they feel anxious, disconnected from the earth, or sad. It’s also quite easy to put together, and conifers are abundant in many places around the world, making it a sustainable and local medicine that nearly everyone can try. Even if you don’t have local conifers producing harvestable resin, try making some with the leaves/needles and twigs!

Ingredients

8 oz conifer resin infused oil (see basic instructions in previous section)

1 oz beeswax, grated or chopped

8 ounces worth of glass jars or other salve containers

Directions

Place infused oil and beeswax in double boiler over low heat.

Stir occasionally and leave on heat until all wax is melted.

Remove from heat.

Pour into salve containers and allow to cool. Do not cover.

Once salve is entirely solid and cool, cover, label, and store in a cool, dry place out of the light.

A Suggestion:

You can also infuse leaves into your oil, or combine resin infused oil and leaf infused oil since they both bring a unique fragrance to the blend.

Free Gift!

And I have a free gift for my Mountain Rose readers: a 150 page long Plant Healer Magazine Sample, complete with 250 color illustrations and 20 complete articles from recent issues on subjects such as Phyllis Light’s “Tree of Life,” an Herbal Schools Directory, finding your path in the business of herbalism, frontier herbalism, Paul Bergner’s “Critical Thinking for Herbalists,” Kristine Brown’s “Making Your Own Herbal First-Aid Kit,” “Edible Seeds” by Susun Weed, Matthew Wood’s piece on treating the Lymph/Immune system, and my lengthy “Exploring Traditional Models of the Healer’s Practice.”

Feel free to post and share this widely: http://bit.ly/14wVyLs

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by 
the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to 
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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This post comes to us from Josh, our Administrative Assistant! Josh has worked in shipping and administration at Mountain Rose Herbs since 2010. He’s excited to report the news about Mountain Rose Herbs’ participation in an important Osha study.

How many of us have relished in Osha’s gorgeous aromatic potency, relying on this special healing power when a cough settles in or our throat feels scratchy? Well, now we have a chance to support Osha and show our thanks for the extraordinary medicine it provides.

Growing within the soil of the Rocky Mountains, Osha roots are beloved by herbalists for their medicinal effects and historical significance. Native American tribes referred to the root as “bear medicine” due to the animal’s affinity for chewing Osha and rubbing it over its fur. Osha is used today in herbal cough remedies and for promoting wellness. Unfortunately, Osha root is difficult to cultivate successfully and has a limited range within a sensitive environment.

Commercially available Osha root is wild harvested, and it is important to understand the long term viability of current harvesting techniques. To that end, the AHPA-ERB Foundation is funding a study to determine the range, availability, and recovery rate of Osha after harvesting. Mountain Rose Herbs is enthusiastic about the reaches of such a study, and we are proud to donate $1000 in order to help fund the research. The study is certain to provide vital information that will protect the long term sustainability of Osha and the surrounding ecology. These findings will allow us to make the best decisions for protecting the environment and procuring our herbs responsibly. Our goal will always be to place plants, people, and planet before profit!

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to study the effects of osha harvest on its sustainability,” says researcher Kelly Kindscher, Ph.D., who is collaborating with the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Rio Grande National Forest Service on the research. “We are already collecting data on Osha populations and have started on a harvest experiment in which mature plants are harvested from plots at different rates. We will monitor these plots for three years to see what the recovery rates are from harvest. We intend to collect very thorough data in order to study the sustainability of harvest.”

The AHPA-ERB Foundation is still seeking donations to help fund the Osha Sustainability Study.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Photos by Patrick Alexander and Kristina Park.

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We’re excited to finally share a bit of the Chinese herbal medicine perspective from acupuncturist Dylan Stein. Dylan specializes in dermatology, men’s health, and pain management. In addition to acupuncture, he also passionately practices Chinese herbal medicine and will be joining us over the next few months to introduce us to this ancient healing practice!

Chinese Medicine ~ Between Heaven and Earth

The roots of Chinese medicine lay in a time before X-rays and blood tests, a time when people lived by the light of the sun and spent time observing the world around them. This gave birth to the notion that the best lifestyle is lived in harmony with nature and the ebb and flow of the seasons.

Our place in the universe was seen as quite unique. We walk on two feet connecting us to the Earth and our head points to the sky connecting us to Heaven. Humans are suspended between Heaven and Earth.

Our most ancient and important extant medical text is The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic (Huangdi Neijing). The first mention of the Neijing is in 111CE, but it is believed to have been written some time in the last four centuries before the Common Era.

The text is written in the form of questions and answers, and begins with a discussion of why people “in the old days” lived for more than 100 years when the people of the day were only living about half of that. The answer given is the long-lived ancestors were in sync with the rhythms of nature, and thus able to live until they were very old.

The rhythms of nature not only applies to sleeping late and retiring early in Winter and rising early and staying up late in summer, but also to the natural world mirrored within us. Because we are suspended between Heaven and Earth, the human body is seen as a microcosm of the universe.

Just as there are Wind, Dampness, Heat, Cold, Summer-heat (think about August in the South) and Dryness (the Six Qi) in the natural world, these climactic factors are present inside the body. These are all naturally occurring phenomenon, so their presence in the body is totally normal. Disease arises when one of the factors becomes imbalanced, either too weak or too strong. We use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to restore the relative balance of these elements, thereby restoring a person’s internal climate and harmony with the universe.

Understanding Chinese Medicine Disease Diagnosis

Chinese medicine has a number of diagnostic paradigms. As the centuries passed, so changed the way ancient doctors understood and desired to classify disease.

The most essential, in my opinion, and most basic classification system is based on the concept of Yin and Yang. The classic example of how to understand Yin and Yang pictures a mountain. The sun shines on one side while the other is shaded. The sunny side is Yang and the shaded side is Yin. The shaded side can become the sunny one and vice versa. Yin and Yang are constantly in flux, constantly transforming one into the other. Yin is stillness and Yang activity, but how do we know stillness without knowing activity? Cannot stillness become activity in the next moment? This is the nature of Yin and Yang. We see this in the Yin-Yang symbol, also known as the Taiji. Within the white portion there is a seed of black, within black a seed of white; the promise of dawn even in the night sky, the lengthening day at the apex of Winter.

Every disease can be classified in terms of its nature as either Yin or Yang. This is the basis of what becomes Eight Principle Diagnosis, our most basic (and sometimes most powerful) diagnostic paradigm. The Eight Principles are a 4-step contrast of diseases symptoms: Interior vs. Exterior, Hot vs. Cold, Excess vs. Deficiency, Yin vs. Yang.

The Interior versus Exterior step of this equation tells us the location of the disease. Is it an internal organ pathology? Was disease created by a thought pattern or lifestyle? Exterior diseases are those caused by external pathogenic factors (the meteorological phenomenon I mentioned above) causing disease in the most superficial layers of the body. Exterior diseases can move inwards to become Interior ones, too, but this implies some kind of pre-existing deficiency that let the disease move inward.

Hot versus Cold classifies the nature of the temperature of the disease. Are there Heat signs like fever, thirst, sweating? Are there Cold signs like chills, desire to curl into a ball, diarrhea?

When we ask if the disease is Excess or Deficient, we are really asking is there a pathogen (Excess) or is the body weak or missing some vital substance (Deficient)? Sometimes the answer is simply one or the other; sometimes it is both.

The last step in the equation is the Yin and Yang differentiation. Together these allow a synthesis, which guides our treatment principles.

In addition to Eight Principle Diagnosis, the important major diagnostic paradigms in brief are:

~ 6 Stage Diagnosis, which tracks the course of an Exterior disease caused by Cold as it travels inward to the core of the body

~ 4 Level Diagnosis, which tracks the course of an Exterior disease caused by Heat as it travels inward towards the Heart

~ Organ-Bowel Diagnosis, which assigns symptoms and diseases to each of the organs of the body

~ Sanjiao Pattern Diagnosis, which classifies Damp-Heat diseases in terms of their location in the upper, middle or lower part of the body

~ Qi, Blood and Fluid Diagnosis, which is related to Organ-Bowel Diagnosis, but looks at irregularities in these vital substances of the body

In just this small bit alone, I’ve managed to tell you about six different ways to look at disease. There are others, too. Sometimes this makes our job easier, and sometimes harder. This is why I like to always come back to Eight Principle Diagnosis when I’m formulating my treatment plan. It keeps things as straightforward as possible, in my opinion.

Treating disease in Chinese medicine is like peeling an onion. Each layer reveals something a bit different. Sometimes it’s difficult to see one layer at a time. The more clear we can be on a diagnosis, the more effective we will be as practitioners. So, pick whichever paradigm resonates with you and stick to it. Get to know it inside and out. Use it until it is well worn. You will have an easier time formulating treatment plans, and if you are a clinician, your patients will thank you.

In my next post, I will start to talk about the herbs themselves, specifically the herbs Chinese and Western herbal medicine traditions share.

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This post comes to us from Josh, our Administrative Assistant! He’s the second fellow from the right in the group photo above. Josh has worked in shipping and administration at Mountain Rose Herbs since 2010. He and the crew participated in another one of our community service adventures through the Mountain Rose River Project and he returned with an interview from Lisa Arkin of Beyond Toxics to share…

Last Wednesday, volunteers from Mountain Rose Herbs teamed up with Beyond Toxics to help remove invasive weeds around our waterways near Triangle Lake in Oregon. For years, knapweed and scotch broom have blanketed the countryside, spreading and propagating while muscling out the healthy, native plant life.

To combat this issue, the state has traditionally employed trucks that indiscriminately spray gallons of herbicides down the side of the road, endangering native plants, animals, and humans as well. This excessive mist of toxic chemicals seeps into the waterways, damaging the local ecosystem and threatening the salmon populations.

Invasive plants such as knapweed and scotch broom are a nuisance and a threat, but we do not need to accept toxic chemicals as the answer to the problem. Beyond Toxics has provided a clean, environmentally friendly method for removing these plants from local communities by pulling, dead-heading, and killing the weeds through shade tarping.

Our dedicated group of volunteers had the amazing opportunity to join Beyond Toxics in one of its seasonal weed pulling projects. Strapping on boots and raingear, packed with water and lunches, we arrived early in the day, shortly after the sun had settled in the sky. While it was a pleasure to get out and help the local community, it’s impossible to claim that our motives were completely selfless. We relished the opportunity to get out and smell the crisp autumn air and feel the simultaneous kiss of the sun and breeze. Against our expectations, the sky remained clear with just a whisper of cloud cover floating through the sky.

After meeting with some local volunteers we focused mostly on knapweed, plucking off the seed heads and pulling out the roots wherever we could. Previous volunteers had placed tarps over the especially problematic areas. Here, we pulled up the tarps and spread native grass seed in order to discourage the knapweed from returning.

Our journey took us to several spots down the road where we continued our effort to beautify the environment without resorting to nasty chemicals. Though the process was rewarding, it was also humbling as we came to realize how much work there is to be done. Organizations like Beyond Toxics help to manage these sometimes daunting responsibilities by seeking out volunteers and taking stewardship over the land that we all need in order to live and thrive.

Interview with Beyond Toxics

In order to gain a better understanding of Beyond Toxics and how their work benefits all of us, I sent some questions to Executive Director Lisa Arkin. She was kind enough to share her amazing insight. Working with Beyond Toxics was a pleasure, and I encourage everyone to find a cause they can invest in within their own community.

How are invasive species like knapweed and scotch broom harmful to our communities and waterways?

These plants propagate very quickly, and because they are so hardy, they tend to out compete native plants. They “blanket” ecosystems and crowd out everything else. Also, Scotch Broom tends to be flammable, so not good for wild fires.

How does an organization like Beyond Toxics choose which projects to undertake?  Specifically, what drew you to working on the Triangle Lake area?

We are a membership organization, and so we often take requests from our members. In this case, the Triangle Lake Area has been hard hit by aerial forestry pesticide sprays. The people there are sick, and sick and tired. Many felt they could not safely travel the roads because of the additional highway sprays. Also they believe (and we agree) that the highway sprays are excessive and unnecessary. This area is also a salmon habitat area, important for the survival of Coho salmon and trout. It is important for residents to want the project enough to volunteer, and we have had good volunteerism for many of our projects out there. In fact, some residents will be going out on Thursday to finish up what our team could not get to last week.

What can members of the community do in order to educate themselves and contribute to the solution?       

Read our website, because we post lots of articles and information! Join our Facebook page to get involved and updated. Join Beyond Toxics as a volunteer! There isn’t going to be much about these topics in mainstream media, and that is why getting involved with an environmental non-profit is so important. We care and we take action!

What kind of positive changes have you observed in the community after a successful removal project?

Pride. Belief in a better world. Empowerment.

What more needs to be done at Triangle Lake to ensure clean waterways and a permanent eradication of harmful invasives like knapweed and scotch broom?

We need to change the policies of the State of Oregon regarding pesticide treatments for invasives, how roadside maintenance is performed, and designate more funding to hiring people (who need the work by the way!) to get out there and remove plants manually.

Are there any future projects that you’d like to discuss with the Mountain Rose Herbs community?

Oh yes!  We really need to partner with Mountain Rose Herbs fans on our statewide pesticide reform bill – we have written new law for reducing pesticides on public property all over the state – and we need your help to get in passed in 2013.  I believe we can succeed!  See http://www.beyondtoxics.org/work/safe-public-places/ for more information!

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