An Incredible Herb!
- Margo Lalman, Herbalist, LMT, NCBTMB,
- Nov 3, 2016
- 4 min read
Riding horseback on the ranch with my Dad as a child is where my love for herbal plants began. He would point to a plant on the ground and say, "That's Joe Pie Weed' you can tell by..." and relate characteristics of the plant. Again at age 20, married, away from home and not well, I received an herbal care package from my Mom a huge 2' x 2' box packed tight with herbs, and herbal books with instructions of cleansing and healing foods for a better lifestyle. I didn't realize how natural it had all come to me. After seeing my x sister in law again after 35 years, she recalled that I walked with her, pointed out herbal plants telling her about them. This beautiful woman said I had made such an impression on her that stuck, when gown she used herbs and followed the path of healthy eating.
From the cowgirl turned herbalist, I want to share a little about one of my favored herbs,
the Incredible Sweat Leaf!
Also known as, Bee Balm, Wild Bergamot and Latin name Monarda fistulosa or didyma. I rode past this plant at the edge of the meadows and smelled its beautiful aroma where I found the deer feeding at dawn or dusk. Matthew Wood says, "it is one of the primal healing Plants of North America;" Monarda didyma and fistulosa, are both effective in Herbal Medicine and Native American Medicine. "It inspires us to see the beauty in nature and is used as a perfume."
It is a nervine of the mint family, Classified a Sedative. I have many positive experiences using Sweet Leaf in my customized herbal compounds for Clients for: the Brain and Nervous System, Gut health (leaky Gut) and an increased communication between the Brain and the Gut. It has a deep action on the Central Nervous System in searching, cleansing and building - therefore strong acting on the Brain, Mind, Senses and Solar Plexus (grouping of nerve ganglions located in the upper abdomen); also helpful with Anxiety, Meniere's disease, and Candidiasis (Yeast Infections); Drawing out heat, and has been traditionally used for fever. With the Brain/Gut communication action on the gut receptors, comes a restorative sense in the gut to discern foods that are hurting you and what feels good to eat. This has been especially effective with my Gentle Tea-tox along with other gut issues. I have used the herb tincture with horses and companion animals alike, with fever or drawing out heat, when ill, in pain and lacking life that could be palpated in their Lymph and Organ Systems. After receiving a few drops of Sweet Leaf they perked up - and gained that spark to live that was observed and palpated. These experiences have been amazing and beautiful to watch.
I gained a firm confidence in this plant with my own experiences. One of my earliest, was embarrassing and I was badly burned. I was giving advanced body work to a male laying prone (face-down) on the therapy table; when my grouping of candles in one holder began to burn so high that the smoke detector went off! (For all you massage therapist out there ... I know, that wasn't smart.) In quick response I grabbed the holder stem to blow out the now very large flame when at-least 1/4 a cup of hot liquid wax poured onto and coated my hand...burning. Yes indeed, and imagine how it took every ounce of effort not to "scream" as I opened the window for the smoke to escape and wave it away from the detector! The client was still on the table ... what to do? I remembered Sweat Leaf taking out the heat and good for burns when mixed with your own spit...oh well, why not! I peeled the wax off to see my hand badly burned and blistering, so I grabbed the Sweat Leaf bottle nearby, poured a dose in my palm with equal amount of spit. Yes, I did. I felt the soothing instantly and thought how quick acting it was, so I did a double dose. Then my hand felt so good and the blistering stopped, that I thought I could continue the therapy with the client who appeared to be asleep...really, he had not even flinched! Then my conundrum was the spit on my hand! Now what to do? I rinsed my hand with the Sweat Leaf tincture and completed the session. The next day my hand showed no signs of a burn...none! The funny part in this story is the client on the table was a Fireman!
That experience was the thrust to accelerate my practice as an herbalist. The herbal blend tea, Gentle Tea-tox is delicious. I also feature this herb in my Proprietary ARAMA Spray for: Calming with Anxiety, Discomfort in Crowds, Household and Bed linens, Children's Scrapes and Boo-Boos, Odors on clothing, or just needing a refreshing Ahhh feeling. ARAMA Spray is a good reminder to take a deep breath and exhale; appreciate the beauty around you and within you. If you can't use Lavender, try the tea.
Indications: A multitude of goodness.
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