The Path of Possibility - Mullein
True story: A woman has herpes and doesn’t feel great about it, so she starts taking herbal medicine, does a detox, and makes changes her diet. She knows stress plays a major role as well so she adopted some stress management techniques.
It all works. Outbreaks are fewer, shorter, and less severe. She feels better.
But then she starts feeling resentful that she has to keep up with these things.
Even though she’s admittedly happier, she stops her herbs, practices, and diet.
What follows is exactly what you expect: stress, toxin overload, and the return of severe and frequent outbreaks.
What do you think happened? Why did she stop?
A lot of people say they have a hard time being consistent. They can commit for a time, but then, just like the person in this story, they fall off and find themselves at the bottom of the same mountain.
I think we can all relate.
One of my intentions with my work is to help people see when they’re in this pattern. To recognize the wobble, the back and forth, and to catch yourself before you sabotage your progress.
On the health journey we spend a lot of time in the discovery phase. We try different practices, diets, routes, and routines to figure out what works for us. I’ve failed at vegetarianism 3 times, not because I can’t cook or don’t love vegetables, but because I learned that my health deteriorates when I eliminate meat. I don’t need a lot of meat, but accepting that I need some based on my constitution brought me so much peace around food in addition to actually feeling better.
At some point hopefully, we find the things that support us and help us feel optimal. I love yoga, nature walks, and loud music in the car. I meditate and pull cards every day. With my Capricorn Moon, it’s easy to contain emotion and it’s also really important for me to make steady progress toward my goals. I set aside time at night to process the day and feel. I may journal, sit in silence, read, or do EFT tapping. And my days are filled with work that I love.
When you’re aware of the practices that support your wellbeing, then the question changes. Everyone has requirements. We don’t all have to do the same things, but we all have to do the things that specifically support our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Tami is fiery, she needs to move her body vigorously. Niles needs the spaciousness to daydream. You have to discover your rules. And when you do, will you commit?
Enter the wobble. Follow your rules and feel better, inside and out. Stop following your rules, feel worse. It’s not always easy, but it is simple. Discipline doesn’t mean constant or rigid. Your commitment to yourself has to reflect your capacity and the season you’re in. You can’t do all the things all the time. The capacity you have in a season caring for a newborn is very different than a season when you’re coming up for a promotion at work and want to give it your all.
Stressors are ever present and precisely why we need our practices. When you’re in the wobble, try to allow the memory of what happens to you when you fall off your practices encourage you to keep going. Life is your teacher.
Here’s an experiment for you. Conduct your own 7-day challenge. Meditate, eat a salad, drink herbal infusions, 30-minute walk, stick to a bedtime, journal, declutter, anything. Choose something you think will be beneficial, but not extreme (don’t detox lol), and do it daily for the next 7 days, then stop. The following week do not do the practice at all and reflect on the difference. The results are the difference in how you feel, so pay attention.
Today’s plant ally on our Path of Possibility is Mullein. Mullein is teaching me so much right now. You probably know it as “lung herb” because many of its indications are for respiratory concerns like, colds, coughs, congestion, emphysema, difficulty breathing, influenzas, pneumonia, and other infections, asthma, COPD and more. It soothes the mucosal lining, relaxes spasms, and opens the airway passages. It’s really whole-body medicine, though, offering support for the musculoskeletal, urinary, nervous, and digestive systems too. From arthritis and colitis, to nerve pain and UTIs, Mullein deserves a spot in your home apothecary.
What I’m receiving from Mullein these days is the medicine of standing in your personal power. If you’ve ever seen Mullein in person, it’s leaves are hairy and broad and in the second year a central stalk emerges, taking its height to 6 feet. It’s majestic, takes up space, and commands respect.
Folks in my inner circle know that while I teach a lot, I am not at ease doing so. It’s gotten better, but I still get anxious and nervous, so much so that right before announcing the Path of Possibility series to you all, I thought, “I don’t have to do this…why am I doing this…who said this was a good idea?!” Mullein has been whispering, “stand in your power, it’s safe to be generous with your medicine as I am with mine.”
Every path leads to expansion. We are always invited to step into the unknown and in doing so we discover newness within ourselves. I think one of the core reasons why we’re inconsistent is because we don’t know what’s on the other side and we put a ceiling on our joy. We get frustrated with ourselves, but we’re familiar with our patterns. Discipline opens new doors and new desires. To me, Mullein invites us to go higher, break through those self-imposed limitations and breathe new air.
It all works. Outbreaks are fewer, shorter, and less severe. She feels better.
But then she starts feeling resentful that she has to keep up with these things.
Even though she’s admittedly happier, she stops her herbs, practices, and diet.
What follows is exactly what you expect: stress, toxin overload, and the return of severe and frequent outbreaks.
What do you think happened? Why did she stop?
A lot of people say they have a hard time being consistent. They can commit for a time, but then, just like the person in this story, they fall off and find themselves at the bottom of the same mountain.
I think we can all relate.
One of my intentions with my work is to help people see when they’re in this pattern. To recognize the wobble, the back and forth, and to catch yourself before you sabotage your progress.
On the health journey we spend a lot of time in the discovery phase. We try different practices, diets, routes, and routines to figure out what works for us. I’ve failed at vegetarianism 3 times, not because I can’t cook or don’t love vegetables, but because I learned that my health deteriorates when I eliminate meat. I don’t need a lot of meat, but accepting that I need some based on my constitution brought me so much peace around food in addition to actually feeling better.
At some point hopefully, we find the things that support us and help us feel optimal. I love yoga, nature walks, and loud music in the car. I meditate and pull cards every day. With my Capricorn Moon, it’s easy to contain emotion and it’s also really important for me to make steady progress toward my goals. I set aside time at night to process the day and feel. I may journal, sit in silence, read, or do EFT tapping. And my days are filled with work that I love.
When you’re aware of the practices that support your wellbeing, then the question changes. Everyone has requirements. We don’t all have to do the same things, but we all have to do the things that specifically support our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Tami is fiery, she needs to move her body vigorously. Niles needs the spaciousness to daydream. You have to discover your rules. And when you do, will you commit?
Enter the wobble. Follow your rules and feel better, inside and out. Stop following your rules, feel worse. It’s not always easy, but it is simple. Discipline doesn’t mean constant or rigid. Your commitment to yourself has to reflect your capacity and the season you’re in. You can’t do all the things all the time. The capacity you have in a season caring for a newborn is very different than a season when you’re coming up for a promotion at work and want to give it your all.
Stressors are ever present and precisely why we need our practices. When you’re in the wobble, try to allow the memory of what happens to you when you fall off your practices encourage you to keep going. Life is your teacher.
Here’s an experiment for you. Conduct your own 7-day challenge. Meditate, eat a salad, drink herbal infusions, 30-minute walk, stick to a bedtime, journal, declutter, anything. Choose something you think will be beneficial, but not extreme (don’t detox lol), and do it daily for the next 7 days, then stop. The following week do not do the practice at all and reflect on the difference. The results are the difference in how you feel, so pay attention.
Today’s plant ally on our Path of Possibility is Mullein. Mullein is teaching me so much right now. You probably know it as “lung herb” because many of its indications are for respiratory concerns like, colds, coughs, congestion, emphysema, difficulty breathing, influenzas, pneumonia, and other infections, asthma, COPD and more. It soothes the mucosal lining, relaxes spasms, and opens the airway passages. It’s really whole-body medicine, though, offering support for the musculoskeletal, urinary, nervous, and digestive systems too. From arthritis and colitis, to nerve pain and UTIs, Mullein deserves a spot in your home apothecary.
What I’m receiving from Mullein these days is the medicine of standing in your personal power. If you’ve ever seen Mullein in person, it’s leaves are hairy and broad and in the second year a central stalk emerges, taking its height to 6 feet. It’s majestic, takes up space, and commands respect.
Folks in my inner circle know that while I teach a lot, I am not at ease doing so. It’s gotten better, but I still get anxious and nervous, so much so that right before announcing the Path of Possibility series to you all, I thought, “I don’t have to do this…why am I doing this…who said this was a good idea?!” Mullein has been whispering, “stand in your power, it’s safe to be generous with your medicine as I am with mine.”
Every path leads to expansion. We are always invited to step into the unknown and in doing so we discover newness within ourselves. I think one of the core reasons why we’re inconsistent is because we don’t know what’s on the other side and we put a ceiling on our joy. We get frustrated with ourselves, but we’re familiar with our patterns. Discipline opens new doors and new desires. To me, Mullein invites us to go higher, break through those self-imposed limitations and breathe new air.
1 Response
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in Iwilla Remedy Herbalism & Spirituality Blog
7 Herbs for Pain Relief: Cramps, Inflammation & Nerve Pain
Have you ever found yourself popping Advil for cramps, stiff joints, or aching muscles—only to feel like it’s a temporary fix? You’re not alone. Many of us are searching for...
The Ultimate 9-Book Herbalist Reading List (Parts 1 and 2)
When it comes to herbalism, there is no shortage of books, but not all of them will actually help you grow. That is why I created my multi-part YouTube series on Best Medicinal Herb Books.
Best Medicinal Herb Books That Are Really 9 Incredible Reads
These are not coffee table books you flip through for pretty pictures. They are the books that pushed me from hobbyist into thinking like a clinical herbalist.
ET
February 26, 2024
I recently came across your IG account and stumbled upon this post after peeping that your roasted garlic soup recipe.
Jusy wanted to say, this is beautifully written, personally timely and really insightful. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for this post.