March: Oh My Poor Nerves! The Nervine Box
From the book The Human Body and Health Revised by Alvin Davison, published in 1908 by Alvin Davison. This book is in the public domain.
The nervous system. It's the part of us that organizes and communicates all of our voluntary and involuntary actions and carries electrical signals to and from various parts of our bodies. It is divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peripheral nervous system is further divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. Under the autonomic nervous system there are further subdivisions including the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic nervous system is where the flight-or-fight response is activated as a reaction to a perceived threat. Heart rate and blood pressure increases, breath speeds up, digestive function decreases and the pupils dilate in order to prepare the body and marshal resources in the face of threatening, frightening or stressful situations.
Many of our ancestor's lives where saved by this automatic, physiological response, as they faced a saber-toothed tiger or some other ancient danger. In our modern world, the response is more likely to be triggered by work, family, or financial stress, things that we can not flee from and which tend to go on and on without a break. With little to no time to recover from modern, stressful situations we see an increase in anxiety disorders, fatigue issues, depleted adrenal glands, depression, insomnia and other health concerns.
Many of our ancestor's lives where saved by this automatic, physiological response, as they faced a saber-toothed tiger or some other ancient danger. In our modern world, the response is more likely to be triggered by work, family, or financial stress, things that we can not flee from and which tend to go on and on without a break. With little to no time to recover from modern, stressful situations we see an increase in anxiety disorders, fatigue issues, depleted adrenal glands, depression, insomnia and other health concerns.
Blue vervain (Verbena hastata)
Source: wikicommons
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Gathering valerian flowers (Valeriana officinalis)
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In herbal medicine we have a class of herbs with a special affinity for the nervous system. They are called nervines. Nervines nourish, support, calm and restore the nervous system. They help reduce anxiety, ease stress-induced symptoms in the cardiovascular and digestive systems, aid in sleeping, and lift our spirits. They can even help with tension and spasms in the muscles. Incorporating nervine herbs into our lives on a regular basis can help us manage our stress levels and become more resilient and adaptable in the face of stressful triggers.
This month's box will explore some of the local, abundant nervine herbs that are easy to grow and gather, and are gentle, safe and nourishing to use. Some herbs you may meet in this month's box include: motherwort, milky oats, hawthorn, lemon balm, valerian or blue vervain. Products may include a relaxing tea, a tincture for stress, anxiety and difficulty sleeping, a sweet elixir or two, an herbal bath, burning herbs or a sleeping pillow.
March's class will continue this exploration of nervine herbs.
This month's box will explore some of the local, abundant nervine herbs that are easy to grow and gather, and are gentle, safe and nourishing to use. Some herbs you may meet in this month's box include: motherwort, milky oats, hawthorn, lemon balm, valerian or blue vervain. Products may include a relaxing tea, a tincture for stress, anxiety and difficulty sleeping, a sweet elixir or two, an herbal bath, burning herbs or a sleeping pillow.
March's class will continue this exploration of nervine herbs.
Click image to enlarge
Boxes are offered with sliding scale prices. To learn more about sliding scale pricing, please read this post. To determine where you fall on the scale when choosing which price to pay, please refer to this infographic created by Alexis J. Cunningfolk (Click image to enlarge).
Large March Box- 6 products
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Small March Box- 4 products
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Payments can also be made by cheque made out to:
The Wild Garden, 2389 Pepin Ct. Ottawa, ON, K1B 4Z3
Shipping is included in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Additional shipping fees apply outside of this area.
Please contact me for more information: info at thewildgarden dot ca
About the Herbal Box
The Wild Garden Herbal Box is your opportunity to connect with and learn about the wild edible and healing plants of the Ottawa bioregion. Monthly boxes are delivered directly to your door. Each month’s box will explore a particular theme and comes with a detailed newsletter highlighting the products for the month and is full of information, historical lore, recipes and more! Herbal boxes make great gifts and can be shipped directly to the recipient.
Monthly subscribers also enjoy free access to any walks and select workshops offered by the Wild Garden, during the month(s) for which they are subscribed. (Material fees apply and pre-registration is required.)
With an herbal box you can:
The Wild Garden, 2389 Pepin Ct. Ottawa, ON, K1B 4Z3
Shipping is included in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. Additional shipping fees apply outside of this area.
Please contact me for more information: info at thewildgarden dot ca
About the Herbal Box
The Wild Garden Herbal Box is your opportunity to connect with and learn about the wild edible and healing plants of the Ottawa bioregion. Monthly boxes are delivered directly to your door. Each month’s box will explore a particular theme and comes with a detailed newsletter highlighting the products for the month and is full of information, historical lore, recipes and more! Herbal boxes make great gifts and can be shipped directly to the recipient.
Monthly subscribers also enjoy free access to any walks and select workshops offered by the Wild Garden, during the month(s) for which they are subscribed. (Material fees apply and pre-registration is required.)
With an herbal box you can:
- build your own home apothecary of healing plants and discover traditional ways of supporting wellness
- support local, small-scale, organic permaculture
- incorporate more nutrient dense wild foods into your diet
- enjoy organically grown and ethically wild gathered foods and herbs delivered directly to your door (all products are made from herbs that I grow and gather myself on the Just Food Food Farm.)
- nourish yourself and your family with local, seasonal products handcrafted with love in small batches
- learn about the wild plants growing in the greater Ottawa bioregion
- loose-leaf tea blend
- herb infused honey
- herb infused vinegar
- herbal syrup or elixir
- wild herb seasoning blend, dried culinary herbs
- wild food preserve (jam, jelly, fruit leather…)
- herbal liqueur
- tincture
- herbal salve
- body oil, body butter or lotion bar
- herbal scrub or bath salt
- herbal burning blends, smudge sticks