The Immune System

August ~ Part Two

Let’s meet our plant allies for this month!

These allies are the incredible adaptogens, plants I have taken almost every day for the last couple decades. You will fall in love with them likely as most of us do! Some of these will feel like a returning home… many of our ancestors also drank these plants daily. We have already explored the nourishing herbs in our first module, which are strong plant allies for the root chakra. Nettles and Burdock are also adaptogens, and this month we will meet many other root strengthening adaptogens that come from around the world…

The immune system is an expression of our relationship to the world around us. It is our immune system that keeps the boundaries between us and our environment - without it foreign microbes would consume our cells and turn us back into the earth we came from. Since the root chakra is also connected to boundaries, safety, and maintaining the separate incarnate body that we have, the immune system helps us to hold our boundaries and protect our living body. This protective system holds our individual form together, fighting off anything that would consume or destroy us. Our immune system is often a reflection of our boundaries. For example, those who feel scared of their environment, or have been abused, may have an overprotective immune system - resulting in chronic inflammation, allergies, and autoimmune issues. This section talks about our immune system and the powerful role of adaptogens.

The root chakra also connects to our musculoskeletal system, our nervous system, and our overall physical health. The different adaptogens we will explore are tonics for all three of these systems, as well as all strengthening the body as a whole. I find that the nourishing herbs from our April module, and the adaptogens, are my daily tonics, and the most healing plants to our roots! I hope you enjoy receiving their incredible medicine and spirits.

Tonics of Immortality ~
The Adaptogens

Adaptogens are incredible allies for the times we live in, as they help our body adapt to the environment around us. Adaptogens are strengthening tonics for our whole body, helping to regulate and restore health to multiple systems and organs. They all balance our whole body functioning, and support us in healing from the impacts of chronic stress or trauma. Adaptogens help us to adapt to stressful situations and environments, creating a deeper calm in the nervous system, and easing fight/flight/freeze states of fear. They lower our stress response by modulating the stress hormones produced in the pituitary and adrenal glands such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Adaptogens are my daily tonics besides the nourishing herbs. I either drink a quart a day of a nourishing herb, or an adaptogen. Since burdock and nettles are both adaptogens, I am getting both benefits when I drink either of them. Adaptogens strengthen all systems of the body, increase vitality, energy, and increase resistance to infection. They are deep immune tonics, and restorative to the nervous system. 

Most adaptogens feel very grounding and stabilizing, increasing strength and stamina in the body so we have larger stores of energy. When we use them properly they can helps us to rest more deeply as well! Some of them are more stimulating, and some are more relaxing to the nervous system (nervines). Adaptogens work on the whole endocrine system, regulating hormones, metabolism, and how our body uses and stores energy. For this reason adaptogens can help us to get deepeer rest when we need to recharge, and to have more energy and physical strength/stamina when we need to be active. Adaptogens support the body in finding homeostasis when there are any kind of fluctuations in our environment, which happens all the time! 

They are powerful plants… Often called plants of immortality, tonics of longevity, strengthening and illuminating to our brain. I think of us the superhero plants. They feel like a recharge and refuel. Used along side the nourishing herbs, we give the body and whole being a massive boost. Adaptogens are meant to be used over a period of months and years to really receive their full effects. In Asia, adaptogens like ginseng, reishi, astragalus, holy basil, fo ti, codonopsis, ashwagandha, gotu kola, shatavari, and burdock are drunk daily for vitality and overall health. Adaptogens have been used in most cultures on every continent around the world.

Adaptogens are nervous system and brain restoratives, improving mental function, memory, and focus. They are longevity tonics that help to lengthen our lives, and keep our body healthy. Because they help to regulate our stress response and restore healthy functioning to the brain and nervous system they can be anti-depressant, soothing to anxiety, and generally very uplifting. Adaptogens are especially helpful for fatigue and depletion, usually due to long term stress or over work. All adaptogens, whether they are stimulating or nervine (relaxing), will have an overall effect of improving energy levels, improving sleep, and strengthening the nervous system. Adaptogens are believed to strengthen the body’s Qi/chi/prana (energy/life force).

Adaptogens are also powerful antioxidants and anti-aging tonics. They help to regulate stress, boost energy levels, increase brain function, and reduce brain degeneration as we age. Most of them increase oxygen levels to our cells and increase cellular respiration, improve strength and stamina, building to muscle, regulate blood sugar levels, balance the metabolism, strengthen our organs, and harmonize sleep cycles! Phew, that was a mouthful… but I hope you’re getting the point. They are warrior plants. And they make us strong like warriors… So give them a try and see what you think! I think you will fall in love as most of us do...

Adaptogens ~ Regulating Stress

Adaptogens help to reduce stress and rebalance the nervous system when we go into survival mode or experience fear. They are calming to the nervous system, moving us out of a state of alarm or panic, and back into calm. This is very important for anyone recovering from trauma or events that caused high stress. Stress is our body’s reaction to threats or changes in our environment. Stress can also arise from triggers within our nervous system such as painful memories or distressing thoughts. Stressors threaten our homeostasis, and the impact ofstressors depends on many factors such as our overall health, our constitution, history, behavior, thoughts, and environment. Regardless of how we handle stress, our bodies often take a beating from staying in high levels of fight - flight - freeze for too long. This is where the adaptogens come in to help us by regulating our stress response.

Adaptogens are rebuilding to the adrenals! Our adrenals can become depleted as a result of long term trauma, stress, high emotional states, overactivity, overwork, or coffee drinking. The adrenals produce adrenaline and cortisol, which can be released into the blood in high amounts during stress (or caffeine) - creating a physiological response of fight - flight - freeze. In the root chakra, we go into states of fight, flight or freeze when we are scared, not safe, or fighting for survival. Freeze is another common reaction, which is the parasympathetic (involuntary part of our nervous system) taking over when panic is high, forcing us into a calm state when we actually have a high level of stress and fight - flight underneath… Be careful with frozen states (I know them well), because once the freeze releases, fight or flight is underneath. The energy has to be released from the body once it is there… so be gentle and tender with freeze states.

Identifying types of stressors we experience - Here is a list of some of the causes of stress that are helpful to understand.

1. Physical - physical activity/overwork, surgery, trauma, starvation, drug use, lack of sleep/rest, illness, infection, overstimulation. 2. Biological - bacterial, viral, molds, parasites 3. Chemical - exposure to toxins, pesticides, herbicides, metals, drugs, etc. 4. Environmental - exposure to temeratures, noise, light, pressure changes, electromagnetic exposure etc. 5. Psychological - threat of danger, lack of safety, high emotions, grief, fear & mental stress. Stress effects all our systems, especially our heart, our hormone levels, digestion, immune function, nervous system health, and musculoskeletal system. If you like, note in your journal any of these stressors that you feel impact or have impacted your wellbeing the most.

The Endocrine System & Stress Hormones

Adaptogens build the body’s overall resiliency, strength, stamina, and energy. They help to regulate our body’s homeostasis and general functioning of all systems/organs. They modulate our stress response through their action on the hypothalamus, adrenals, and whole endocrine system. Adaptogens create harmony in our nervous system, clearing trauma from our body, and helping us to rest deeply when we need to replenish our energy. Basically they are magick.

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain control our involuntary stress response. They control our shift from an active state or fight-flight-freeze state of stress, back into a state of relaxation and rest. We can of course affect this as well through deep breathing and relaxation techniques, but many times we find that we cannot easily move from states of stress into deep rest. It is involuntary often how stress and trauma effects us! And quite a bummer.

The hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain are the main controllers of the endocrine system, which includes our adrenals, and other endocrine glands. These hormone producing glands are signaled by the hypothalamus/pituitary to release hormones into the blood, sending chemical signals to our organs and cells. Endocrine glands include our pineal gland, thyroid, adrenals (located on top of our kidneys), ovaries, testes, pancreas, and thymus. Each of our endocrine glands are sometimes linked with specific chakras and energy centers through the body, along the spine. Through acting as a conductor to our endocrine organs, the hypothalamus balances and controls our metabolism, energy levels, growth and development, blood pressure, body temperature, fluids & electrolytes, body weight, thirst, hunger, sleep, fatigue, mood, sex drive, and the release of other hormones within the body. That’s a big deal… The hypothalamus is much like a conductor of an orchestra.

Fight - Flight - Freeze

Our body is built to run from danger when a threat appears. We are given greater physical strength, concentration, and a rush of energy when we experience stress, which can be life saving. This has contributed to our survival so that we can run from danger when we need to. I also find that a little bit of stress initially makes my brain much more focused, able to function better, and increase physical stamina. It’s afterwards I feel exhausted! The benefits of stress (increased mental ability, alertness, focus, and physical ability) are why many of us drink coffee… It can make you feel like a superhero in the moment. Even when we are not doing anything but walking the dog!

When someone experiences a stressful or traumatic event (however big or small), the part of the brain that processes emotions called the amygdala, sends a signal of distress to the hypothalamus. When the hypothalamus perceives something as stressful it signals the pituitary gland in our brain to release hormones into the bloodstream that will activate the body’s response and ability to fight or flee. The adrenals then release stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol. This results in our fight/flight/freeze stress response as well as the cascade of body responses. Basically, run from the bear. And run NOW… Or more likely today, run or fight the person or thing about to harm you. This is challenging to say the least when there isn’t anything obvious to run from, only a painful emotion in the mind. We can’t run from it, and the body isn’t able to go through the expending of physical energy it is designed to do from the threat of danger.

This is cascade of our body’s stress response is called the Hypothalamic - Pituitary - Adrenal axis. Adaptogens act on the HPA axis, affecting the autonomic (involuntary) and somatic (voluntary) nervous systems. Adaptogens modify the body’s reaction to stress & balance the release of stress hormones. They help to regulate our body’s endocrine (hormonal) system, and modulate our physiological response to stress from physical, emotional, or environmental triggers.

During a threat of some kind, the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system takes over, and we go into an involuntary stress response in our body. The adrenaline and cortisol released by our adrenals increases our heart rate and blood pressure, increases blood flow to muscles and brain, constricts peripheral blood vessels in our limbs, increases oxygen consumption, increases respiration rates, increases concentration, releases stored sugar from liver into the blood for energy, contracts muscles, and relaxes others such as the bowels. Meaning we might piss or shit our pants…

When our body goes into a stress response, and we do not physically run or fight, we often aren’t able to return back to calm and homeostasis as easily. You know how much this sucks… being in a high state of stress/emotion that the body can’t release. This is one of the main ways our emotions and trauma become trapped in the body and chakras (energy centers). For me it often builds up as muscle tension and body pain. The energy needs to be released, and the body needs to go through the actual physical release of all the stress. For this reason exercise, movement, or massage can often help when someone is experiencing a rush of adrenaline, (though strenuous exercise can sometimes increase stress and panic as well). Nervines always help, and relaxation practices… but remember to make sure the body releases the energy rather than settles it into the body. We have to listen to what we need to release stress, and return back to relaxation. The adaptogens thankfully are here to help us with all of it…

Morning Energy!

Adrenaline and cortisol are also released by our adrenals in the morning when we wake up, giving us energy and focus. This is signaled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in our brain that conducts our sleep and waking cycles (active and resting states). During the day our metabolism switches from burning energy in order to be active, to resting in order to store/conserve energy. The body uses energy when under stress, and nutrients are converted into energy for our cells to burn. As energy is depleted during stress we often feel fatigued and need rest… Gotta replenish our stores when they are used up! For some of us (like myself living with serious chronic infections), our body is already under continual stress and needs extra time to rest in order to heal. Depending on how much stress you are under, your body will spend more time in active states burning energy, and need a lot of time to rest and recover. This is true for athletes, people with high stress jobs, or anyone who has just gone through a difficult event… which for some happens almost daily. The adaptogens will help your body move into deeper states of recovery and rest, as well as build our ability to handle the stressors.

Cortisol, one of our stress hormones released by the adrenals during stress plays some other important roles. It helps to regulate our metabolism, modulate our immune system (keeping it from being overactive), control blood sugar levels (released by the liver), maintaining salt/water balance in the blood, and affecting blood pressure. When we are under high stress the adrenals release high levels of adrenaline and cortisol. High levels of cortisol cause anxiety, irritability, depression, mood swings, weight gain in the belly, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, weakening bones (osteoporosis), and increased thirst or urination. High levels of cortisol also suppress our immune function, contribute to hormone imbalance, insulin resistance, insomnia, and cysts in ovaries. Over time the adrenals become depleted from chronic stress, and can only produce low levels of adrenaline and cortisol. Too little cortisol causes chronic inflammation, depression, fatigue, low blood pressure, PMS, insomnia, infertility, and body pain. Since adrenaline and cortisol give us energy, this can cause chronic fatigue and feelings of exhaustion.

To learn about the stress/trauma response more deeply, read the book Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine.

Stress & The Immune System

Stress lowers the functioning of our immune system when there are high cortisol levels in the blood, resulting in suppressed immunity. Without enough cortisol the immune system is not modulated, which can cause an overactive immune system (contributing to an increase in allergic reactions, inflammation, and autoimmune issues). This can be seen in cases of trauma and long term stress… Adaptogens help to rebuild our adrenal glands and regulate our endocrine system, which results in modulating the amount of cortisol our adrenals release during stress. This is one of the ways the adaptogens help to boost and regulate our immune system.

Adaptogens are immunomodulators and deep immune tonics, strengthening the immune system as a whole. They can also stimulate white blood cells to be produced in our bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes - in the case of astragalus, reishi, and siberian ginseng (eleuthero). Adaptogens can also stimulate/mobilize our white blood cells to fight pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, as well as speed healing through our bodies.

Acute & Chronic Inflammation

Most adaptogens are excellent anti-inflammatories when there is chronic inflammation due to auto-immune issues, wounded/infected tissues, or allergic reactions. Inflammation plays a very important role in our body’s ability to heal wounds and fight infections. It stimulates circulation and blood flow to the area, dilating blood vessels and making capillaries more leaky so that white blood cells can get to an area to speed up cellular repair, clean up of dead cells, and fight infections at the site. The increased blood flow also brings more oxygen and nutrients to the cells, which speeds up cellular repair.

If the initial acute infection isn’t cleared, or wounded tissue does not heal, chronic inflammation can occur. Many chronic illnesses include chronic inflammation, most especially with wounded tissues, in autoimmune issues (when the immune system attacks your body’s own healthy cells as if they were damaged), or chronic infections (such as respiratory infections, UTI’s, or intestinal infections). With chronic infections you will see high levels of cytokines at the site, which are produced by white blood cells called macrophages and helper T cells working at the sight of infection or wounded tissue. Cytokines produced by our white blood cells are pro- or anti-inflammatory, which can regulate an inflammatory response beginning and ending. 

Anti-Inflammatory plants include all the adaptogens such as astragalus, burdock, reishi, ashwagandha, siberian ginseng - and ginger, turmeric, marshmallow root, chickweed, willow, peach bark, yarrow, st. john’s wort, comfrey, violet, plantain, calendula, birch, and many others.

Guided Tea Meditation

Journeying with the Plants

Choose a few plants to journey with in meditation each month, and journal about what comes through. Tea meditations are the root of our practice at the Gaia school! As we receive directly from the plants, we learn through our own bodies, and we create space for the plants to speak to us. Feel free to pause the recording at any time, play some of the meditation music given to you via Spodify, and rest into receiving the plant without distraction of my voice if that is most helpful.

The Plant Allies ~

Tonics of Vitality & Energy

Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus

The vegetarian chicken soup for the soul… Astragalus is a sweet tasting restorative tonic for many organs and systems of the body. It feels like drinking a warm healing broth. You will love it! Astragalus has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, often in combination with other herbs to strengthen the body against disease. It is one of the most well known medicinal plants in Chinese and other Asian herbal traditions, used to increase energy, nourish the blood, strengthen the spleen, and build our chi. It is often used for people who are weak, undernourished, or recovering from illness. As an adaptogen, Astragalus helps the body to be resistant to physical, mental, emotional, or environmental stress, and has been shown to help rebuild the whole system after prolonged stress. 

Astragalus is a type of vetch native to China, Mongolia, and Korea. It belongs to the pea family of plants that are nitrogen fixing, which means they make great cover crops. They help to increase nitrogen in the soil for other plants. The root is harvested from plants 4-5 year old plants. They grow very easily from seed and are perennial so they will keep returning!

Astragalus has been used for thousands of years in Asia to strengthen the immune system and increase vitality. I call it the superman plant, because the first time I connected with the spirit of Astragalus I had a very unusual experience… I had thought I was getting a cold early one morning, and took a couple dropperfuls of astragalus tincture. I lay down and for about 20 minutes went into a strange altered state. It began with my airways opening so much that I felt like I was drinking massive breaths of air… heaving huge full breathes, with energy coursing through me. It felt like someone had plugged me into a socket, and energy poured into me. I felt incredibly alive, and full of power moving through me. I went into a slightly delusional state of mind feeling that I could save the world. There were no thoughts of how, but I felt infused with power and strength to do anything that was needed. I felt like I was superman for about 20 minutes. Sadly it wore off and I have never had an experience like it again. Ha!

Astragalus is the plant I consider to be most like drinking soothing broth. It is warm, and soothing, and cozy... I find that a big mug of astragalus when I feel sick or worn down revitalizes the whole system, and helps me to feel comforted and well tended to. My whole body LOVES astragalus. 

The taste is sweet, and it is building to the cells and tissues of the body. Astragalus helps to regenerate healthy tissue and cells anywhere there has been wounding. It is a nerve restorative, helping to repair damage that has been done to the brain and spinal cord, as well as nerve cells through the whole body. It is also neuroprotective, which means that it protects the nerve cells and brain from damage. Polysaccharides, saponins, and antioxidant flavonoids help astragalus to protect our cells from radiation, toxins, and free radicals that can cause cellular damage and cancer. Studies have shown astragalus protects and repairs cellular DNA from damage. This is an especially important plant for our bodies in the modern world… dealing with cell phone and 5G radiation that damages our cells, leading to cancer and malfunction of our organs. Astragalus also helps to protect the liver from toxins in our environment, and regenerate liver cells. Hurray!!

 Astragalus is strengthening and restorative to the lungs, helping to heal damage that has been done from infections, smoking, or pollutants. It is opening the airways as a bronchiodilator, which increases oxygen and energy levels. It is useful in any conditions such as asthma and respiratory infections, as well as chronic lung diseases and degeneration caused by smoking, chronic infections, or pollutants/particle damage to the tissue of the lungs. Astragalus is a great plant to take when you feel a cold coming on, or any respiratory infections. It can be used to prevent many kinds of infections, boosting health of our mucous membranes (where we have our first line of defense), and stimulating the production of white blood cells. The root is also antibacterial and antiviral, useful for many chronic infections.

Astragalus is a great anti-inflammatory, which I often blend with ginger, burdock, or marshmallow root. Since it is demulcent (mucilaginous), it can help to coat and soothe infected mucous membranes of the respiratory tract or digestive tract. Astragalus is a wonderful plant for healing mucous membranes of the urinary tract, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. It is demulcent, anti-inflammatory, and speeds cell healing.

The roots are healing and strengthening to the heart, as well as lowering to high blood pressure. Astragalus can support the health of our heart muscle and arteries. Our blood vessels can be damaged from the sugar, alcohol, and toxins we have floating through our blood from processed foods… causing inflammation in our vessels leading to plaque build up in the walls of our arteries. Astragalus and many other anti-inflammatory and tissue healing plants can help. I’ll talk about this in the module focused on the heart.

Astragalus is high in anti-inflammatory and immune system strengthening polysaccharides, nourishing amino acids, anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids, tonifying antioxidant flavonoids, saponins, and minerals. The saponins help to support mucous membranes in the respiratory tract, and the polysaccharides are building and regulating to the immune system. 

Astragalus is incredibly strengthening to the immune system. It helps to increase T cell counts, strengthening our ability to kill off infections when we get exposed, as well as kill cancer cells in the body that naturally occur in all of our bodies. Polysaccharides in astragalus are complex sugar molecules (like carboydrates) can trigger the production of white blood cells in bone marrow and in lymph nodes. Astragalus root is one of the best plants to stimulate white blood cell production, including macrophages that kill pathogens in our mucous membranes and potentially cancerous cells. It also increases the number of T cells, B-cells (which produce anti-bodies), and stimulates an acute immune response. Astragalus is especially helpful for colds, flu, herpes, HIV, cancer, and respiratory infections. It also helps to cleanse our lymphatic system, which clears wastes from our body, and strengthens our immune function. Warning - Do not use it in cases of life threatening auto-immune illnesses as it can over stimulate the immune system in some cases.

Astragalus is anti-cancer and anti-tumor, used as both a preventative for all types of cancers, and helpful during treatment. It can be used during chemotherapy and radiation to protect the immune system, liver, heart, and whole body from the toxic effects of the drugs. It is often combined with Reishi and other medicinal mushrooms for people during chemo treatment.  Astragalus speeds healing and can extend life… I have worked with it to support many, many people. The last thing I’ll say is that like all the adaptogens, astragalus regulates our stress response. It feels grounding, calming, and restorative to energy levels. It’s great when you feel depleted, exhausted, and undernourished. Try throwing a slice or two of the root into your soups, rice, or veggie saute! You can chew on the root anytime for a boost, but I wouldn’t swallow as the fibers are tough to digest.

Brewing Astragalus Decoction ~

To make astragalus tea, simmer 1-2 tsp. of finely chopped up root in 1 quart of water. You can always make it stronger if you like, but start from there. It should turn a pale yellow color, and taste like a mild sweet broth. It’s heavenly… If you buy the long slices of root, you can chew on them anytime, or throw a few in your grain/rice while it’s cooking. Or into your soup pot!

Parts Used ~ Roots
Taste & Energetics ~ sweet, nourishing, gently warming, mucilaginous, grounding, and restorative.
Phytochemistry ~ proteins (amino acids), flavonoids (anti-inflammatory), sterols (plant hormones), carbohydrates, polysaccharides (adaptogenic), saponins, alkaloids.
Actions ~ stimulant, adaptogen, anti-inflammatory, adrenal strengthening, cardiotonic, hepatoprotective (liver protective), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), lung strengthening, immunomodulating, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, nervous system restorative, demulcent, antiviral.
*** Safe during pregnancy in milder doses and safe while breastfeeding.

Video ~ Meeting Astragalus

Reishi ~ Ling Zhi

Ganoderma lucidum & Ganoderma tsugae

Reishi is grounding, earthy, and feels like you are drinking the most ancient earth. It is a powerful elder, bringing wisdom and peace to the heart and mind. Reishi is one of the “elixers of enlightenment” sought after in Asia by the emperors of China and Japan many thousands of years ago. They found other adaptogens as well, such as ginseng, astragalus, codonopsis, gotu kola, and others. Reishi is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as Ling Zhi, the mushroom of immortality. It has been recorded in use for over 4,000 years. Like all the adaptogens, it is considered a longevity tonic. Reishi helps to slow the effects of aging - keeping the brain, nervous system, and heart strong as we get older. 

Medicinal mushrooms feel like the most ancient beings, rising up out of the forest, connecting us to the cycles of death and rebirth. They grow from the dead tissue of trees or plants. Mushrooms are magick. I know fungi have gotten very popular lately, and for good reason! Medicinal mushrooms like Reishi and others can remediate the soil when there have been toxins and poisons left by humans in the soil. They can break down toxic chemicals, where plants can only store them in their leaves. Mushrooms are just the fruiting body of the fungi, which actually grows as a large network within a dead tree or under ground, and we harvest the part of the fungi that spores - similar to a flower that produces seeds. Because of this reason it is very important to harvest mushrooms after they have spored. I think about this when I harvest plants as well, making sure to leave enough flowers to produce and release seeds. Leave some of the mushrooms, do not harvest them all! Reishi grows on Hemlock trees, which we have a lot of here in the Northeast. You can find it all over the northern hemisphere. It likes moist environments, so look for hemlock forests that grow by streams, lakes, ponds, or rivers. I see reishi starting in June, and harvest sometime in late July after they have spored. You can look for dust underneath Reishi to see that it has released its spores.

Reishi is my favorite medicinal mushroom, and I’ve worked with Reishi for many years. Reishi feels calming and soothing to the nerves… It is grounding, and stabilizing. A powerful adaptogen, helping to strengthen the nervous system and regulate the stress response. It is a nervine, calming to the nervous system, and helpful for people who get stuck in fight/flight/freeze states of stress. When I drink Reishi my body is so grateful. I feel the medicine my organs need badly when I drink it. I also find reishi to be a bit consciousness shifting, opening to the dreaming mind, and helpful in recalling deep ancestral or soul memories. At times it can feel like traveling down the rabbit hole when I drink it… You might experience the same.

Reishi is a deep immune tonic, and next to astragalus my favorite medicinal for building the health of our immune system. It is a good immunomodulator, helpful for autoimmune illnesses and allergies. Reishi is building our overall immunity, increasing white blood cells, preventing cancer, and helping our body to be more resistance to infections. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties, helping to fight chronic and acute infections while also giving our immune system a boost. It is a wonderful anti-inflammatory, which works on the whole body, but can be especially helpful for arthritis, and inflammation of the intestines, blood vessels, and the respiratory tract. 

Reishi helps to protect the body from cellular DNA damage due to toxins and radiation. Like astragalus it is helpful in preventing cellular DNA damage to our liver, heart, immune system, and other cells. It is often used during chemotherapy to protect the body from the toxic effects of the medicine. Reishi is a restorative tonic for the liver, lungs, heart, brain, and whole nervous system. As a liver restorative it is used for hepatitis and protecting the liver from the effects of toxins.

Reishi is a gentle cardiac (heart) tonic, calming stress on the heart, regulating blood pressure, clearing cholesterol, and helping the heart to be strong. It can be used like other adaptogens to increase oxygen levels in the blood, which gives us energy and speeds cellular repair. As it is also restorative for the lungs, and useful for asthma and chronic lung infections. I feel reishi supports the healing of the whole heart chakra, which includes the lungs. As a mushroom I find it can help us to decompost/digest/transform what is blocked within us. Helping us to let go and allow for release…

Reishi is anti-tumor, as many other medicinal mushrooms are. They look a bit like tumors in some ways, which would be one clue that these mushrooms are helpful in fighting and preventing cancers.

Making Reishi Tea ~

I love the taste of Reishi, though it is a little dry and astringent, so you might want to mix in a little astragalus or marshmallow root. (Or just water it down until it’s mild). I prefer to take reishi as a decoction, simmering a tablespoon or two of cut up reishi slices in 2 quarts of water on very low for 15 minutes. If you take a tincture the does is 2-3 droppers full in water 2-3 times a day. If you make a tincture of reishi, you will need to do a double extraction, which I also spoke about in our medicine making zoom call. I will try to make a demo video for you as well. Below is a recipe for an immune boosting adaptogen soup broth, focusing on medicinal mushrooms. Enjoy!

Parts Used ~ Mushroom fruiting body
Taste & Energetics ~ bitter, cooling, drying, grounding, and restorative.
Phytochemistry ~ proteins (amino acids), fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, sterols (plant hormones), polysaccharides (adaptogenic), coumarin, alkaloids, tannins, and acids.
Actions ~ Nervine (nerve calming), adaptogen, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, antiviral, immune stimulant, rejuvenative, antibacterial, adrenal strengthening, cardiotonic, hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), hepatoprotective (liver protective), lung strengthening, immunomodulating, nervous system restorative, astringent.
*** Safe during pregnancy in milder doses and safe while breastfeeding.

Other Adaptogenic Mushrooms

Shitake mushroom is another wonderful adaptogenic mushroom that strengthens the immune system, and is the best edible medicinal mushroom in my opinion next to oyster mushrooms. I’ve made many wonderful immune boosting stir fries or soups with shitake, maitake, oyster, and lion’s mane. Yum! These medicinal mushrooms are also anti-tumor and anti-cancer like reishi, helpful during chemotherapy and radiation. They are restorative and protective to the liver, brain and nervous system, healing to the heart and blood vessels. These mushrooms will also activate our white blood cells, helping to fight infection and kill cancer cells. Like reishi they also have antimicrobial properties, helpful in assisting the immune system when fighting infections. I like combining them with burdock and astragalus to add a little demulcent moistening balance.

I use Reishi instead of chaga, which is very over harvested and takes up to 20 years to reproduce, while reishi releases spores yearly. Reishi and chaga have very similar medicinal uses, and though they taste different and have some differences in personality and energy, they can do most of the same things in the body. Chaga has told me not to harvest for 10 years, but the chaga I do have I use only for people with cancer or serious illness that really need it. If you use chaga, please ask with respect, do not advertise its use on social media, and sell/give it only to folks who are dealing with serious illnesses such as cancer. Reishi is as powerful medicine (if not more so) than chaga! And reishi can actually be grown, which makes it sustainable.

Immune Boosting Mushroom Broth

1 tbsp. or a few slices Reishi mushroom
1 tbsp. Astragalus root
4 tbsp. Burdock root
1 cup chopped Maitake mushroom
2 cups chopped Shitake mushroom
Optional - 1 cup fresh chopped Lion’s Mane and/or 1 tbsp. chopped Turkey Tail mushroom.

Add reishi, astragalus, burdock, and optional turkey tail to 10 quart pot of water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes on low, and then strain out mushroom/herb material. Add carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and any greens/veggies, as well as chopped up shitake, maitake, and optional lion’s mane mushrooms. Simmer until veggies are cooked to your liking! Eat as is, or strain out veggies and freeze to use as soup stock.

Video ~ Reishi talk

Siberian Ginseng ~ Eleuthero

Eleutherococcus senticosus

I love Eleuthero, it has helped my body incredible. It is also called Siberian ginseng since it’s a ginseng relative native to Northern Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia. Its use extends through Asia and into some areas of Eastern Europe as well. Eleuthero is another one of the adaptogen plants considered to be powerfully anti-aging, increasing to our body’s overall health and vital energy. I find it to be a powerful grounding nervine, and more than a little consciousness shifting! This plant has brought me many deep meditations and spirit journeys… It also feels like one of the most grounding, root chakra strengthening plants I know.

Eleuthero is a relative of the Panax ginsengs, which are considered to be the true ginsengs. For this reason, it is often referred to by its genus name, eleuthero to distinguish it from the very different panax ginsengs. Since the panax ginsengs are endangered due to over harvesting in both Asia and here in North America where they grow, I use eleuthero instead. It has a very different energy (not as heating and stimulating as the panax ginsengs), but can support our body in many of the same ways.

Eleuthero is a wonderful calming nerving and adaptogen. It soothes the nerves, slows us down, grounding nervous energy, and brings energy to the whole being. Eleuthero is especially helpful when there is adrenal depletion and exhaustion. Use it for a period of weeks or months to rebuild the adrenals and restore the body when it is overstressed and under-rested. Eleuthero is a nice anti-depresseant, and can help us to stay more relaxed through stress. I like to mix it with astragalus, reishi, or ashwagandha to restore health and vitality to the body. Like our other adaptogens it will help to lower our stress response, reduce cortisol levels if they are high, and help to repair the brain and nervous system. Eleuthero is strengthening to the nervous system and helpful for concentration, memory, and mental regeneration. Like many of our adaptogens, it helps to keep our brain and nervous system healthy as we age. 

In Russia has been used to help athletes to have more energy, stamina, and concentration. Unfortunately like another adaptogen Rhodiola (which we will cover in the heart chakra module), it was used in factories with workers to help them work longer hours with more energy and mental focus. This is an example of how adaptogens can be used to over push our bodies, similar to how you might use coffee. If they are used properly, and with consideration of our body’s needs, we will rest more deeply with their assistance, as well as have more energy for activity. Many studies have shown how eleuthero can increase mental alertness, physical performance, and support the brain in improved work performance. It also helps improve our ability to handle adverse conditions such as physical and environmental challenges. Just be careful that you don’t use it to overwork yourself!

Siberian ginseng is a wonderful immune tonic, building to the body’s resistance to all kinds of infections. It is anti-cancer, and anti-tumor, used similar to reishi and astragalus during cancer treatments. Like reishi and astragalus it can help to protect damage to the heart, liver, nervous system, and immune system from chemotherapy or radiation treatments. It has been shown to help repair DNA damage that has been done to cells (potentially leading to cancer). For this reason it is one of the plants that I think is especially helpful in the world today, when we are dealing with higher and higher levels of radiation and toxins in our environments.

Like most of the other adaptogens, it is immunomodulating, used for autoimmune illnesses and reducing allergic reactions. Eleuthero is a good anti-inflammatory, helpful with joint pain from arthritis, or the inflammation of specific tissues due to infection or wounding. I’m excited to hear what you think of eleuthero… It is especially powerful during tea meditations! Enjoy this powerful plant.

Making Eleuthero tea ~

To make eleuthero tea, take 1 tsp. a simmer in 1 quarts of water on low for 15 - 30 minutes. Drink 1 quart a day, or however much your body wants. You can also take a tincture of it, 2-3 droppersful in water. We can grow eleuthero shrubs in the northeast, though they take a while to get big enough for harvesting. I do like to grow plants sometimes just to be able to spend time with them in person rather than to harvest them!

Not taken during pregnancy, safe during breastfeeding.

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

Ashwagandha is a powerful nervous system restorative that helps to calm us during stress and anxiety. It is in the nightshade family, and produces little berries that look like small tomatoes, but without much flesh. Ashwagandha is used in northern Africa and Asia primarily, but can be grown as an annual in any climate you can grow tomatoes or potatoes. You can grow it from seed easily, and you’ll want to plant it in good soil/compost to grow large plants. Potato beetles tend to love it though, so spray it with neem when the plants are young and starting to get eaten. When the plant dies back in the fall you will be able to harvest nice roots to chop up and dry, or tincture fresh.

In Ayurveda, ashwagandha is considered to be a supreme tonic for strengthening the nervous system and the brain. It is sweet and earthy tasting, calming to the nerves during stress or anxiety. It is one of the best nervines I know! In Ayurveda it is probably considered THE supreme tonic for the nervous system next to holy basil… I could have added it to the nervous system module, but I wanted to introduce it with the adaptogens since it is one of the best! As a powerful adaptogen, neural restorative, and adrenal tonic, ashwagandha will calm our stress response and rebuild our energy levels. I find it is one of the best plant medicines for healing any issues of the brain and nervous system. (My other favorites are schisandra, siberian ginseng, holy basil, skullcap, and oatstraw). Ashwagandha helps to restore brain function, and balance our neurotransmittors. I have found it especially useful for healing trauma, depression, bipolar/manic depression, and recovery from addiction. It is amazing for high states of fight/flight/freeze, calming the nerves through panic attacks and soothing the soul.

Ashwagandha is sometimes called Indian ginseng since it has been used similarly to the adaptogenic ginsengs for boosting energy levels, stamina, libido, and immunity. Like the other adaptogens it is anti-aging, building the whole body, and increases energy/vitality. It is a rejuvenative herb like the others, building and restoring to healthy tissue, muscles, and nerve function. Similar to siberian ginseng it can be used to build muscle, increase athletic ability, and improve performance.

Ashwagandha is helpful for body pain, inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia, muscle twitches, and muscle weakness. There is a wonderful Ayurvedic oil called mahanarayan oil that I use frequently for body/muscle pain, reducing inflammation, calming the nerves, and increasing circulation. It contains many adaptogens such as ashwagandha, shatavari, holy basil, and warming herbs like ginger and turmeric. You can use it as a daily oil for self massage, which I HIGHLY recommend. Banyan botanicals also makes a great one, as well as an ashwagandha oil by itself.

Like Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha is often used for energy depletion and exhaustion. It can help with insomnia and regulating your sleep cycles, as well as boosting energy levels during the day. ‘Somnifera’ means ‘sleep inducing’, and it can be taken at night for those who struggle to fall asleep. The name ashwagandha means ‘sweat of the horse’, probably because it smelled to someone like the sweat of a horse… but also because it is said to give men the libido of a horse. Uh oh… This is especially helpful during later stages of life when testosterone production is reduced.

Ashwaganda helps to balance hormones and regulate the endocrine system, rebuilding the adrenals and balancing thyroid hormones. It can be used as a reproductive tonic for everyone, and is known to help strengthen the libido for everyone! Mixed with sarsaparilla and maca I would agree… It will increase fertility, sperm numbers and sperm health (similar to maca)… and if you aren’t someone who makes sperm, who knows what it might stimulate. Try it and find out! The roots contain phytoandrogens that can help to balance estrogen and ease PMS irritability - for this I sometimes mix it with another amazing Ayurvedic adaptogen, shatavari.

The roots are strongly immune boosting. Like other adaptogens it is known to increase white blood cell counts and reduce the body’s infection rate. The root is what is used, but the leaves and berries are known to be helpful externally when applied to tumors. It is a great immunomodulator used for autoimmune issues such as rheumatoid arthritis, soothing inflammation connected to most autoimmune illnesses.

Making Ashwagandha tea ~

To make a tea add 1 tbsp. to 2 quarts of water, and simmer for 15 minutes. If using the powder, I use 1-2 tsp. powder to 1 quart of water. You can increase the strength once you have a sense of how concentrated your body prefers the tea. You can also make a wonderful honey, mixing ashwagandha powder with honey until it is a smooth consistency. You can add this to tea, to oatmeal, cookies, or spread it on someone’s body! Have fun with it. Not taken during pregnancy, safe during breastfeeding.

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis

SHIZZZ AAAND RAAAAAA. My love… So much to say about this ally. So much to say. It is a POWERHOUSE. It feels like this plant has saved me over and over again from total depletion while living with chronic illness. Not to mention in a society that pushes us to work until we fall over! This plant has pumped life back into me over and over again. All five flavors, sour at first when you suck on them, and then bitter when you bite into the berry. It is my absolute favorite plant for energy and increasing vitality to the whole body. Schisandra is also called five-flavor-fruit, or Wu Wei Zi in China, because it contains all 5 flavors - considered to be a tonic for all constitutions. It is a woody vine native to Asia and Russia, but can be grown in any northern climates. It is hardy up to the USDA Zone 4, and produces incredibly sour fabulous berries that you can juice! They are super sexy red juicy berries, and grow a bit like grape vines.

Out of all the adaptogens, schisandra is the most energizing of them. When students are getting tired in class and want to wake up after a day of meditation, I give them schisandra berries to suck on. It does wonders when we need to become more alert, such as during a long drive. Be careful not to use it to push yourself harder though… it does not contain caffeine, but it can keep you up at night. If I am sleepy or exhausted, I don’t take schisandra. It’s best when you are not tired, since we need to rest when we are tired! If you have gotten lots of rest and still have low energy, schisandra can help by strengthening and rebuilding the adrenals, and stimulating the nervous system in a way that is not depleting like coffee. I think of this plant as a coffee alternative, that helps to restore the nerves and whole body.

Schisandra is a supreme tonic for the brain and nervous system. Like gingko it is used to improve mental functioning and the longevity of the mind. It is stimulating to the brain and spinal cord, and helps to increase concentration, memory, and cognitive function. It is very good for long term support of the brain and nervous system. A wonderful anti-depressent, pulling us out of stagnant place where we are getting stuck in the mud or struggle. Schisandra is playful, uplifting, energizing, and has a joyful energy. It can be helpful with many types of nervous system disorders, including Parkinsons, Alzheimer's, stroke recovery, ADHD, and many kinds of depression. Be careful not to use it when someone is having a manic episode as it can make it worse - it’s just too uplifting and stimulating! Best used during a down swing when someone is feeling low and heavy. It can be extremely helpful in clearing suffering and painful emotions.

As an adaptogen it will regulate our stress response, helping to calm anxiety and stress. Like other adaptogens it builds reserves of energy, increases physical strength, and reduces fatigue.

Schisandra is a powerful mover of fluids in the body. It is cleansing to the fluids of our whole body, stimulating to blood circulation, lymphatic movement, and urination. It is strengthening and protective to the kidneys, and can help to cleanse the fluids of the prostate, testes, and sexual organs in general. It is also cleansing and anti-inflammatory to the urinary tract, soothing to UTI’s when combined with hibiscus, cranberry, or marshmallow root. In Asia it is used as a master of the fluids of the body… and used to support female ejaculation! Fun. I do find that everything flows better with schisandra… so ENJOY. It can stimulate libido, and helps us to feel more alive and excited about life in general. I have found that it improves my mood greatly, and can make me feel more playful and free when I take it. 

Schisandra has a way of clearing out the junk, funky energy, and waste from the body. It is one of the best plants for cleansing, and increasing the body’s ability to clear waste and stagnation. It will help to clear mucous and blocked energy centers. It is anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and wonderful for folks with chronic illness, exhaustion, or weakness. It will increase our life force and chi powerfully. If you feel like you really need an energetic and physical cleanse, work with schisandra. Especially if you are dealing with a lot of stagnation… which let’s face it, most of us are. You’ll really dig it.

Schisandra is boosting to the immune system, anti-cancer, and helpful in preventing some of the side effects of chemotherapy like astragalus, reishi, and eleuthero. However the sour taste of the berries makes it not blend well in teas with the other roots. It’s also a bit pricy, so I go for the tincture where a small amount of herb material can make a lot of medicine! Schisandra is also protective to the liver, regulates blood sugar, and stimulates digestive juices. It is zingy and zangy. I go crazy for schisandra, and I can never keep the tincture in stock because others do too!!

To brew Schisandra tea ~

To make a tea add 2 tsp. berries to 1 quart of water, and simmer for 15 minutes. The taste should be slightly sour and sweet, but not too strong. I personally prefer the tincture, but the tea is really nice when you what that cooling sour taste - perfect added to lemonade or kombucha! You can increase the strength once you have a sense of how concentrated your body prefers the tea. Not taken during pregnancy, safe during breastfeeding.

Schisandra challenge!

I often give students a schisandra challenge… Take it for one month and see the difference. It’s amazing. Take 2-3 droppers full in a glass of water, 2x a day. Once in the morning, and once in the early afternoon. Keep a regular schedule of taking it for one month and you will see what it does… Just awesome. Not taken during pregnancy, safe during breastfeeding.

Holy Basil ~ Tulsi

Ocimum sanctum

Holy basil is for many people, their favorite daily tea. I understand, it is super tasty and feels really good… Tulsi is possibly the most sacred plant to India, and is used all over Asia as an adaptogen and beloved medicine plant. In India the plant is believed to be one of the forms god takes, and worshiped in people’s houses with offerings and ceremony. One of my Indian students told stories of growing up and going from house to house giving offerings to each family’s tulsi plant, which was wrapped in a sari and treated as divine. If only we all honoured plants in this way!! As many of them (if not all) feel like embodiments of the divine.

Tulsi is considered to be one of the tonics of enlightenment, and has a powerful restorative effect on the nervous system and mind. Holy basil can improve concentration, memory, focus, and general cognitive function. I find it to be stimulating like many of the other mints, as well as wonderfully calming to the stress and anxiety. Holy basil is an incredible strengthening restorative for the nervous system, and very helpful for depression. It is a wonderful tonic if you feel a bit blah and low energy. Tulsi is upfliting and strengthening to the whole body.  It works on every system, increasing energy, vitality, and harmony to the whole being… Body, mind, and soul.

Holy basil is wonderful when used for meditation, bringing peace, deeper relaxation, and mental clarity. Tulsi definitely feels like a powerful ally for the consciousness, opening the heart and lungs during meditation, and bringing as deep sense of openness, presence, and calm. It’s very blissful to be honest. Pleasureful and joyful. The taste is sweet, aromatic, and so so lovely. It makes a great pesto or addition to salads as well! You can use it very much like our regular basil, and you’ll get much of the medicinal benefits when you eat is as a food. The tea though is my favorite way to drink it, which feels like such sensory pleasure and sweetness.

Tulsi is heart opening and a big lover! It feels clearing to the energy field, and opens to the heart to love and compassion. I love to mix it with rose, skullcap, lemongrass, or oatstraw… It blends well with all of the mints, heart opening tonics, or other nervines. It has a lighter energy that some of the other very earthy adaptogens, which is great when you feel stagnant and a bit low. It’s not quite as catalyzing as schisandra, but definitely can help to create more opening and clearing.

Holy basil strengthens the lungs, opens the airways, and clears infection from the bronchioles. It’s a nice expectorant like many other mints, and feels very soothing to the respiratory tract. You can use it for asthma, sinus infections, and as a mild bronchodilator. It can help us to release what is stuck in the throat chakra, or grief trapped in the lungs. In general it can clear stagnant or blocked energy through the heart chakra, stimulate circulation, and boost movement through the whole body. If it’s not strong enough for you, switch to schisandra, and POW!

Holy basil is a deep immune tonic like the other adaptogens, strengthening to the immune system, and balancing to the endocrine system. It increases white blood cell counts, and has anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties. It is a good plant for modulating the immune system, so think of it for folks with autoimmune issues and allergies.

Tulsi will also modulate your stress response, as well as regulate hormones, and restore energy and vitality to the body. Many people have enjoyed my Tulsi challenge, with 1 month of daily holy basil! If you’re drawn to it, see what happens with daily use! Tulsi tea is heaven. 2 tbsp. to 1 quart hot water, steep 15-30 min. For the tincture or glycerite, take 2-3 droppers full in water. Bliss out… Tulsi glycerite is insane. Fill a jar with chopped up fresh tulsi (or 1/2 full with freshly dried), and pack down until it is like a mattress. Cover in a mix of 3/4 glycerine and 1/4 water - If you are using dried, just increase the water content to 1/3 to 2/3 glycerine. Throw in the blender, and then return to the jar to steep for 2 months. Strain and take 2-4 droppers full in water. Safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Images of Tulsi Puja in India

Video ~ Holy Basil

Understanding The Immune System

Diving deeper…

The immune system maintains the physical body, helps to repair tissue, and heal wounds in the body. White blood cells help to clean up dead cells and tissue, as well as protecting a wounded sight from attack by microbes that would cause infection.

The immune system creates harmony and boundaries between ourselves and the environment. It interfaces with anything that is “other”, or not accepted as part of the body’s healthy ecosystem. This can be an issue with organ transplants when someone receives a foreign organ and their immune system wants to completely destroy it, since it knows quite well it is not part of you to begin with. It is labeled as “other”, and we have to take steroids and immunosuppressant drugs to keep the immune system from attacking the organ. This of course leaves the immune system weak when it needs to fight infections, cancer, or help in wound healing.

As David Hoffman says in Medical Herbalism, “Immunity is an expression of relationship” – an expression of our relationship to all things that surround us. The immune system communicates with nervous system in order to sense its environment and respond. It also is able to communicate to the nervous system (through neurotransmitters) what is happening in the body. Wowza!
The immune system is made of various parts… let’s identify them so we can understand how to strengthen the whole immune system!

Organs of the Immune System

1. We have our white blood cells that help to kill pathogens and our own damaged cells.
2. The thymus gland at our sternum that produces some of our white blood cells (T cells).
3. Bone marrow that produces stem cells, which turn into red blood cells carrying oxygen through the body, or white blood cells. This happens mostly in our flat bones like the hips or shoulder blades.
4. The spleen, which recycles red blood cells and acts like a large lymph node producing white blood cells.
5. Lymphatic vessels that cleanse waste from the cells, releasing it then into the blood stream, and transport white blood cells to the blood stream.
6. Lymph nodes located throughout the lymphatic vessel system that help to produce white blood cells.
7. Tonsils, which are lymphatic tissue that helps to destroy pathogens entering throat/mouth. "
8. Blood vessels/circulatory system that carry white blood cells to our body and tissue.
9. Skin acting as a barrier to pathogens.
10. Mucous membranes that create mucous to trap pathogens from attacking internal organs and tissues.
11. Stomach & digestive acids that help to destroy pathogens entering through the food and water we consume.
12. The intestinal wall housing beneficial bacteria and Payer’s patches (lymph nodes through our intestines) making up 70% of our immune system. HELLO! Seventy percent people. Get that gut in shape. (Don’t worry, we’ll cover that soon).
13. You could also argue that our nervous system and endocrine system is part of our immune system, since they signal and modulate each other at times. Truth is the body is very hard to organize into isolated systems, since really we function as a WHOLE…

The immune system communicates with nervous system through neurotransmitters produced by the white blood cells. Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the relationship between the immune system and the. nervous system, and it will blow your mind! And for me, really helps me understand more of how many illnesses are impacted by stress and emotions… or vice versa.

A little more about white blood cells… Macrophages are white blood cells that destroy pathogens, living in our mucous membranes (and traveling through the body). They are our first line of defense from pathogens that would cause colds, flu or other infections. T-cells and B-cells make up our adaptive immunity. B cells are white blood cells that remember past pathogens they have come into contact with and create white blood cells (antibodies) specifically designed to destroy a specific pathogen, as well as cytocines that attract more white blood cells to an area. Helper T cells signal B-cells to create antibodies, and Killer T cells destroy our human cells that have already been infected by a pathogen invader. T-cells and B-cells are mostly produced in the bone marrow and the thymus gland located at the bottom of our neck.

Immune System Herbs

Deep Immune Tonics & Immunomodulators ~

Deep immune tonics support immune function in various ways. They can help to stimulate the production of white blood cells, strengthen the organs that produce them, improve the health of the lymphatic system, increase circulation, lower inflammation, and strengthen the immune system by regulating our stress response through balancing our endocrine and stress hormones. Deep immune tonics produce gradual, longer lasting improvement in immune function than surface immune stimulants, and help regulate overactive immune systems that contribute to allergies and autoimmune imbalances.

Our deep immunity refers to the strength of the immune system, which includes the health of all the organs, tissues, cells, and parts of the immune system. Deep immunity refers to -

1. The amount of white blood cells, especially our reproducing antibodies (killer white blood cells).
2. The health of the lymphatic system (if it is not flowing well)
3. The health of the circulatory system (moving white blood cells, oxygens, and nutrients through the body).
4. The health of our organs that produce white blood cells - the spleen, the thymus (a gland located at the base of our neck), & lymph nodes.
5. The health of our bones and bone marrow, where we produce stem cells that are made into red blood cells and white blood cells.
5. The health of the liver/digestive system. When the digestive system and liver aren’t functioning well, the body will have high levels of toxicity in the blood and lymph, which will cause inflammation.
6. The health of our organs of elimination - the liver, kidneys (filtering out waste through pee), colon (pooping out waste), and skin (sweating out toxins). These organs filter the blood of toxins, and help to clear wastes from the body. Sweating through the skin is another way the body clears waste, so enjoy your saunas or hot baths.

Since the immune system is responsible for cleaning up and destroying wounded or damanged cells or foreign/harmful substances, deep immunity also refers to the immune system’s ability to help support wound healing and destroying damaged/dead cells. This includes clearing out cells that have damaged DNA and do not reproduce properly, such as cancer cells.

Auto Immune Conditions & Allergies

An auto-immune illness refers to when the immune system destroys our own healthy cells, and does damage to a specific organ, tissue, or system. It does this by producing antibodies to our body’s own cells, often located in a very specific area of the body (such as the joints in rheumatoid arthritis). You could say there is a challenge recognizing what is harmful, and distinguishing ‘self’ from ‘other’… remember that the immune system is a reflection of our relationship to our environment/home/community. This refers often to wounds found in our root chakra.

Autoimmune issues can often show up when the immune system gets the message that it should be protective and on the attack because harm is coming to us. This is a message it receives from our nervous system & soul when it does not feel safe. Think of overactive gaurds/warriors on duty all the time searching for anything that it needs to fight or protect us from. Sometimes the immune system does not stop fighting, even when no harm is currently happening. When there has been trauma or a lack of safety, especially in very sensitive people, the immune system often becomes over active at the places of our physical and emotional wounds. If you track where the immune system is over reactive according to that chakra, you night have some more clue to the source of the emotional wound.

When our cells are damaged, infected (with a virus, protozoa, or other pathogen that reproduces in our cells), the job of our white blood cells is to destroy those cells. There are times our white blood cells do this but in a way that is a bit out of control and over active. This can happen at the sight of already wounded tissue or cells with DNA damage. At times the white blood cells attack the body’s own cells as if they were not a part of “self” but part of an “other” foreign being. Tissue damage results, which can happen anywhere in the body. This is worsened by toxic conditions in the body, which can lead to chronic wounded tissue more vulnerable to infection, and needing to be “cleaned up” (of dead or damaged cells) by the white blood cells.

Autoimmune issues cause chronic inflammation, either through the whole body in the case of lupus, or more localized in the case of Crohn’s disease (in the intestines), MS (in the brain and spinal cord) and rheumatoid arthritis (in the joints). You can read more about different auto-immune illnesses here. In the case of allergies, the immune system sees a substance the body is exposed to as extremely harmful when it is not harmful. Pollen and animal dander allergies are good examples of this. This is an overprotective immune response… and as always, the immune system is communicating with the nervous system remember!

Immunomodulating plants - Reishi mushroom, Ginseng root, Nettles, Rhodiola root, Ashwaganda, Siberian Ginseng, Licorice, Shitake mushroom, Burdock.

Elderberry, Schisandra, and Astragalus can sometimes be immunomodulating, and sometimes too immune stimulating for folks with life threatening auto-immune illnesses.

Surface Immune Stimulants –

Surface Immunity is when the immune system mobilizes a fight against pathogens, cancer cells, or clearing out dead/damaged cells where tissue has been wounded due to an injury or exposure to toxins. Surface immune cells (ex. macrophages) are our first line of defense, and fight off "pathogens" (potentially harmful organisms). They are especially numerous in the mucous membranes, to engulf and clear these viruses before they can gain a foothold and create an infection. Make sure mucous membranes are healthy so they are less prone to infection! I’m a big fan of astragalus, marshmallow root, and burdock to boost mucous membrane health.

Surface immune stimulant herbs help to mobilize our white blood cells to fight! Take them when you feel like you might be getting sick or have been exposed to a pathogen. There are other ways besides these plants to stimulate the immune system, such as improve circulation and lymphatic flow.

Surface Immune Stimulant Herbs - Garlic, Echinacea, Yarrow, Calendula, Usnea, Oregano, Turmeric, Cedar, Ginger, Ashwaganda, Ginseng, Maitake mushroom, Shitake mushroom, Boneset, Astragalus, Holy basil, Oregano, Goldenseal, Barberry, and Oregon Grape (berberine containing plants), Myrrh.

Lymphatic System Tonics –

Herbs that cleanse and move the lymph, increase the health of the immune system and stimulate immune response. These plants promote lymphatic drainage, reduce congestion of the lymph nodes and vessels, and support detoxification of the body. Useful in the treatment of acute and chronic infectious, inflammatory conditions, and toxicity. You can also use things like lymph brushing (read more about it HERE and watch a video HERE), sweating, trampoline, exercise, and massage to support lymphatic flow.

Lymphatic tonics - Nettles, Cleavers, Echinacea, Calendula, Poke root (Poisonous - used in 1-3 drop doses), Red Root, Violet, Burdock, Red Clover, Astragalus, Chickweed, Oatstraw

Circulatory Stimulants -

Support immune function by increasing circulation of blood to tissues… Blood carries white blood cells to fight off infection, and helps to bring nutrients (and herbs) to the sight of an infection. Don’t forget to move your body, it will boost immunity, clear waste, support the heart and the organs of elimination (liver and kidneys). Sweating can also help!

Circulatory stimulants - Schisandra, Garlic, Rosemary, Ginger, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Yarrow, Rhodiola, Turmeric, Holy basil, Evergreens, Hawthorn, Gingko, Mugwort, Sarsaparilla, Damiana, Linden.

Video ~ Echinacea & Lymphatic tonics

Infection Fighting Herbs

Antimicrobials are herbs that kill pathogens that will make us sick, usually viruses and bacteria, but occassionally protazoa, fungi, and parasites. Antimicrobial herbs assist the immune system in fighting off acute and chronic infections. They are strong, and are used in high doses only while we are fighting the infection. They should be used alongside wound healing herbs (vulneraries) that help to restore healthy tissue to the area that has been infected. For example if using Usnea for a urinary tract infection, you should also drink cornsilk or marshmallow root tea to help heal the damage the infection has done to the urethra. Another example is using oregano and olive leaf tincture to fight a lung infection, while drinking mullein and violet to help heal the tissue of the bronchioles from any damage.

The standard dose is 2-3 droppers full in water every 2-3 hours to be effective (some stronger herbs like Myrrh are at a lower dose of 1-2 droppers full). Take them for at least 10 days, even after the symptoms have cleared.

Antivirals ~ Cedar, Oregano, St. John’s Wort, Garlic, Elder, Echinacea, Calendula, Lemon Balm, Goldenseal, Juniper, Olive Leaf, Grapefruit Seed, Usnea, Sweet Annie, Anise Hyssop, Goldenseal/barberry/oregon grape containing berberine

Antibiotics ~ Usnea, Oregano, Garlic, Echinacea, Goldenseal/barberry/oregon grape containing berberine, Cayenne, Myrrh, Olive Leaf, Grapefruit Seed, Elecampane, Angelica. High Essential Oil Herbs ~ Sage, Juniper, Lavender, Rosemary, Pine, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Tea Tree

Antifungals ~ Sage, Lavender, Oregano, Garlic, Black Walnut, Goldenseal/barberry/oregon grape containing berberine, Myrrh, Calendula, High essential oil herbs

PROPER ACUTE DOSING TO FIGHT INFECTIONS ~ To effectively fight off an infection, you need to take a dose of anti-microbials every 2-3 hours. Read that again and remember it, because this is why they often fail. Herbs don’t stay in the system like antibiotics. I recommend taking a dose of 3-6 droppers full of an antimicrobial (either an antibacterial, anti-viral, or broad spectrum antimicrobial) depending on the size of the person and the intensity of the infection. If you know that you have a virus, take an antiviral or antiviral blend.

Treating Infections

When there is an acute infection, use anti-microbial herbs to help support the body in fighting off a pathogen. Make sure that you take them every 2-3 hours, and keep taking them for at least 10 days even after symptoms clear. If they do not improve symptoms after 2-3 days, you might want to turn to western antibiotics at that point so that there isn’t more serious tissue damage due to the infection. Remember that pathogens are actually destroying some of your healthy cells and tissues, weakening them… so chronic or serious infections can be very damaging and take time for your body, tissues, and organs to recover from. Use the restorative tissue/organ healing herbs at the same time as fighting the infection, as well as after the infection clears.

In all situations of chronic infections, tissues and organs are weakened, contributing largely to the cause of continued infections and illness. Think about a weak plant in the garden, it will be much more prone to infection than a healthy thriving plant. This is natures way of recycling and composting what is dying or damaged, providing nutrients for life that can thrive. Our tissue and organs are the same, they tend towards infections when they are weak or damaged. Examples - weak lungs leads to chronic bronchitis, damaged urethra leads to chronic UTIs, damaged mucous membranes in the intestines causes intestinal infection/microbe imbalance.

Healthy tissue is resistant to infection. This is most often found in mucous membranes of the lungs & respiratory tract, digestive system, vagina, and urinary tract. Tissue and organs are damaged by long term infections, toxins in foods (such as pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, or chemical additives), chemical exposure (such as pollutants breathed in through the lungs), alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, etc. To heal the tissue that is damaged, restorative foods & herbs are then needed!

Support, heal, and nourish the system, tissues, and organs affected by the infection. You can view a list of the restorative herbs by system and organ HERE on page two. These plants will help to restore health and function to organs and tissues from the ground up! These are the plants that form the base of all my herbal recommendations for clients. Get to know them well so that you have a few restorative herbs to recommend in any situation that you can offer others!

Focus on increasing mucus membrane health where infections tend to occur. For this we use vulnerary (wound healing) plants, demulcents, and nourishing herbs, which increase healthy cell growth and repair damaged tissues. Examples - Marshmallow, Plantain, Astragalus, Violet, Chickweed.

Tonify and heal mucus membranes ~ 1. Demulcents (marshmallow, burdock, violet juice, linden, oatstraw). 2. Astringents, especially if there is excess mucous (nettles, plantain, yarrow, raspberry, hibiscus, sage, rose, cranberry, tree barks such as peach, hazel, or birch etc.). 3. Tissue healing (vulnerary) herbs (calendula, chickweed, plantain, violet, plantain etc).

Mucus membranes also need beneficial bacteria (probiotics) to fend off infection. They prevent mucous membrane tissue damage from microbe imbalance. You can support healthy bacteria residing of your mucous membranes by eating raw fermented foods, raw fermented beverages, and probiotic capsules. Example - using a probiotic capsule as a vaginal suppository to help repopulate healthy flora of the urinary tract and vagina, or taking an probiotic capsule with food to help repopulate the healthy bacteria of the intestines.

Improve circulation to aid in the repair of tissue and organs - Therapies include exercise, massage, hot/cold treatments, sweating, and circulatory enhancing herbs (cayenne, hawthorn, ginger, pine, turmeric, rosemary, gingko, sassafras, cinnamon, sarsaparilla). This will increase blood flow to the wounded tissue, clearing wastes, bringing white blood cells, nutrients, oxygen to an organ or tissue that needs repair. This is also boosted by taking lymphatic tonics such as calendula, cleavers, astragalus, red clover, violet, poke (poisonous, so only take 1-3 drops of tincture at a time), echinacea, or red root.

Tissue & organs need oxygen and nutrients to speed tissue healing - Oxygen is received from deep breathing, nutrients are received from nourishing herbs, healing foods, or wild foods. Increasing circulation, and supporting blood circulation and fluid cleansing supports oxygen & nutrients being received. Energy healing & time in nature is used to restore and rebuild our tissue and organ health as well!

Immune system strength and tissue repair improves through waste elimination and cleansing.
 Restore elimination / cleansing with herbs that stimulate the kidneys to pee out waste/toxins, strengthen the liver, clear waste through the colon (pooping daily), and increase sweating through the skin. Movement also supports waste elimination and blood & lymph flow to cleanse out waste and toxins.

Increase immunity with deep immune and surface immune stimulating tonics. These are listed above, and you can also view a chart of them HERE - The numbers used to rank the safety level of the plants is explained in the handout located HERE.

I care for my body as sacred home and temple,
listening to my body’s needs and responding with kindness. There is time to rest. 

I am held in love from all directions in this present moment.

Booklist & Recommended Readings

The Gift of Healing Herbs by Robin Rose Bennet
Body in Balance by Maria Noel Groves
Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman
Holistic Anatomy by Pip Waller
For this month, read the chapters on the immune system if you like. Enjoy!

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