Rebalance with Calming Motherwort: SW Herb's Kathleen Gould reviews the many healing properties of this important plant

Many people must deal with emotional issues of grief, loss and anxiety, and over time, they can manifest into physical imbalances like depression, anxiety/panic attacks and digestive and hormonal imbalances. Motherwort is an ideal mind/body medicine because it eases all these emotional and physical symptoms. Motherwort helps to calm the heart, slow down our day and bring peaceful sleep to our nights

Motherwort’s botanical name is leonurus cardiaca (literally, “lionheart”). When we need the heart of a lion—calm but strong, this gift from the earth helps nourish our emotional hearts and is sometimes called “a mother's hug in a bottle.” There is a Native American term, “coyote medicine,” that says when there is great chaos going on, the coyote steps out and circles around the chaos until things settle down. Motherwort is true coyote medicine. She helps us step away from a situation and see it from a different perspective. It obviously does not take the situation away, but it does help us to deal with it better. This plant is very calming, yet not sedating. Let's look at some of the many ways motherwort can be used by women and men of all ages.

Anxiety/panic attack: One dropper full of tincture each day, then a dropper full at onset of attack and again every five to 10 minutes until the body settles back down to normal.

Constipation: Try starting with a dropper full of tincture daily and increase to one dropper full two times a day (morning and evening) if necessary.

Mild to moderate depression: One dropper full tincture daily.

Hot flashes: One-quarter to one-half teaspoon tincture daily and half-dropper full at onset of hot flash.

Insomnia: Regular use of motherwort usually helps bring on restful sleep over time (tea or tincture).

Menstrual cramps: Five to 10 drops motherwort tincture every 10 minutes.

High blood pressure due to emotional stress and/or anxiety: One cup tea or one dropper full tincture two times a day.

 

Because motherwort is a bitter herb, it is often used in tincture form. For tea, here are a few herbal recipes that include other healing herbs to help buffer some of the bitterness.

High Blood Pressure Tea

due to emotional stress and or anxiety

2 oz hawthorn leaf and blossom

1 oz motherwort herb

1 oz chamomile flower

1 oz catnip

1 oz spearmint

Stevia (sweet herb) to taste

To make: Put 4 teaspoons herb blend and 4 cups pure water in a pot. Cover tightly and bring to simmer. Take off heat and let steep 30 minutes or longer. Drink two to four cups daily. Store strained tea in refrigerator.

 

Anxiety & Depression Tea

2 oz oatstraw

1 oz motherwort

1 oz lemon balm

½ oz hawthorn leaf and blossom

1 oz peppermint

Stevia (sweet herb) to taste

To make: Put 4 teaspoons herb blend and 4 cups pure water in a pot. Cover tightly and bring to simmer. Take off heat and let steep 30 minutes or longer. Drink two to four cups daily. Store strained tea in refrigerator.

These traditional usages are based on the use of whole fresh or dried motherwort herb teas and tinctures. Women that bleed heavy or are having periods of flooding should use caution because motherwort can aggravate these symptoms.

Kathleen Gould is an herbalist RH and proprietor of SWHerb, 148 N. Center St., in Mesa. Contact her at 480-694-9931 or SWHerb.com.