How herbs help us make space for joy

Exploring nervine herbs, an update from my growing dispensary and planting the seed of a new project for the wildflower meadow.

Many of you emailed me after last week’s publication when I shared my thoughts on allowing ourselves to feel joy at this time of year whilst also deep in grief. The overriding sentiment I get from reading experiences of those juggling feelings of loss and despair when the world around us is immersed in the jolliness of the highlight of the year - is one of feeling utter exhaustion. The perpetual pinging to and from happy to sad, sad to happy again is undoubtedly a drain on the nervous system.

I have spent this week thinking a lot about the disparity of these emotions and wondering where the balance lies. Last week I shared the techniques that are helping me settle into my body and feel some sort of peace to keep me in that place of equilibrium to prevent the scales tipping over. The underpinning of everything I have learnt is that nature is a healer. Nature wants us healed because the alternative is living diseased.