The other day, well, maybe more like a few days I was feeling really grrrrrr. You know sometimes life is a little frustrating. I was sitting at the computer trying to get something to save and grrrr! And the parking lot at my office after lots of snow was a bloody mess and grrrr! And…the grrr was just piling up!

Then it dawned on me that I had tools to help with that. I know, why didn’t I think of it sooner? I don’t know, I guess I was in grrrr.

There are many herbs to help us navigate through anger and frustration.

I reached for tinctures since they are quick and easy and I really needed something fast.

I dosed with a dropperful of Rose (helps to soften me in an I’ve got you way) and one of dandelion (helps in a chill the heck out kind of way) and many dropperfuls of Wood Betony. There are many herbs to use but those are the ones that I was drawn to that day.

You might not be familiar with Wood Betony, which happens to be one of my favorite little herbs, so I want to share with you a little bit about why you should definitely try it.

Wood Betony

This herb has tons of benefits!

It was considered a general cure-all and was one of the most popular herbs in the Greek and Roman period.

It definitely has a long history of use but kind of went the way of obscurity, which is a crying shame!

It is in the mint family, which indicates its affinity for the nervous system. It grows in a clump, close to the earth which lets us know it helps us establish rootedness, groundedness, and connection.

Wood Betony is a tonic, which means it helps the body to fix itself, slowly. Most people want a quick fix (which is what I was looking for) but I think we need to get back to being more patient and try some slow medicine. The real benefits of Wood Betony happen with small doses used over time.

I don’t know about you but I spend an awful lot of time in my head, overthinking, processing, and overall, just stuck there. (thank goodness for meditation)

Wood Betony relaxes tension in the head, the tension of muscles, and the tension of thoughts and emotions. It’s great when your stress is stuck in your head and you are suffering from mental over-exertion! It helps you to let those unproductive thoughts go and to come to terms with the fact that some things just can’t be understood intellectually.

It strengthens the solar plexus which is one of the most significant nerve centers in the body and dysfunction here seems to really affect the brain.

As a tonic (remember, slow and steady) it is used to improve digestion. When the solar plexus is run down the digestion is not as strong. And one of its biggest claims to fame is that it is one of the best general remedies for headaches of all sorts and traditional medicine for head injuries.

Basically, it works on the gut/digestion, the head/brain, stress, mental/muscle tension, and rooting you to the earth.

Give it a try.

As a tincture 1-2 drops, 1-2 times a day. Slow medicine
Contraindicated in pregnancy.

(Wood betony photo by Melanie Shaw)