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5/22/2024

Happy Herbal Wednesday, Reader!

As I get older, I've realized I really need to move more. So, Sunday afternoon I went to the gym.

It was great! I lifted weights, and I felt right at home (I used to lift heavily in my 20's, 30's and 40's primarily to help me manage emotions and anxiety). These days...no heavy lifting, but I still remember the moves!

But then, that night and the next couple of nights.....

FIRE in my wrist!

My carpal tunnel was back. It stems from a nerve issue in my shoulder from an injury decades ago, and it shoots down my arm to my wrist. At night my whole hand falls asleep when things are acting up, and this is no bueno.

So I'm back to using my carpal tunnel pain relieving roller bottle often. I use St. John's wort infused oil as the carrier, and that's a big part of why it works, besides the fairly quick pain relieving actions of the essential oils. (St. John's wort has a very strong affinity for supporting our entire nervous system, including peripheral areas.)

I'm also using willow bark and devil's claw tincture mixture with turmeric and black pepper. But that roller bottle? AMAZING. Luckily it's still providing a great deal of relief. Thank the heavens.

Here are some quick things to know about essential oils and pain.

Therapeutically, essential oils can:

• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce spasms
• Provide a localized anesthetic effect (pain relief with relaxation)
• Analgesic (pain relief without over-relaxation or tiredness)
• Antinociceptive (inhibits the sensation of pain)
• With hot inflammation, EO's can cool (peppermint, eucalyptus, and many others)
• Some can bring warmth to an area (such as for cold, sore joints). Ginger and cayenne are two examples.

Some of my favorite essential oils in various pain-type categories include:

Anti-inflammatories:

• German chamomile
• Copaiba
• Black pepper
• Ginger
• Helichrysum
• Yarrow

Anesthetic (Local):

• Cinnamon leaf
• Clove bud
• Peppermint

Analgesics:

• Birch
• Eucalyptus
• Laurel
• Peppermint
• Wintergreen

Antispasmodic (for cramping, etc.):

• Roman chamomile
• Sweet marjoram
• Clary sage
• Any essential oil containing linalool (Thyme ct. linalool, basil ct. linalool, lavender, etc.)

How Essential Oils Work for Pain Relief (the WHY):

This is way too much to explain in a short newsletter, but in a nutshell, there are a variety of mechanisms of actions in the body/mind. Essential oils have a direct effect on neurotransmitters, inflammation, ion channels, central nervous system effects, etc. These all contribute to a more peaceful mind as the body responds to the soothing pain relief essential oils can bring.

I should write an in-depth article on my website (Healing Harvest Homestead) sometime soon on pain. Or do a workshop. It's so interesting.

And I'll say this again:

When we combine skilled use of high quality herbs and essential oils, we can take care of so very much in our body/mind. It's incredible, these gifts God has blessed us with!

It's up to us to learn to work with them safely and effectively.

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One of my students wrote to me the other day and asked me to do some special chats on a list of her frustrations with essential oils inside our herbal membership, The Confident Herbalist Tribe. If you're a member, stay tuned! I'm going to be addressing her thoughts in a special chat because they're so valid, and they echo many of my own, especially when I was beginning.

If you're not a member of the Confident Herbalist Tribe, yet, when you're ready to take your herbal learning to the next level, be sure to check it out!

It's where I spend most of my "social" time, and you'll have access to many modalities of support, live Q&A chats on zoom, live masterclasses on herbs & sometimes oils, and at this point around 55+ masterclasses (text, video, and audible), plus all the hundreds of replays (that are searchable), it's a tremendous resource, and there's nothing else like it out there.

​Join us!​

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Have you saved your FREE seat for the Simplify Your Summer Summit yet?

It's coming up next week, and it's going to be fun! There are around 30 speakers who are experts in a variety of homemaking, productivity, frugal living, child-rearing, natural health, and more so you can have the best summer ever and be ready for the fall without exhaustion!

Click the link below to save your seat, and if you can't make all the sessions live (FREE), the All Access Pass is incredibly inexpensive and you have lifetime access to the interviews and trainings.

If your time is valuable, you'll love this summit!

​Simplify Your Summer Summit​

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More Important Tips for EO Use:

I was on a Level 3 (clinical studies) mentorship call with one of my main aromatherapy teachers the other evening. I brought up the topic of quality oils, sustainability, and where on earth does she personally recommend purchasing essential oils?

I asked her specifically because she is a proponent of internal use as a natural wellness therapy, and she is highly experienced (over 34 years in this business).

Here's the thing....

If you're going to be putting something on your body, you want to be putting GOOD things on your body. That includes essential oils, and they should be good enough to ingest....not that you'll be doing that. But it's serious business! What goes on our skin goes into our body a great deal of time, and this includes essential oils.

She told me about a couple of companies I didn't know about, and I've since ordered some oils from one of these....and yes, they're impressive!

Here you go:

​1) Aromatics International (Andrea Butje was the founder, and now it's run by Karen Williams. They know all the farms, farmers, distillers and care about quality.)

2) Original Swiss Aromatics (this is the esteemed Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt's company, and he is highly reputable in the aromatherapy professional world. All of my professional aromatherapy teachers have recommended this company.)

3) Perfect Potion (Salvatore Battaglia's company, and he's not only an essential oil genius, he's also highly reputable.)

4) Lotus Garden Botanicals (I'm LOVING the Galangal essential oil right now, and surprisingly, the prices aren't bad. I don't know much about the ownership, but I'll be reaching out. Jade recommended them, so I trust her.)

5) Pompeii Street Organics (My first teacher, Shanti Dechen, and another icon in the aromatherapy world talked with me on the phone back in 2018 and recommended this company.)

6) DoTerra and Young Living---both large MLM's (Multi-level marketing companies), so be sure to take any recommendations from distributors with a huge grain of salt. The oils are great, though.

7) Rocky Mountain Oils​

8) Plant Therapy​

9) Amrita Aromatherapy​

The ones with links I'm an affiliate for, and I have these links handy on my computer. The other ones, I'm not an affiliate for, but they're easy to find. I'm going to work on this.

I should also mention Starwest Botanicals and Mountain Rose Herbs. I think these are fine for soap making and topical uses.

NOTE: Please do NOT ingest essential oils unless you're under the guidance of a certified (level 2 or above) aromatherapist who has a special certification in this area or unless you're purchasing professional formulations from a company that specializes in these (Amrita Aromatherapy is in this category).

EXTRA BIG NOTE: And please (see my two previous love notes to you from last week) don't purchase your essential oils from a company who is buying in bulk and rebottling under their business brand.

There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of these little (and some big) companies popping up with the rise and interest in aromatherapy. Unfortunately, anything good ends up tainted by those who value the dollar above all else. Some of these people may not know what they don't know. (But they DO know if they haven't learned aromatherapy.) And that is dangerous.

Do yourself and your family a favor, and please purchase both herbs and essential oils from companies who operate fairly, sustainably, with integrity, and with the customer as well as the small farmers/distillers top of mind.

I'm saying all this again because I love and care about you.

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Starting Friday morning through Monday evening, take advantage of picking up one or more of these:

• Cacao: Decadent Chocolate? Or Healthy Superfood

(This is one of the herbal masterclasses inside the Confident Herbalist Tribe, and it's a REALLY fun one! Not to mention all the scientific evidence you'll learn about its health benefits is fascinating.)

• Healing Herbs of the Bible and How to Use Them Today
• Simple Sour Dough for Beginners
• Your Body's Invisible Army
• Natural Soap Making Course: (Use herbs, essential oils, clays, infused oils, natural exfoliants, honey, milks, fruits, and more to make your own handmade soap!)
• Animal Herbalism 101: Using Medicinal Herbs & Essential Oils for Livestock and Pet Health

***All of these short courses/workshops come with complete text that includes information, formulations, and foundations PLUS video(s). Some have a Q&A replay, too.

Click the button below to find out more.

Use the coupon code MEMORIAL2024

Have the most amazing and beautiful weekend!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Please forward this note along! Sharing is caring, and I truly appreciate your referrals. And here's a FREE gift for your friend (or you)--just click the link below:

​25 Kid Safe Essential Oils and How to Use Them​

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