When the Season of Life is Extra Full // A life update from Kara, plus practices and herbal allies

A little (big) life update seems in order for the letter today.

Plus, I’ll be sharing some of the herbs and practices I’ve been leaning on - because I know I am not alone in the experiences I have 💜

Life has been especially full the last couple of months:

House remodeling (and re-re-doing - if you’ve ever remodeled, you know!).

Taking (scary yet exciting) steps with Thistle Patch Wellness.

And… planning my wedding, which is May 16th!

This full season of life has come with lots of lists and tasks.. and therefore, lots of decisions and keeping track of things, and overall, it's been a season of shifting, changing, and growing.

Those seasons in life that feel extra full (or overflowing?!) happen to us all.

Regardless if the fullness of life is “negative” or “positive”, stress, to our bodies, is simply stress. Reducing stress is the best first step wherever we can but supporting our bodies and minds through it all is possible.

So, what are some of the herbs and practices I’ve been leaning on in this season?

Side note: There are many. I’ll share with you some of the things that made the biggest difference for me. In no particular order:

(..And please know that each and every one of us is different- the support each of our bodies may need will also vary.)

1. Eliminated Caffeine. 

This “practice” wasn’t something I planned. Removing caffeine from my day was more of an embodied decision than it was a mental one. I started to notice that I didn’t like how it was making my body or mind feel so I removed it.

2. Added in a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium is one of the nutrients that most everyone could use more of. Stress depletes it. Sugar and processed foods deplete it. Yet it is a required nutrient for hundreds of reactions and processes in the body.

With everything else going on, it took the notorious eye twitch for me to order another bottle and start taking it again. (Thank you, body, for nudging me in a gentle way.)

3. Kept consistent with nourishment, movement and sleep.

Skipping or skimping on these things may save time in the moment but it's not without significant cost.

These are big topics that I could share a lot about but ultimately, I kept a routine I could stick to, planned ahead as much as I could, and prioritized these for myself.

4. Notebooks.

When the mind is overloaded → paper and pen.

Phone lists can be great but I rarely seem to look at them. Paper works for me.

A planner, a notebook for lists, a journal to process, and even a pocket notebook to catch all the random thoughts and ideas I have throughout the day that I may not be able to act on or tend to in that moment.

Externalizing and putting thoughts to paper takes such a burden off the mind.

Elecampane re-emerging in the Spring.

I share these practices first even though I am an Herbalist because I truly believe that it is the “mundane”, simple, foundational practices that set us up for greater wellbeing.

Herbs build upon these and they work better because of them.

So, without further ado… 

5. Herbs.

• Often underestimated is simply spending time with the plants. This is such a grounding practice - noticing the plants, noticing the season and allowing ourselves to be pulled into the quiet of Nature (and the wisdom she offers.)

• Motherwort: this “lion-hearted” herb is for everyone with a mother or who is a mother. It is for the one who is in need of some calming medicine for their heart and their nervous system when there is anxiety, nervous restlessness, and/or heart palpitations.

  • Lately, I’ve worked with Motherwort both as a simple and within two different blends I’ve formulated.

• Blue Vervain: as my herbal mentor, Lise Wolff, has described it - ‘the herb for the type A person, the list-maker, and the high achiever’. Yes, that fits me quite well. Although there is nothing wrong with being this type of person, when out of balance, these people can tend toward intense neck tension, mental overactivity, and very (sometimes impossibly) high standards for themselves and others.

  • I work with Blue Vervain as a simple or in combination with other herbs when they test well together.

• Dandelion: one of the top “spring tonic” herbs and is phenomenally supportive of the liver and kidneys.

  • Although I haven’t been in need of higher or medicinal doses of Dandelion, its root has offered me the perfect gentle support, stepping in as my warm morning beverage.

*Only once I had the herbs listed, did I realize these are all bitter herbs!

Bitter herbs support digestion (which stress disrupts) but they also support the nervous system.

They have a way of drawing us inward and downward.

They bring us into our bodies once again.

They ground us.

My body knew what it needed even when my mind was preoccupied.

(Or.. my body knew what it needed because my mind was preoccupied?)

We are perfectly designed.

—

The next time you find yourself in a season of overwhelm or high stress, maybe you’ll remember this letter and refer back to it. Or maybe you’re in an extra full season right now. Either way, I hope this list offers some grounded reminders or inspiration on how we can tend to ourselves in simple but effective ways.

Please know that just because these herbs were supportive for me, they may not be supportive for you. Herbal medicine is beautifully nuanced and if ever you need support in finding the right herbal fit for you, reach out.

May we never forget that Nature is available to us, wherever we may need.

Get some sun on your face. Touch the grass. Sit under a tree. Smell a flower…

Be well 💜

~ Kara