Herbs and Essences for Empaths and Highly Sensitive People

Edit: Inspired by this post and the request of readers, I wrote a whole course for plant allies and highly sensitive people - check it out!

I learned what an empath was when I was about 12 years old and it was a turning point in my young development.

Having a name for what felt like an overwhelming experience of the emotional vibrations of others that felt like something bigger than just hormonal changes led me to learning techniques to protecting my sensitive side. Even though I wasn’t ingesting much herbal medicine at that point I would wear herbs and stones as charms and found that gentle magick to work well for me. I also learned how to ground and center as well as basic shielding and warding which are not only essential skills for empaths and highly sensitive folks but for anyone pursuing magickal studies. These skills made my teen years way more tolerable and shaped me into the herbalist and witch that I am today.

But what is an empath? Or highly sensitive person? While the two terms are not interchangeable they are similar enough in my opinion that my herbal and essence-based recommendations can be applied to both. An empath is a person who has the ability to perceive and experience the feelings of other people and sometimes places. We are all empathic, but some folks empathic ability is heightened to a point that it can become overwhelming or distracting in their life. Because of their skill set many empaths go into the healing and therapeutic arts.

Highly sensitive people (HSPs) experience a heightened sense of their surroundings and may even have a more sensitive nervous system. They are often keyed in to the subtleties of others and their surroundings (including sound, light, texture, and smell) than non-HSPs. Again, everyone is prone to be more sensitive to at least one sense - HSPs are generally more sensitive in all of their senses which, like empaths, can lead to becoming easily overwhelmed. Due to their sensitivity, however, lots of HSPs thrive in the arts and activities that require great amounts of subtlety.

In short, empaths experience a heightened sensitivity to their emotional environment, whereas HSPs experience a generalized heightened sensitivity. Of course, some folks are both Empaths and HSPs while other folks are one or the other.

When it comes to herbs and essences my recommendation for Empaths and Highly Sensitive People is as follows: 

Make friends with a nervine.

Connect with an adaptogen.

Create your custom rescue remedy.

These three remedies combined with a grounding, centering, and shielding practice can be beautifully effective in protecting your energetic senses and supporting your physical form. A bit of thorn magick helps, too. I’ll also talk about additional ways of supporting your Empathic or HSP self that I have found useful for myself and my community over the years. I’ve listed some of my favorite herbal allies for Empaths and HSPs below but as always, I I recommend doing your research or working with an herbalist to find the ones best suited for your constitution.

Make Friends with a Nervine

Nervines are herbs that are nourishing and restorative to the nervous system. There are two main types of nervines: relaxing and stimulating. We’ll be focusing on the relaxing nervines for our needs as Empaths and HSPs are often overstimulated when they’re feeling out of balance. Nervines help the body to return to a state of rest and relaxation and many of them are great tonic herbs meaning that they can be taken daily for a long time. I’ve listed a number of my favorite herbs for Empaths and HSPs below, highlighting three that I’m particularly fond of.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa) : I was just talking about Milky Oat in my most recent newsletter. It’s known as a tophorestorative to the nervous system meaning that it brings the nervous system back into balance. Milky Oat is a great nutritive herb that can be taken on a daily basis. I love it for Empaths and HSPs because it feels gentle in the body but has a powerful and long-lasting effect. Read my full plant profile on Milky Oat.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) : Skullcap is great for symptoms of anxiety, especially when there are hurried and worried thoughts, that can accompany heightened sensitivity. I’ve written about Skullcap a number of times including as an ingredient one of my favorite self-care teas that I highly recommend for Empaths and HSPs. Read my full Skullcap plant profile.

Rose (Rosa damascena) : Beautiful, amazing, unfolding Rose! Rose has gentle nervine qualities with the extra magick of thorn medicine. Rose is an ancient herbal ancestor and they’ve been a guide of healing wisdom through the ages - who better to turn to when life feels too big and overwhelming than to one who has seen it all and thrived? 

Additional nervine options:

• Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)

• Blue Vervain (Verbena officinalis)

• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

• Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

• St. Joan’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Connect with an Adaptogen

Adaptogens are herbs that help us to adapt to stress. They are not meant to be a replacement to good stress management and therapeutic support, but they are excellent at supporting are ability to shift perspective and reconnect to a place of centeredness within ourselves. Many adaptogens can be stimulating because part of learning how to adapt to stress is having all of our organ systems working well and adaptogenic herbs can help to wake up sluggish systems. Too much stimulation from an herb, however, can be detrimental to Empaths and HSPs, but not always. Again, get to know yourself and your constitution when choosing herbs. I’ve listed adaptogens that are less stimulating in their energy as compared to some adaptogens, but still bring in that much needed ability to restore the body to balance after a period of stress.

Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) : I really like Eleuthero because of it’s gentle nature (you might be sensing a theme here with the emphasis on gentleness as an important form of remedy for Empaths and HSPs). It can be used with young and old for an extended period of time without overstimulation. Eleuthero strengthens our energy and inner vitality which in turn supports the resiliency of Empaths and HSPs. If you’ve found other adaptogens to be too stimulating, you might find yourself enjoying Eleuthero.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) : Empaths and HSPs could learn a lot from the vibratory interconnectedness of the mushroom kingdom. Like other adaptogens, Reishi supports vitality and longevity with especial attention paid to the immune system. Reishi can help Empaths and HSPs transition from feeling overwhelmed by their heightened perceptions to being grounded in their gifts of interconnectedness.

Additional adaptogen options:

• Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum)

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

• Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)

• Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)

Create your Custom Rescue Remedy

Here’s where the essence part of my recommendations come in. Many of you are probably familiar with Dr. Edward Bach’s Rescue Remedy. It’s a staple in many a holistic apothecary and for good reason - it’s effective, non-invasive, and can be used for everyone. If you don’t have time to put together your own personal rescue remedy based on my recommendations below, just go ahead and get your own bottle of Dr. Bach’s Rescue Remedy - it’ll serve you well.

The idea of a custom rescue remedy is to create an essence blend that meets your unique needs and the type of stress response you find yourself going through again and again. I’ve given recommendations for essences from the Bach and Flower Essence Society companies because they are easy to find in wellness stores and online. I’ve also recommended a handful of gem essences which you can either make yourself or find online. You can choose a 2 - 4 essences from the list below (or any that you come across in your studies) and combine a few drops of each into a one-ounce dosage bottle that you can then take 1 - 3 drops from as needed or three times daily as a tonic. Trust your intuition - your extra sensitivity is meant to help and guide you - and create a blend that will help you integrate useful information and leave out the rest.

Yarrow Environmental Essence : This is actually a blend of essences that I highly recommend for HSPs. In fact, if you were to take one essence long term, this is the one that I recommend. Yarrow Environmental Essence helps HSPs to deal with their increased sensitivity while also protecting against the impact of overstimulating and polluted environments. It’s an essence blend that I take regularly but one that I make sure to have with me any time that I travel as it’s an excellent adventuring companion.

Black Tourmaline Gemstone + Essence : A wonderfully protective and grounding essence for those Empaths and HSPs struggling to feel safe and centered in the world. I recommend keeping a piece of the stone near your work or study space as well as wearing it on your person in addition to using it as a gem essence.

Red Chestnut Flower Essence : Red Chestnut is especially useful for Empaths who get caught up in the emotions of others, trying to take on other’s problems, and become the ultimate harmonizer of all situations everywhere. The essence helps remind Empaths that these are not their feelings and they are not responsible for them. The essence teaches appropriate boundary-making.

Additional flower and gem essence options:

• Rose (Rosa damascena) Flower Essence

• Beech (Fagus Sylvatica) Flower Essence

• Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Flower Essence

• Dill (Anethum graveolens) Flower Essence

• Campion (Silene californica) Flower Essence

• Smoky Quartz Gem Essence

• Rose Quartz Gem Essence

• Kyanite Gem Essence

• Garnet Gem Essence

🌿

Looking for plant allies for social gatherings? Come this way.

It's my hope for you that after reading this post you feel like you have a few new tools to use on your journey as an Empath and/or Highly Sensitive Person through this world. We need your gentleness and attention to subtlety to help keep us paying attention to the heartlines of the world.

P.S. Interested in learning more about your unique gifts and sensitivities as a healer? I've created a space to help you discover just that.

Winter Warmer : A Gentle Adaptogenic Bitters Brew

I was trading for a tarot deck (something which I love to do) and needed to come up with an herbal remedy as part of the deal. Looking at my tincture cabinet a glowing yellow extract sang out - use me! It was my batch of fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) alcohol extract and from there I created a warming winter potion that has become one of my favorite seasonal remedies.

The winter time can be full of all sorts of enchantment. There's merriment to be had, good food to eat, dark skies to cuddle under, hot drinks to be drunk. And there's also family (for better or for worse), way too much emphasis on consumerism (rather than true giving), and it can be really, really cold (which can be hard on our sweet humxn bodies). 

What I like about my Winter Warmer blend is that it brings heat to the body while also helping out our nervous system and supporting our digestive health. One remedy, many uses - just how I like them. With only a few ingredients, it's easy to make, but the key is to use fresh Ginger to get that delicious spicy bite (don't worry though - I've adjusted the recipe if you only have dried Ginger on hand).

Image by Ian Schneider

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) is a warming stimulant most often used in traditional western herbalism to energize a sluggish circulatory system. It assists with indigestion by waking up our internal digestive fires and clearing out stagnation. I like adding Ginger into blends where I want to break up some tension (hello family during the winter holidays) and find that the herb works well with other classic nervines like Milky Oat.

Milky Oat (Avena sativa) is my most favorite nervine. I love Milky Oat. I love standing in fields of it during the spring. I love it's milky green color when prepared fresh as a tea or as a tincture. I love the way that it feels like an infusion of cozy vibes straight to the nervous system. Milky Oat is one of those food-type herbs that is best taken over an extended period of time to really gain benefits from use. And beyond just working on the physical nervous system, it works on our energetic nerves, too, helping to retrain the ways we choose to take on or let go of stress. A beautiful ally all year round! Read the full Milky Oat plant profile.

Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is an adaptogen that I reach for often because it works well for old folks, young folks, and all of us in-between. It's great for adrenal stress (especially when there are signs of disturbed sleep and brain fog) and it has the added benefit of environmental protectiveness, especially against radiation pollution. What I like about Eleuthero is that it is a gentler adaptogen - it's not too stimulating and can be used for the long-term as an everyday tonic. It's one of the herbs that teaches us a lot when it comes to understanding what being healthy and centered really feels like, helping us to shift away from the idea that adaptogens are "super herbs" (all herbs are super) that will hype us up and fix all our problems. If your life feels too fast, then you might want to try slow remedies like Eleuthero to get yourself re-centered for long-term, sustainable wellbeing.

Winter Warmer
A Gentle Adaptogenic Bitters Brew

Combine the following herbs if you are making a tincture from scratch or blend individual tinctures if you have them already made up:

• 4 parts Fresh Milky Oat (Avena sativa)

• 2 parts dried Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)

• 1 part Fresh Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) or 2 parts Dried Ginger

• 1 part Maple Syrup (optional but super yummy)

Brew as a tincture (you can use the folk method or a 1:5 ratio would be just fine). You can make this into a tea - but note that I've not created this recipe with the taste in tea form in mind (though it would probably be quite nice).

Winter Warmer is a great remedy to take before and after meals, but I find myself taking 3 - 5 drops throughout my day when I feel I need a little extra support during the cold of the yuletide season.

Be sure to share your Winter Warmer creations and the other ways you keep it simple at during the season of Yule with the hashtag #ASimpleYule. I'd love to see the ways you're keeping cozy and content this winter.

What are herbs that you can't do without in the winter? Let me know in the comments. If you're looking for more winter inspiration holy heck do I have you covered. Check out my other winter-inspired resources:

• Snowfall: A Simple Yule Tea

• Creating a Winter Apothecary

• Winter Wellness: Healing Herbs for the Dark of the Year

• The Longest Night: Herbs for the Winter Solstice Season

• Winter Solstice: Recipes of Mirth + Brightness

If you're looking for herbal gifts for giving, look no further.

Happy wintering!

How to Use Herbal Powders (with Free Recipes!)

I began using herbal powders early on in my practice as an easy and alcohol-free alternative to tinctures.

Herbal powders can be added to juices, smoothies, honey or your milk of choice for internal use or quickly mixed with oil, water or honey for external application. My two favorite ways to use herbal powders are either in smoothies where I just add them in and blend or as herbal milks (recipe below). One of the things I love about herbal powders is that they are a form of whole plant medicine! When I have been traveling or have limited supplies on hand, I'll just mix an herbal powder with an ounce of water and down it like the magickal tonic that it is!

Topically, herbal powders can be used to quickly create a compress. Mix the powdered herbs with a little bit of water, oil or honey to form a paste. Rub it on the affected body part and cover with a cloth. For example, you might use Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum) for lower back pain whether from strain or menstruation.

General Guidelines for Using Herbal Powders

• Make sure that your herbal powders are medicinally potent by using them within six to nine months of when they were ground up. Some herbal powders degrade much quicker and all will last better when stored in an air-tight container in a cold and dark place (like a refrigerator).
• Start with single powders before moving onto blends. I recommend this all the time, not just for herbal powders. If you really want to track and understand how an herb is affecting you, using them one at a time is one of the clearest ways of achieving this. 
• Dosage varies widely depending on a person constitution as well as condition. 1/4 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon (or roughly 1 to 4 grams) 1 to 3 times a day is a relatively standard dose. It’s always best to consult your materia medica and/or herbal practitioner for dosage guidelines as well as listening to your body. 

Nearly any herb can be powdered, so the possibilities for using herbal powders in your practice are practically endless. Below I’ve listed three of my favorite herbal powders of the moment with brief descriptions of their healing benefits.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

Let’s start with a spice that is easy to find! Cinnamon has been in use since at least ancient Egypt (where it’s use was first recorded) and probably much longer than that. It’s a warming herb which stimulates digestion, helps regulate blood sugar, and increases vitality. Cinnamon improves memory while uplifting the spirits (which makes it a great herb for students). It protects against and clears up colds and ‘flus as well as being stimulating to the circulatory system. If you’re struggling with low energy, mental fatigue, and anxiousness, especially when mixed with sugar cravings, Cinnamon might be a great ally for you. The herb can be added to a variety of dishes to enhance flavor which makes itsuch an easy herb to incorporate into your herbal practice. 

Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum)

Ashwagandha is known as a rasayana or a rejuvenative herb in Ayurveda and it’s classified as an adaptogen in western herbalism. It is the adaptogen that I reach for most regularly and my absolute favorite way to prepare it is as a milky evening drink (recipe below). Ashwagandha nourishes the brain and neural pathways of the body while restoring strength after a period of stress or illness. Use for cases of auto-immune disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain fog, as well as insomnia, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, and stress. It’s a wonderful addition to your diet if you’re an athlete or work out regularly - you can use it as part of your pre-work-out snack. Topically, it also assists with alleviating muscle pain. Ashwaghanda has a mild, slightly bittersweet taste which is one reason that it’s so easy to add to beverages and food. 

Moringa (Moringa oleifera)

I met Moringa a few years back when I received some tea as part of an herbal swap. The leaves of the Moringa tree are nutrient dense and a great source of protein. It’s a brain and liver tonic, anti-arsenic, antioxidant-rich, and a source of stress-reducing magnesium. Moringa helps to lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, and there have been hopeful studies done regarding it’s anti-cancer capabilities. The herb also helps to increase milk-supply for breastfeeding folks and because it is so nutrient dense and stress-alleviating I like to recommend it as a postpartum herb. Moringa is mild in flavor and I usually add it to my morning smoothie. 

Other herbs that I often use in powdered form include: Nettles (Urtica dioica), Sacred Basil (Ocimum sanctum), Spirulina, Chlorella, Astragalus, Chicory (Cichorium intybus), and Eleuthero.

Herbal Powder Milk Tea

I like to prepare this in the evening about an hour before bed as a sweet treat to end my day and begin to prepare myself for the next.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of powdered herb to 1 cup of your milk of choice. Bring the milk to almost boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add sweetener of choice (honey is traditional, but coconut sugar is another good option). If you use brown rice milk, which is naturally sweet, you don’t need to add any extra sweetener.  If I’m making this with Ashwagandha, I’ll add a dash of Cinnamon at the end. Drink and enjoy!

Golden Herbal Powder

Golden Powder Blend is a wonderful daily remedy for those wanting to help rebuild adrenal strength. You can read all about it here.

To make your own Golden Herbal Powder mix together the following powdered herbs:

• 2 parts Mesquite (Prosopis pallida) 
• 1 part Maca (Lepidium meyenii) 
• 1/4 part Pine Pollen (Pinus massoniana)

Recommended dosage is 1/2 - 1 teaspoon up to three times daily. You can mix Golden into water, juice, smoothie or your food of choice.

Yum! Pow! Herbal Cacao

Yup, Cacao powder is medicinal. (You're welcome.) For those who need a bit of pep in the morning, which usually requires us to release tension in order to use our energy more wisely, I like creating a brew with adaptogen herbs. I really like adaptogens and Cacao working together and when you add in a spice or two, clever one, you're on a roll to kickstarting your morning! Yum! Pow! contains Astragalus (Astragalus propinquus) which works with Cacao's heart enhancing gifts as well as improve the function of the immune system as an immunostimulating herb. Read more about the benefits of Cacao here.

To create Yum! Pow! combine the following powdered herbs:

• 4 parts Raw Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
• 4 parts Roasted Chicory Root (Cichorium intybus)
• 1 part Astragalus (Astragalus propinquus)
• 1/4 part Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)
• Optional: 1 part Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) for natural sweetness, but it does have a slightly grainier texture.

To brew, add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon to your milk of choice and gently warm. Add sweetener (or not!) to taste. You can also add Yum! Pow! to your smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and more! 

Super!Rainbows!Love!Go! Herbal Green Powder

The original Worts + Cunning Apothecary green powder was one of my best sellers when I ran my remedy shop. If you want the recipe, it's yours! Just sign-up for my free Magick Mail newsletter and you'll not only get Super!Rainbows!Love!Go! Herbal Green Powder recipe but other exclusive content. But it's only available until the end of May 2017 (so sign-up to get it quick!).

Go forth and make your herbal powders! And make sure to let me know what your favorite herbal powders are in the comments below. 

Beautiful Sustenance : A Taurus Inspired Chaga Chai

Enjoy the following recipe from the Lunar Apothecary! In addition to the full year of material already posted, I also update the Lunar Apothecary with new material every single month! Ready to join our starry circle? Come this way!

Click here to learn more about the special powers of the Taurus Full Moon and additional Taurus herbs to use in your remedies and charms. You'll notice in the recipe below that I left space for you to further explore the healing powers of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) and it's connection to the Moon! Enjoy your explorations - preferably while sipping on a cup of chai!

Keep It Cool : An Adaptogenic Elixir Recipe

Eleuthero is one of my favorite adaptogenic herbs - it enhances mental focus and physical stamina without being too overstimulating and can be taken for longer periods of time than other adaptogens. It is great for folks of all ages and it is a plant that I recommend for folks who work odd hours (looking at your birthworkers) and night shifts to help with recovery. Eleuthero is, of course, great for athletes and I use it as part of my training tonic. Energetically, I find that Eleuthero helps us to re-connect to our inherent vitality and enhance all of our perceptive senses, from the audial to psychic.

Want to learn more about Adaptogenic herbs and they're amazing healing qualities? Come learn with us!

The Keep It Cool blend is, as the name implies, a cooling blend for those hot summer days and for folks who tend to overheat or run too hot. Think, too, about type A folks who get hot and bothered or are prone to angry outbursts. While the recipe below is for a alcohol or vinegar extract, you could adapt it easily to be a tea blend. Simply decoct the Eleuthero root first and then add the Peppermint and Hibiscus to taste. Blend together the following:

• 1 part Eleuthero Root (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
• 1/2 part Peppermint (Mentha piperita or your local variety)
• 1/2 part Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Cover with your choice of menstruum (whether alcohol or raw apple cider vinegar) and a dash of water in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake daily for a full cycle of the moon, decant, and enjoy! The dosage for the extract is 1 - 10 drops up to 3 times daily, while you can enjoy 3 - 4 cups of the tea daily. Enjoy!

Want to learn more about Adaptogenic herbs? Click below!