The Last Party - Planning Your Own Funeral
While it may seem weird to plan your own funeral or celebration of life, it can actually be quite healing, inspiring, and even fun.
Marketing Spot
I enjoy planning funerals, memorials, celebrations of life, and whatever other titles folks like to use for gatherings to honor the dead. The title does not have to dictate what the gathering will be. Rather, the components of the gathering make it whatever it is. But words and titles are important to many of us, and I honor whatever title one wants to use. For the purpose of this essay, I mix it up some, and invite you to consider that anything in here can be used interchangeably.
Whatever you want to call it, this will be your last party. So why not think about it before you are actually dead? Planning in advance for this very important occasion, in which you are the guest of honor even though you will not be physically present, is a form of self care and community care.
Your last party can be lively and colorful, with music and balloons. It can be an organized ritual where everyone participates. There can be poetry, live or recorded music, singing. Attendees might draw or paint your shroud or coffin, or write blessings on paper to drop into your grave. Perhaps folks will play your favorite game or eat your favorite foods. Just like a party or gathering you might plan while you are alive, this final party can be as creative, whimsical, ceremonial, religious, non-religious, loud, austere, formal, or as casual as you want.
Your last party can be lively and colorful, with music and balloons. It can be an organized ritual where everyone participates. There can be poetry, live or recorded music, singing. Attendees might draw or paint your shroud or coffin, or write blessings on paper to drop into your grave. Perhaps folks will play your favorite game or eat your favorite foods. Just like a party or gathering you might plan while you are alive, this final party can be as creative, whimsical, ceremonial, religious, non-religious, loud, austere, formal, or as casual as you want.
Planning your own funeral helps your grieving community navigate decisions and not have to guess at what you would have wanted. It is also a way to create a container for them, the way you might have done while you were living. This can be especially meaningful for folks who enjoy planning or hosting parties, ceremonies, or other types of community gatherings. And if you are not a party planner at heart, it can be helpful to get support from a friend, family member, or death doula to help create the vision with you.
Beyond the practicalities, a vison for your celebration of life can offer comfort to your people, because the event will feel like you. And it can help you, at any phase of life, and in any stage of health, to live more fully today.
With my own practice of visioning and writing about my funeral, I become more clear about what I value and the ways in which I want to be and move in the world. I feel blessed, honored, and grateful when I visualize who is present. And space is created in which to grieve when I consider who may not be be present, whether due to death or family estrangement. The practice offers me space for grief and celebration.
My funeral will be for my community. I see it less as the last party, and more as a party favor. I want my people to feel held in their grief with plenty of space to also celebrate my life. I want the gathering to feel familiar, in that it feels like something I would have planned for us while I was alive. There are some things I definitely want, and definitely do not want, but those things are not for me, so much as they are for them. And also, I choose to leave space for flexibility, because that too is a gift.
As with all aspects of death planning, the conversations you have about your wishes are equally as important as the way in which you write them down. Talk to your people. This does not need to be a serious, heavy sit-down. Just talk about it. When you hear a song you like, that might feel nice to offer at your memorial service, let folks know. At your next birthday party, casually mention that you would like someone to make this same cake for your celebration of life. If you know you don't want to be cremated, tell your partner. Yes, write it down - please write it down, but also, just talk about it. Let death and your visions for that time and space be part of your living.
Whether we are talking about a home funeral, an event held at a house of worship, a simple outdoor stroll to your favorite meadow, or a raucous party at a night club, there is plenty of space for you to be creative with your wishes. If the event will not include your physical body, the options are truly endless. Even if you are a simple person who does not want much flare or attention, you likely have some wishes. And when we think of this planning as a final, tangible gift to our friends, family, and community it becomes a way to hold space for our beloveds one last time.
Will the vision come to be? Maybe, in some form. Maybe it will look nothing like what I imagine. I'll be dead, and as a living person, I know that the best laid plans are often a source of humor. Either way, I find this to be a worthy practice. Living today, in middle-life, with no reason to think I'll die soon, other than that I will die, my life is more full because I am willing to invite death to the table with wonder and curiosity. I am willing to walk with grief as a regular practice, and allow it to transform me at its' own pace. Would you like to join me?
Questions For Reflection:
Below is a list of questions that may help guide you in the visioning process. They are a combination of practical and introspective. I encourage you to remember that in the real time context of your death, what you want or vision may not be possible. This is not an invitation to micro-manage from beyond the grave! Please don't use this practice as a way to gain control. It's an opportunity for you to acknowledge your own mortality and honor your own, incredible life. It is a space for you to ponder without pressure, and see what is revealed. You do not have answer these questions in order, and I suggest starting wherever feels easiest.
1. Who is my funeral for?
The answer to this question can help you think about the shape of this last party. If it is for you, it could look very different than if it is for the community. And if specific individuals come to mind, you might consider them in the planning, and include components that are geared specifically for those folks, even though it might be a larger community gathering.
For example, if your teenage children come to mind, you might plan differently than someone who is thinking more about their adult community. Or if really young children will be present, you might want to think about their needs and how this last party can offer them space to exist however they are. Maybe your people are artists or musicians, and having some component where they can express their feelings through those mediums would serve them well.
If you your important people are sober, perhaps you want it to be clear that no alcohol be served. Maybe your beloved is physically unable to be at the graveside, and you want a plan that allows them to fully participate with everyone else. If your people are hikers, inviting them to hike up a mountain in your honor could feel like a gift.
If this last party is more for you, consider what that means, and how that can look within the context of your absence. Maybe you want to be sure there are rituals in alignment with your beliefs in the context of death. Or it could be the opposite. Your family might automatically think you need a funeral in-line with the religion you grew up with, but that is not how you have chosen to live. If there is something you want people to know about you that you were never able to tell them in life, this could be your chance.
There is no right answer to the question, it is meat for you to explore and consider. You might discover that this last party is a little bit for you and a little bit for them. Thinking about who this last party is for, can be a helpful place to start visioning.
2. What kind of container do I want my funeral to be for those in attendance?
The answer to this question may by guided by the previous one, or it may help to guide you back to it. Regardless of who your funeral is for, and who you consider more or less in the planning, there is likely to be at least a couple people there, if not a crowd. If you are a person who likes to hold space for others or plan parties or celebratory gatherings, you know that there is an art to this kind of planning. Anytime people gather, a container is created whether we plan for it or not.
It can be helpful to think back on the funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life that you've attended. Consider what you've heard folks talk about from their own experiences or scenes from books and movies. How did you feel in those containers? What did hearing, watching, or reading about these gathering that you did not attend personally bring to mind? Drawing from your own past experiences, what felt supportive? What felt off-putting, or like something you would never want?
There is no single format or rule for what a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life is, or should be. Your last party can look however you, or you and your community want. And even if it does not turn out the way you planned, there is as much medicine in the planning, as there is in letting go of the plan all together.
3. How can I offer loving care to the community at my own funeral?
This question, though similar to the previous one, is an opportunity to get a little more specific. And it can help the mind to frame similar questions differently, as a way to go deeper. What does it mean to offer loving care to people we love, or those we simply tolerate, from beyond the grave? Am I supposed to be giving party favors at my own funeral? Sure, why not?! And also you don't have to.
An example I often use from my own vision, is that I want there to be freshly brewed, tulsi, rose, lavender herbal tea. I want the scent to fill the air and the warm mugs to sooth the hearts of my beloved community. This herbal combination calms the nervous system and supports the movement of grief. In addition to the tea being served, I want to prepare individual bags of this same loose leaf tea for the guests to take home with them. And if I die suddenly or before I am able to make the tea bags, I hope that one of my people will prepare them for me. But if it does not happen, that is also okay.
Maybe you want to offer a specific poem, or write your own to be read. You could record yourself singing or make a video message to your people. Is there a recipe that you often cooked for your community that you would like to offer? Do you have an incredible art, clothing, or jewelry collection? You could have your personal items on display and invite everyone to take something with them. This is a chance for you give your people a nourishing, loving gift. Get creative and have fun with it!
4. When I imagine the participants, who do I see? Who is missing?
Visualizing who is present, and who is not there can bring up a myriad of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. This is not easy work, but it can be supportive to your living, breathing, transforming self. I suggest creating time and space to process whatever comes up. You may find this question to lead you on a path you did not expect to travel at this point in your life.
On a practical level, if there are people who you absolutely do not want in attendance, it is important to let whomever will be helping know. Likewise, if there are people you want to be invited, that your immediate community or family might not know or know how to contact, making a list with names and contact information is helpful. If you choose to create a Funeral Directive, and/or designate someone to be in charge of this final party, be sure to share this information with them specifically.
5. Is there anything you absolutely want? Anything you absolutely don't want?
If you have strong wants or not-wants, it is important to write them down and tell your people. Be clear and direct, and let them know how important these things are to you. You might consider explaining the why behind these wants and not-wants, as a way to help whomever is making decisions in the moment navigate complexities that arise. Designating a Funeral Agent, or someone specifically named in your Funeral Directive to be responsible for these kinds of decisions, especially as it relates to communication with a funeral home or burial ground is helpful. This is especially important for folks in the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and anyone with family estrangement or next of kin that is not legally recognized.
6. Who would you like to make decisions and final arrangements? Pick someone(s) you trust, so that you can let go of the details.
This ties into the above question. This should be someone you trust to be able to navigate complexities that come up in real time. They are someone who will make decisions as you not for you. Please see the Intentional Death Planning guide for more information about Funeral Directives and all the components of Advanced Care or Pre-Death Planning.
A note for folks who's deceased people can't have the funeral they wanted and/or for community and family members excluded from memorial gatherings:
For folks who may not have access to their person's body or ashes, I know this can be difficult. Or if there is family estrangement or dissent of any kind between community and family members, events may be planned in a manner other than what you know your person would have wanted. This sucks, and it feels awful, and also it is part of human life. With all of my heart, if this is the case, I encourage you to plan the thing your person would have wanted anyway. Plan the thing that you need as the grieving community in order to honor them.
It feels really bad when a grave stone is labeled with a name they did not use. It is really shitty when dead folks are misgendered. It can be heartbreaking not to be able to retrieve the ashes of your person due to lack of funds. These are terrible realities. But don't let that get in the way of honoring your people, and tending to your own grief. Don't let that get in the way of giving your person the best, final party you know they would have wanted. This is community care. This is self care. This is how we love, honor, celebrate and grieve with, and for each other.
For a glimpse my what I want my own funeral to look like, check out the previous blog post, “Into Earths Embrace”.
For detailed information about Advanced Directives and Pre-death Planning, check out this guide!
Where I live and Work
North Carolina & Virginia
Land Acknowledgement
Find
Regan
Courses
Gatherings
Amalaki (emblica officionalis)
A wonderful rejuvenating herb that can strengthen the immune system and nourishes all of the bodily tissues . Amalaki is calming to all of the doshas, and especially pacifying for pitta. It is a rich source of vitamin C and iron, and remains stable even after heating. It can help to calm excess heat and inflammation throughout the entire GI tract while also nourishing bones, teeth, and hair. Amalaki has affinity with the liver, spleen, pancreas, lungs, eyes, and heart.
Precautions: Acute diarrhea that cannot be controlled or managed.
Andrographis (kalmgh,
andrographis paniculata)
This bitter herb is a powerful immunostimulant with antivaral properties. Its cooling energy makes it a good herb for calming or reducing pitta, while the pungent post digestive effect is supportive for kapha. If used in excess or not in balanced formulation, these same attributes could increase the light, dry, and rough qualities of vāta dosha. Andrographis can serve to enhance liver function, stimulate bile flow, and break up congestion in the lymphatic system. It can be used to help move constipated bowels, regulate irregular bowel movements, and clear toxins from the system (āma). Andrographis can also act as a cleansing and rejuvenating herb for the blood and skin (which is linked to liver function), and help with eczema, psoriasis and other forms of dermatitis or itch rashes.
Precautions: People who are pregnant or lactating should avoid this herb or use it minimally with guidance from a qualified practitioner.
Ashwagandha (winter cherry,
withania somnifera)
A strong nutritive tonic for vāta dosha and symptoms of debility, fatigue, nervous system burn out, and people in their elder years. It can be supportive after giving birth or other types of intense physical exertion, as well as being supportive after a traumatic event that is not only physical but also mental or emotional. It can help to balance hormone levels, offer support with insomnia and anxiety, and promote clarity of mind and memory in people of all ages. Ashwagandha can be aggravating to pitta dosha, or people with excess heat in the body due to its warming energy. And because of its supreme tissue building properties, may be challenging for people with a lot of toxic build up (āma) in the system.
Precautions: High doses during pregnancy may cause uterine contractions. Lower/moderate amounts in proper combination are sometimes used during pregnancy when indicated. If you aare pregnant, please consult a healthcare professional.
Bala (country mallow, sida cordifolia)
Bala is a sanskrit word that translates to strength in english. It is super nourishing and strengthening to all of the bodily tissues and has affinity for plasma, muscle, nerve, marrow, and reproductive tissues. It is a great rejuvenative tonic for vāta and pitta, and due to its heavy qualities, can increase kapha when used in excess or improperly combined. Kapha dosha is strong in nature, so if in stable condition does not inherently need extra strength. It is a wonderful herb after giving birth and for people in their wisdom years. I use it in the momma and baby massage oil, which is an equally good massage oil for elders and anyone experiencing debility, fatigue, or recovery. Bala can be supportive for folks experiencing chronic fatigue, muscle spasms or atrophy, nerve discomfort, menstrual disorders, fertility issues, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis.
Precautions: People experiencing hypertension should use caution if ingesting (eating/drinking) this herb.
Brahmī (gotu kola, centella asiatica)
The name brahmī refers to the feminine or lunar aspect of higher consciousness (cosmic consciousness, higher power, god, brahman, great spirit, etc.) It is pacifying to all three doshas and is said to kindle the flame of intelligence and inner knowing. There are two plants with very similar qualities that are both referred to as brahmī. The one I most often use is gotu kola/centella asiatica because it is more readily available in the western part of the earth. The other is bacopa/bacopa monniera, which is a bit stronger in action.
Brahmī/Gotu Kola promotes cellular regeneration and is wonderful for rejuvenation of the entire mind-body-spirit. It can help to support memory, awareness, sleep, anxiety, immune function, and adrenal gland function. It is a blood purifying herb, and supports proper function of the liver, spleen, and pancreas, while helping with chronic skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema. It has the ability to calm the mind and promote a sense of calm and presence. When used in oil, it is wonderful for the skin, and especially for use on the head, face and heart/chest. It has a bitter taste and goes well in tea blends with sweeter herbs. It is wonderful tea to use to support a meditation practice or anytime one wants to bring a sense of calm and ease into their being.
Cardamom (elettaria cardamomum)
Cardamom has an affinity with the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems. It has the ability to decrease mucous, congestion, sticky sludge, and toxins in the lungs and stomach (decreasing excess kapha and āma). This quality makes it supportive for respiratory illness or disorders as well as digestive issues. It is a digestive stimulant, but gentle enough so as not to create excess heat or pitta in the system when used in moderation and in compatible combination with other herbs. It can be used to reduce nausea, indigestion, bloating, and upset stomach. The affinity for the respiratory system makes it a useful herb in relation to bronchitis, asthma, and cold and cough symptoms. Cardamom has a calm and clear energy (sattva), while also being somewhat aromatic and pungent. These qualities can help to regulate the body’s circulation and heart rhythm while also calming the nerves.
Precautions: People with irritated or actively bleeding stomach ulcers should avoid using cardamom in large quantities. Folks who have had ulcers in the past and feel concerned about the possibility of reoccurrence or other fire/pitta related issues, should be mindful of how much, and in what they consume this herb.
Chamomile (matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile is well known as a gentle, relaxing herbs and is often used in bed time or relaxing tea blends. It had a mild sedative effect and can help melt tension in the body-mind-spirit. It is calming for pitta and kapha dosha, and generally the same is true for vāta. Due to its’ bitter quality, it can be aggravating to vāta, but only if used in excess without combination. It is a great herb for calming stress, anxiety, and restlessness in adults and children alike. Chamomile can help to sooth colic, gas, and flatulence. It can be ingested as a tea by nursing parents or given directly to young children for this purpose. Referring back to the bitter quality of chamomile, it can be helpful to sooth inflammation and draw out impurities. It is often used externally and internally for this purpose.
Cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicum)
As a common kitchen spice, the medicinal power of cinnamon is often overlooked. But I could the same for most fresh food items found in one’s kitchen….. The warming and stimulating properties of cinnamon promote digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients in food and herbal compounds. Cinnamon is a wonderful herb to add to heavier foods, such as rice, potato, dairy, or meat in order to balance out those heavy qualities. Likewise it is useful to balance out an otherwise heavy or cold herbal compound. Due to the hot and pungent qualities, it is pacifying to vāta and kapha and should be used with awareness and in appropriate combination so as not to aggravate pitta. Cinnamon can act as an expectorant, making it useful in alleviating sinus or chest congestion and is often used to treat colds, coughs, and the flu acting to burn toxins within the body.
Eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus)
The only product I am currently making with eucalyptus is the Nasya Herbal Nose Oil. Using it in this way, as a steam, or other method of inhalation, eucalyptus can help to cleanse and “disinfect” the respiratory tract, open the bronchi, and free up blocked energy so that prāna (life force energy) can flow. It is effective in alleviating symptoms of cold, flu, sinus infection, and upper respiratory infection. The antiseptic and astringent qualities of eucalyptus make it useful as a topical medicine for mild to moderate wounds and skin sores as well as the treatment of scabies, bed bugs, and fleas. It is also helpful in alleviating inflammation, muscular pain, and arthritis when used topically.
Precautions: People who are pregnant or experience kidney disease should avoid ingesting or eating eucalyptus. In general, moderation and knowledge of the source should be considered when ingesting or eating eucalyptus due to some mild, irritating effects on the GI tract if the older, less fragrant leaves are used. The young, aromatic leaves are best used for internal or external purposes.
Fennel (foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel is one of my favorite herbs. It is good medicine for me in all of its’ forms. I was so expressive about my deep affinity and affection for this plant during a class session once, that one of the students felt moved to send me a one pound bag of fennel seed powder. A gift that touched my heart and made me laugh. Fennel is considered to be a tridoshic herb, meaning that is can pacify all three of the doshas, which makes it a supportive herb for all constitutions or body types. It has calming, clarifying, refreshing, gentle, and peaceful qualities (sattva). Fennel has affinity for the nervous and digestive systems and supports plasma, blood, and muscle tissue.
Fennel is an excellent digestive aid for pitta, or people who experience heat/fire related digestive issues, such as heartburn and acid indigestion, who are otherwise unable to tolerate the pungency of things like ginger, garlic, or chili pepper. It can help to kindle the digestive fire and clear out toxins and metabolic waste (āma) without increasing heat in the body. Fennel helps to move energy downward, making it a good herb to relieve bloating, flatulence, and abdominal discomfort often associated with excess vāta. Where it is most supportive to kapha dosha (earth and water elements) is its’ ability to to clear bronchial congestion, especially when combined with ginger to add in a bit of needed heat.
The gentleness of fennel makes it a good digestive aid for adults as well as children, and is a supportive in relieving colic in infants. Likewise it is helpful to relieve nausea, and is often used to help pregnant people with morning sickness. For breastfeeding people, fennel can help to support the production of breast milk and if used by the breastfeeding person will also help to reduce colic for the baby drinking the milk.
Guduchi (tinospora cordifolia)
Guduchi can help to protect, support, and regulate the immune system in both chronic and acute conditions. It can protect the body’s strength and life force (ojas and prāna) while neutralizing toxins (āma), and is supportive to all three doshas, making it a good herb for all constitutions and body types. It is a nice herb to use for reducing inflammation, easing arthritis, soothing skin disease, balancing hormones, and calming neuromuscular pain. Guduchi can be used to prevent seasonal sickness such as cold and flu, and can help to ease related infections of the ear nose, and throat. It is also a supportive herb for those who experience seasonal allergies, autoimmune disease, liver or spleen issues, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, and viral or bacterial infections.
Lavender (lavandula angustifolia,
lavandula x intermedia)
Lavender is well known as an aromatic, relaxing herb. And while that is true, there is so much more. Lavender is calming to the nervous system and can be used as a sleep aid. It can also help to settle anxiety, lift dark, heavy moods, and sooth a headache. The stress relieving properties make it useful in alleviating physical stress in muscles as well as mental and emotional stress. Especially when paired with rose, lavender can help to move grief and open the heart.
Lavender has bitter, cooling, and dry qualities. This makes it nice for cleansing and toning the of the skin. The bitter quality makes it useful as a digestive aid. With anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, lavender can be used to treat some wounds or as an anti-septic wash or cleanser. Lavender is often used in combination with other herbs for yoni/vaginal steaming or as a steam for the head and respiratory system. With this powerful and versatile herb, a little goes a long way. Sometimes the scent alone is enough to calm the mind and relax the nervous system.
Licorice (yashti madhu, glycerrhiza glarba)
I use licorice, in varying quantities, in many of the products I offer. So much so, that I have to intentionally leave it out of some teas and compound formulas in order to accommodate folks who have an aversion to this sweet yet bitter herb. When used in appropriate combination, even a small amount can act as a harmonizing agent and enhance the overall effects of whatever it is mixed with. Licorice can help to soften and balance the dry or rough qualities of other herbs in a formula while adding some needed sweetness, making harsh tasting herbs more palatable.
Licorice is calming to the nervous system and is thought to awaken positive cellular memory, promoting a sense of satisfaction and contentment. It is nourishing and building for folks experiencing debility, exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, and the many stresses of our current, popular culture. It can also be a good herb for people recovering from overuse or abuse of stimulants, coffee and caffeine in any form, alcohol, and other drugs.
Its’ affinity to the respiratory system makes licorice useful in alleviating cough, congestion, bronchitis, laryngitis, upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, and soar throat. It has the ability to liquify and expel phlegm while also soothing inflamed bronchioles. Licorice also has an affinity with the digestive system, and can help to sooth inflammation of the GI tract. It can help move constipation, especially when the cause is dryness of the colon. Licorice is also helpful in soothing inflammation of the genitourinary tract, which can be caused by cystitis, vaginitis, urinary infection, and yeast infection.
Precautions: Though often safely used in small amounts as a harmonizing energy in heart formulas, people experiencing hypertension or chronic heart conditions should be aware of how much licorice they consume.
Motherwort (heartwort, leonurus cardiaca)
Motherwort offers a special kind of embrace and can impart a stable fierceness that allows us to step into our authentic selves. With a nourishing coolness this herb can help us tune into the rhythms of the moon and how those rhythms move within our own bodies. Whatever kind of relationship we may have with our own mothers or parental figures, motherwort offers a pure form of mothering we can all benefit from.
Motherwort is considered to be a cardiac tonic, and can have a regulating or calming effect on the heart. The physical heart muscle as well as the heart chakra or energetic heart space. It also has affinity for the nervous system and is useful in calming the entire body-mind-spirit. The pungent quality gives motherwort the ability to move stagnation and blockages, making it helpful for edema, blood clots, cysts, and scanty or absent menses. In consideration of the heart, it is useful to regulate tachycardia, angina, and palpitations. Motherwort can also help to calm convulsions or spasms and relieve nervous tension.
The qualities are bitter, somewhat pungent, and cooling. If used in excess over a long period of time, and without proper combination, it could aggravate vāta, but generally is well received by all constitutions or body types (all doshas). The bitter and cooling qualities make motherwort an ally for people with heat related, menopausal experiences such as hot flashes or night sweats, and is also supportive in regulating mood swings and menopause induced insomnia. Likewise it can be useful in supporting anyone with sleep issues or confusing mood imbalances.
Precautions: Motherwort can cause uterine contractions and should be avoided during pregnancy. It should also be avoided for those who are experiencing excessively heavy menstrual bleeding or too-low blood pressure.
Oatstraw (avena sativa)
Oatstraw (and oat in general) are nourishing to the nervous system, adrenals, and the heart. It is calming and soothing like a wanted hug. Oat can act as a buffer to the nerves in relation to the daily barrage of stress and stimulation we all experience, which eventually can lead to depression, anxiety, and low immune function. You can think of it like an energetic shield for protection from this modern, electronic, workaholic, overstimulating life. The mucilaginous quality of oat can literally protect and nourish the bodily tissues. Oat is soothing to both vāta and pitta. It can help calm the mind, cool the heat of anger and irritability (mental and physical), help with sleep issues, and is also soothing for the skin.
Pippali (indian long pepper, piper longum)
Pippali is an excellent lung rejuvenation tonic and helpful in alleviating cold, cough, congestion, bronchitis, and laryngitis. It can be a supportive herb for those with asthma, long standing bronchial issues, and chronic/degenerative lung diseases. In addition to its’ affinity for the respiratory system, pippali also has an affinity for the circulatory and digestive systems. It can help with issues of poor circulation, stimulate the circulation of air/breath which can move vital energy or prāna through the system, address parasites, flatulence and bloating, loss of appetite, and kindle the digestive fire (agni) without aggravating pitta.
Pippali has a heating energy but a sweet post digestive effect, which means it is less drying and also less hot than herbs like black pepper, ginger, or cayenne pepper. This makes pippali a better choice for those with excess heat or inflammation in the body (pitta).
Rose (rosa centifolia)
Rose has been used for thousands years, across many cultures to sooth the mind, heart, emotions, and spirit. I love rose, and I use it in many formulas for tea as well as body oils. Just thinking about it as I write this, offers me an exhale and a feeling of calm relief. I once had some rose petal jelly that a friend made and my knees literally buckled as I felt a sense of great love wash over me. I slowly consumed that jar of jelly over time with a practice of spreading some on an oat cake each afternoon for several weeks as I was offering doula services to a friend and her family. This practice supported all of us as I was continually infused with cool, loving sweetness each day.
Rose has cool, sweet, bitter, and astringent qualities. Rose can help reduce excess heat in the body as well as the mind. It is a wonderful herb to sooth pitta dosha or anyone experiencing excess heat in any form, including anger, frustration, and negative thinking patterns. Rose truly does calm the heart and cool the blood, while invoking a sense of calm, clarity, and love. It has an affinity to the physical heart muscle as well as the emotional and spiritual heart. Rose can help to reduce internal and external inflammation, sooth irritated skin and eye conditions, cleanse the blood, and help with headaches caused by excess heat. It can also be supportive in calming the nervous system, reducing anxiety, and supporting the being through periods of grief and overwhelm.
Shatāvari (asparagus root,
asparagus racemosus)
Shatāvari is bitter, sweet, and cooling to the system. It is known as an excellent rejuvenating herb for pitta and vāta, and can increase kapha due to the sweet taste and sweet post digestive effect. Its ability to deeply nourish and build tissue while also being cooling and anti-inflammatory is what makes shatāvari an good herbal ally for folks in a weakened or debilitated state, as well as people experiencing excess heat in the form of inflammation, irritation, burning sensations, profuse menstrual bleeding, hot flashes, or hyperacidity. It is generally a good herb to support the immune system and protect ojas, our vital energy reserves and strength.
Shatāvari has an affinity for the blood, liver, lungs, kidneys, reproductive system, urinary tract, and GI tract. It can cool and purify the blood, while also sooth and nourish inflamed mucus membranes. Shatāvari is often used to support people with a uterus to help regulate the menstrual cycle, support the transition into menopause, and help to bring physical, mental, and emotional balance after a hysterectomy when combined with other nervous system calming herbs. It can also help to improve the quantity and quality of breast milk. Shatāvari is also used for people who are experiencing various forms of chronic fatigue, colitis, gastritis, IBS, herpes, diarrhea, urinary tract inflammation and infections, and ulcers.
Precautions: Due to the building qualities of shatāvari, folks with an excess of toxic build-up (āma) in the system, excessive mucus, or high kapha related issues should avoid or moderate how they use this herb.
Slippery Elm (ulmus ruba)
This herb tells us most of what we need to know by its’ name. Slippery Elm is slippery! It has mucilaginous qualities, making it useful to sooth a sore throat, cough, inflammation of the GI tract, and general soothing/moistening of the mucus membranes of the body. Topically it can be used to treat wounds and skin disorders. Slippery Elm is considered sweet in taste and is also cooling to the body-mind-spirit. This makes it a kapha increasing herb, as kapha is both sweet and cold. It is an excellent herb for pitta, which is hot in nature, and for vāta due to the moistening qualities (vāta is dry in nature). As with all herbs, the way we mix them and the method of intake will affect the overall effect of a formula.
Slippery Elm is considered to be an at risk plant by The United Plant Savers. It an herb that I use sparingly, and am extra careful as to where and how it is sourced. Often times, there are good alternatives, such as marshmallow, licorice, comfrey, or mullein, depending on the healing need. The only formula you will find it in within the apothecary on this website is the Respiratory & Immune Support Formula.
Spearmint (mentha spicata)
Spearmint is cooling to the system, but its’ gentle pungency keeps it from being “too cold”, especially in a well balanced combination, which will be helpful for vāta. It is a nice herb for pitta, in that is can help to stimulate digestion without adding excess heat to the system. Spearmint can help clear a foggy mind and get our circulation moving, which makes it helpful to kapha dosha. It has an affinity to the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems. It is helpful to alleviate inflammation, heartburn, headache, gas, nausea, sinus congestion, sore throat, toothache, cramps, and nervous tension. Applied to the skin, it can help reduce swelling due to nerve or muscle pain (though peppermint may be a stronger more effective herb in this case, due to its’ much higher level of menthol).
Spearmint has a sweet quality, making it more subtle and less pungent than peppermint. You can even see and feel this difference by comparing the fresh leaves of a spearmint plant to those of peppermint. It is more delicate and soft, while still offering a beautifully aromatic minty flavor. Both of these minty beauties (spearmint and peppermint) have something valuable to offer, and tend more toward spearmint when making tea blends. It is generally a lovely harmonizing herb in combination, offering a layer of calm, clarity to the body-mind-spirit.
Tulsi (holy basil, ocimum sanctum)
Tulsi is native to India (and currently grown throughout the world) and considered to be a sacred, holy plant in the Vedic traditions, Hindu religion, and secularly within Indian culture. It is used to purify indoor and outdoor spaces and known for its’ ability to open the heart and offer a sense of serene clarity (sattva) while promoting overall health and well being. Tulsi acts on the emotional heart and on the physical heart, as well as the entire body-mind-spirit. Tulsi has an affinity for the nervous, respiratory, urinary, circulatory, and digestive systems. It has sedative, expectorant, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties. This plant is quite aromatic and beautiful to look at with its’ deep green leaves and tiny purple flowers. It is in the basil family, and looks similar to common basil plants. Bees and butterflies seem to love it as much as I do!
Tulsi’s affinity to the respiratory system, makes it effective for treating asthma, bronchitis, cough, and sinus congestion. It has a special relationship to the lungs in particular, which is where the body holds grief and deep-seated sadness. As it also acts to calm the nervous system and strengthen the heart, a practice of drinking tulsi tea or chewing on the fresh leaves can help to move grief and support a slow and steady healing process. As a heart tonic, it can act to promote oxygenation of the heart muscle through coronary vasodilation.
Tulsi has a calming effect on the senses, which is why I use it in both the Nasya Herbal Nose Oil and the Karna Purana Herbal Ear Oil. The antibacterial properties make it good for soothing ear infections, and the affect on the nervous system makes it helpful to sooth tinnitus and stimulate nerve damage that causes mild/moderate hearing loss. Tulsi can also help to relieve stress related, tension headaches, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, promote absorption in the GI tract, sooth insect bites and skin diseases, and support good oral hygiene and gum disease.
Wild Yam (dioscorea villosa)
&
Vidari (alligator yam, ipomoea digitata)
I am discussing wild yam and vidari together in this section because their qualities are so similar, and I use them interchangeably based on what is available. As a tuberous root grown within the earth, this plant offers stable and grounding qualities. It is sweet in taste with a secondary, bitter note and also cooling to the system. As a demulcent and mucilaginous substance, it can help to soothe inflammation inside and out. It is soothing to the skin as well as the urinary tract, GI tract, and nervous system. It is a wonderful herb for soothing vāta and pitta in that it has nourishing and building qualities, which can subsequently increase kapha. It is helpful in cases of debility, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, general nerve pain, muscle weakness, and general exhaustion or burn out.
Wild yam and vidari have an affinity to the reproductive system and can help to balance hormones in bodies with all kinds of reproductive organs, making it helpful for people experiencing menopause, hormone therapy, or other kinds of hormonal shifts throughout the life cycle. It can support fertility by nourishing the ovum, toning the uterus, and promoting spermatogenesis, and also support lactation.
Turmeric (curcuma longa)
Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, reduces toxins, improves digestion, strengthens joints and tendons, improves circulation.
Energy: heating
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta, pitta, kapha
Precautions:
Ginger (zingiber officinale)
Stimulates digestion, reduces gas, purifies blood, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, eases menstrual cramps, anti-nausea.
Energy: heating
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta and kapha, increases pitta
Precautions:
Cumin (cuminum cyminum)
Digestive aid, relieves gas, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, flushes out toxins, contains antioxidants and iron.
Energy: mildly heating
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta and kapha, neutral for pitta
Precautions:
Coriander (coriandrum sativum)
Relieves gas, diuretic, soothes nausea, aids in treatment of urinary tract, anti-parasitic, calms muscle spasms.
Energy: cooling
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta, pitta, kapha
Precautions:
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Stimulates digestion, loosens mucus, improves bioavailability of other herbs, stimulates sweat.
Energy: heating
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta and kapha, increases pitta
Precautions:
Nutmeg (myristica fragrans)
Aids digestion, soothes diarrhea and colitis, analgesic, anti-convulsant, sedative, stimulates menstruation, liver tonic.
Energy: heating
Effect On Doṣa: reduces vāta and kapha, increases pitta
Precautions:
Clove (syzygium aromaticum)
Aids digestion, analgesic, aphrodisiac, eases cough, asthma, and hiccups.
Energy: heating
Effect On Dosa: reduces vāta and kapha, increases pitta
Precautions:
Normal text.hello! this is an example of a pop up!
Normal text text here and all the info!!!
Created with
