34. Herbalism 101 {Part 4} Herbal Constitution

You are listening to herbs and ease episode 34. Hey, welcome back to herbs and ease. My name is Kristen and this episode is part four of our herbalism 101 series where I am giving you the foundational information, skills, and knowledge to start bringing herbal medicine into your life to improve your long-term wellness outcomes. Because we know that medical care and wellness care are not the same thing and sometimes you need extra support outside of alopathic medicine to feel good and helping you feel good in your body is why I am here. So in our last episode in the series we broke down what you need to know about an herb before you can determine if it is the right herb for you. We talked about herbal energetics and herbal actions. Now just because an herb does what you want it to do to the body doesn't mean that it is going to make you feel the way that you want to feel and this is because herbs can't just be reduced to their primary actions like being anti-inflammatory or antibacterial or sedating or whatever action it is that you are seeking. Herbs are also going to affect the body on an energetic level. They can sedate functions of the body or excite and activate functions and processes in the body. They can increase moisture or dry tissue out. They can heat or cool down the body and they're going to have really complex and different ways of doing these things to the body and you might not want some of those effects. So before you pick an herb to work with you need to know your energetic tendencies. This is also known as your constitution. So your constitution refers to the unique combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics and tendencies that make up you. It's important to have a basic idea of your constitution so that you can make the best choices for different herbs and lifestyle interventions and your constitution is largely fixed. It's determined by your genetics and it can be subtly influenced by your lifestyle habits and your environment and your experiences just in the same way that different foods and different experiences and medications and lifestyle habits will also influence your DNA sequences. But for the most part your constitution is fixed. Now there are a few traditional perspectives on constitutions. The most common is going to be Ayurveda. We're not really going to get into Ayurveda and the dosias today because this is a series about Western herbalism but if you do want to know more about Ayurveda just let me know in a DM send me a message and maybe we'll actually do a beginner series on it because it's pretty fascinating and it can offer another layer to help us understand herbalism and wellness in general. But in Western herbalism we just don't have names for our constitutions the way that we might in other traditions. So we mostly categorize individual tendencies as hot and cold, dry and moist and tense or lax. So being aware of your tendencies is really key to self-awareness and it's key to understanding how an herb is likely to improve your health or make you feel not so great. So to determine your constitution I have included a little link to a PDF called Understanding Energetics and it has a whole bunch of information on energetics that we've been talking about and there's also a little quiz that is adapted from the quiz that's in Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalie Delaforett. It's a phenomenal resource. Her book actually covers energetics and constitution which is actually a little bit rare for a beginner herbalism book and she does it in a way that's so simple and clear so I highly suggest checking it out. She's a great teacher. She even has a podcast and a YouTube channel of her own so go check her out if you want more touchstones and herbal teachers. I have linked her book in the description so that you can order it today and this quiz has basic questions like are you prone to being cold or hot? Do you have oily skin or dry skin? And so there's a whole bunch of questions and you can add all of those up and get a really good idea of your general constitution. And when you know what your constitution is then you know the energetics and actions of an herb then you can determine if there is going to be a good match. So if you are using herbs for an acute ailment like a cold or a flu energetics might not matter that much because you're only going to be using that herb for such a short amount of time. But if you are using herbs for chronic health condition or for general wellness and vitality the energetics are really going to matter. So for example I am prone to being cold. I do not sweat a lot. I always have a sweater on or a sweater with me and I'm pretty dry. I'm not particularly prone to post nasal drip or a lot of mucus or oil buildup. So when I took Rhodiola for a few days which is a very astringent drying, cooling, adaptogenic herb a lot of people use for depression or anxiety and to improve mood to support the immune system and help with fatigue. After just two to three days I was so uncomfortable because it is incredibly astringent. I felt very dry like I could not get enough water and it kind of messed up my digestion making me a little bit constipated. And so this is just not an herb for my body. And even though it had some of the compounds and actions that I wanted it just did not have the right energetics to make me feel good. And maybe you have experienced something like this with different herbs. Now in herbalism there is something called the herbal sweet spot. And this is also a concept that Rosalie Delaforet talks about in her book Alchemy of Herbs. And it's where the actions and energetics of your herb, your constitution and the energetics of your ailment intersect. And that place where all of these concepts intersect that is your herb. That is the herbal sweet spot. Now sometimes there might not be an exact herb that falls in that sweet spot depending on what your issue is especially for complex ailments. But fortunately often you can lessen the undesirable effects of an herb with another herb. And this is an example of herbal synergy where combined effects of multiple herbs are greater than the sum of their individual effects. So the enhanced effects or benefits that occur when multiple herbs are combined and interacted to produce a more potent or balanced therapeutic effect. So we get herbal synergy when the enhanced effects or benefits that occur when multiple herbs are combined and interact producing a more potent or balanced therapeutic effect. So herbal synergy can occur through a few different mechanisms. First we have balance. And in the case where I was using Rhodiola, if I was really hell bent on working with that herb, I could have found another herb to balance out the astringent and drying effects of Rhodiola like for example Marshmello or slippery Elmberg. And this also could look like taking an herb that is stimulating and one that is calming to help create a balanced formula. Now herbal synergy can also occur through Potensation. Herbal Potensation refers to the process in which one herb enhances the effectiveness or potency of another herb when used together resulting in a stronger therapeutic effect than when the herbs are used individually. And herbs can also have complementary actions. And that is when herbs with different properties or mechanisms of actions can complement each other to provide a broader spectrum of therapeutic effects. So a good example of this would be if one herb has anti-inflammatory properties while another herb has antioxidant properties. And when you put them together, they work synergistically to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress more effectively than when they're just used separately. And this all goes to show you that herbalism is actually a pretty complex field of study and that bringing herbs into your life is not as simple as googling what herb to take for anxiety and then popping some capsules. Now fortunately for you, now you know a whole bunch about how to choose the right herb for you. And in our next video on herbalism 101 series, we're actually going to break down tips for herbal safety so that you can bring plant medicine into your life with confidence. So be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss out on that. And until then check out Alchemy of Herbs to learn more about energetic and constitutional herbalism and be sure to download the PDF quiz to learn your constitution today and get this information about herbal energetics just a little bit more solidified in your brain so that you can move forward into working with herbs with a little bit more ease and confidence. And until next time stay balanced my friend. And yeah, okay, I love you. Bye. That wraps up today's episode of herbs and ease. And if you haven't already subscribed, make sure you do that now wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can follow the podcast on Twitter at herbs and ease pod and on Instagram at herbs and ease. Herbs and ease is brought to you by mandala wellness and we are a small production and community support really makes a difference and a lot. the show to run. 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