SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Witches in Yoga Pants, your cozy corner of the cosmos, where modern magic meets everyday life. We're here to explore magic, mindfulness, and personal growth with a grounded no-fluff vibe. Whether you're into moon rituals, tarot spreads, or just trying to survive Mercury retrograde, you're in the right place. So get ready to disrupt some old patterns, explore what it means to reclaim your power and remember who you really are. So pull up your yoga mat, light a candle, and let's get into it. Welcome back. Today I am joined by Amanda, owner of the Herb Shop PDX. And we're talking about Amanda's most recent blog based on natural energy, the adrenals, and energetic balance. So welcome, Amanda. Thanks for joining again.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Thank you so much for having me. I love being on here with you. Always have such great conversations. So fun. Okay, so yeah, let's dive in here and talk about natural energy and adrenals and then what that means with like an energetic balance. Um you know, for me, I feel like energy is so many different facets. It's not just how you feel, it's not just your space, it's not, you know, just one aspect, it's a whole picture. Um, and for me, you know, natural energy and finding that balance in life has always been um a challenge and a struggle. Totally. My mother's always said, I have two speeds that's high and off because I just go so fast and then I crash and burn for a few days. Um and that's she's like, you're like a pressure cooker. You're just like build up, build up, build up, and then you just like it's all over, you know? And um, you know, so the a large part of my adult life, uh especially as I got into herbal medicine, really understanding the adrenals and what that is and what that means, and really learning to take those pauses in life and resting has been a journey for sure. Um, I'm almost 46 and still struggling, yeah. But you know, the adrenals are such an important part of that fight or flight in our body. And so, you know, learning to pause when I need to, learning to take adaptogens. I mean, I take them on the regular and I have for years and years. And sometimes I may be taking an acute dose if it's a really, you know, stressful period of of time in my life, or you're bottomed out, your energy's low. Totally running a hundred miles an hour, you know, like I'm like, okay, like remember to take your adaptogens because you're gonna completely crash and burn. And, you know, I have noticed a huge difference and and shifting that in my life, but you know, it is still a constant, a constant, you know, battle within myself.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Well, I think it's important to remember though that balance, even in energy balance, isn't an achieved state. It's like a constant, right? Yes, you know, so there's always gonna be ups and downs and times of high energy and low energy and adaptogenic herbs, correct me if I'm wrong, because you're the expert here, but they adjust accordingly, correct?

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Yeah, they're I mean, they are called adaptogens because they are adapting your body and they really are kind of that that balancer in the body. So uh the adrenals sit above the kidneys in the body, and you know, it's that fight or flight, or you know, when you're like, I'm so fatigued, or I can't sleep, or I feel like I'm sleeping and I'm still not rested. It's that's what they're doing, is they're just like fighting, fighting, fighting, like trying to keep up with you and balance it all out. So it's it's amazing when you start adding things like adoptions into your body to really bring that balance and really regulate that fatigue and the stress and provide that natural energy in the body. Right. That is where we, you know, thrive is within that for sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

And even with that on board, it's still just a component, right? Because, like, as you talked about, there's energy comes from all different sources. It's our environment, it's how we feel based off what's going on in our body and our sleep and all of that.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Yes, and food is is a huge part of that. Um, you know, so the adrenals obviously play one part of that, and they are um, you know, the stress response, the fight or flight, like we've talked about, they also regulate your cortisol levels, they're your energy production, they are blood sugar, you know, balancing hormones, all the things like they are the teeter-totter, they're the Libra of your body, if you like if you want to call it that. They're you know, they're teeter-tottering all the things all the time. And so I think that's you know, really important to keep that in mind. So if you find that you are having that that poor sleep, the the sugar crashes, the emotional overwhelm, the anxiety, stress, things of that nature, um, and you feel like you're constantly stimulated, look at your adrenals and take a look. And there's a lot of really great adrenal adoption herbs that are out there that can help you bring that balance to your body.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Right. Yeah. And I think paying attention to your energy, because like you said, your mom said you're either go, go, go or crash, right? And and paying attention to those little tiny signs of like, oh, actually, I'm feeling a little bit depleted. Maybe I need to rest, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Yeah, for sure. Because that goes into so many other issues. You know, once that's out of whack, like then your immune system's out of whack, so you make it easier. Yeah, yeah, for sure. And just I think all of us, you know, struggle with making sure we have good sleep and you know, rested sleep. And you know, again, that's something that if that if you're not getting that, the rest of your day is just totally out of whack.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Right. Well, it sends everything else out, too. And like you said, then you then you have a lowered immune system, then you end up getting sick.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

And then your stress and anxiety is higher.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

And it's like a loop. Yes, it is. It is just that little bit of noticing, it's like, oh, I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Maybe I need to stop and take a breath, you know, before you before you let it snowball.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

For sure, you know, and that's that like simple pause in life, right? Where we're like, okay, I just need to take a deep breath, like stay off my phone, my my laptop, whatever it might be, like disconnect. Like that is definitely um a great thing, you know. And I and I'm gonna talk about food a little bit here too, because I feel like you know, food as medicine is is crucial, and it's one of those things that can really help give you natural energy when you're eating the right foods for your body. Um, and that is, you know, things like healthy uh vegetables, you know, making sure food. Yeah, make sure you're getting good proteins, um, staying away from the sugar and the carbs so much because those can, you know, create that spike in sugar that throws your whole body off. But really, understanding like food as medicine is such a huge thing. And for like every client I have, I talk to them about the anti-inflammatory diet, which is um a list of foods that cause inflammation in the body, and then that can throw off everything in your body if you are eating those. And so it's a great way to really know your body. Totally. Um, and so you know, just really making sure you understand your body specifically, you know, because yours is different than mine, and mine is different from the neighbor next door.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Just beginning to notice that, especially I don't know if it's just age or what, but now I mean I've been through the gamut of like elimination diets and doing all of that over the years, and now I've got it pretty down pad. I'm basically just gluten-free, is the only thing, you know. But but I still, if I go into a period where I'm eating like extra sugar, like more sugar than or processed foods, I'm you know, there's there's no vegetables all of a sudden for a few days or whatever. My body knows like right away. I'm like, I'm not okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Yeah, you're like, my brain's not working, I'm bloated, I'm gassy, like all the fake.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

It's like, yeah. So once you once you tune into it, it's hard to not.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Yeah, because you'll know it's very, very cheer. Yeah, for sure. Um, so a few tips to keep your adrenals balanced are obviously what we just talked about. The you know, food is medicine, avoiding those sugar, you know, spikes and crashes, but also your water intake, that's huge, keeping keeping your body hydrated. Um, and there's lots of different schools of thoughts with that, but I've always been taught half your body weight and ounces is a really good place to start. So if you weigh a hundred pounds, 50 ounces of water, you know, it's an easy math formula there. Um, that is definitely huge though. I mean, and and really like keeping all of your or organs in general hydrated is so important. I mean, because if you're not, like those will shut down and that's a whole nother issue that you're dealing with. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

And I think we talked, we touched on this once before, but I think it's important to mention again um with the hydration is you know, drinking when you're when you're thirsty, making sure that you take the time out because I know a lot of us get busy and you'll be like, I'm thirsty, but I'll finish this first. And then before you know it, you're doing something else and you're like, Oh, I haven't, I still haven't quenched this thirst.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

And then there's the whole aspect of if you're drinking and you you aren't feeling satisfied, you may want to look at adding some electrolytes in there. Oh, yeah. And we talked about that before too.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

I think electrolytes are are just such a great added feature to your body. Totally. Um, and you know, I I think the like you're saying, like just keeping everything hydrated. I feel like I always tell people I have a drinking problem because I have three drinks in front of me at all times. Yeah, it's usually like iced tea, my electrolyte water, and a kombucha, and I just like rotate them as I'm working, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

And so it's gonna consume all of these at some point throughout this day. Yeah, for sure, for sure. That's a good way to go. Yeah, cover your bases.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Yes. And then, you know, prior to using your rest and deep sleep is really important. Um and and I know it's challenging for me, especially and for lots of people to like be like, okay, I'm gonna go to bed every night at 10 30 and I'm gonna wake up at this time in the morning. Like totally challenging to do that, but like trying to strive towards the majority of your sleep being within, you know, the same amount of time frame can really help that. Plus, that also helps your organs to regenerate and um to you know process and do all the things they need to do, right? So that you are getting that healthy rest and then waking up the next day and feeling your best.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Totally. And I this is a good time to say this too. Prior when you say prioritizing rest, I know there's a lot of people that feel guilty to rest, right? Like if you want to take a nap, but you feel like, oh, but I've got all this stuff I need to do.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

I mean, we were talking me yesterday.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

I know, but but it's like you have to, if you feel like you need to rest, you need to rest. It is, and based on human design type, people with open sacral centers need more rest than they think they need. And if they don't get that rest, then they are burning out.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Yeah, you know, I am super cranky if I do not get the right amount of sleep and you know, like everybody has their different sleep hours that are they're required for their body, you know. I I'm like a good solid like eight to ten hours is like absolutely what my body needs. And I'm not much of a napper, and you brought that up because we were talking about that. And yesterday I was just like so exhausted, and I took a two-hour nap, and then I woke up and was like, oh my gosh, I feel so guilty at all these other things. I needed data. But you needed it, but I needed it so bad, and I just like had to forgive myself for like needing to rest and needing to pause, and you have to, especially with all the things you do, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Yep, yeah, for sure. You just have to.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

I'm like, if not, my brain is not functioning at its own.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

I'm the same though. I need at least eight hours. Yeah, I would prefer to just kind of have more, and then I'm a 15-minute nap queen. Like I can take a quick one and be revitalized. So usually you gotta find out what's right for you. It's true.

SPEAKER_02 12:07

And usually, like, I don't nap. I'm really bad at napping if I go down. I'm usually down for the Qur'an hours. I could go to sleep at two in the afternoon and not wake up till the next day sometimes. And that's just that's when that's my crash and burn.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

That is you burning yourself out to where you can't go anymore. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

You know, so those are my life journey lessons that I'm sure will be with me till the end of time. But you know, it's it's a constant balance balance and making sure that I am just stopping and pausing when I need to. Um yeah, and so some other things are definitely like gentle movement, and that does not have to be that you're going to do a CrossFit thing. Like this is like go for a walk around your block, go to the park and go for a walk, do some stretching, stick your face in the sunshine, whatever it might be to just kind of get some blood flowing, get that energy moving.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Um I think another point to make here during this movement piece is um tuning into your body when you're thinking about exercise, because I've had clients that have this strict exercise regimen that they try to do all the time, no matter where their energy is.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Like they might be depleted and they're still gonna go do an hour of cardio and you know, whatever they're doing, like this hard workout.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

And I think tuning into the energy that you have in your body and realizing that the amount of exercise and movement is gonna flow or is gonna ebb and flow as well, is gonna it needs balance as well. Does it's not a constant outpour of like, I'm gonna go do a hit class or whatever they're called, you know?

SPEAKER_02 13:43

Yeah, for sure. No, I uh agree with that completely. And you know, even within that, um, you know, our bodies cycle definitely, especially female bodies, you know, we have all of our cycles with our hormones. Um, and there's a really great book out there that I love. Um, it's called The Woman Code by Alyssa Pete, I think is how you pronounce her last name. And I love how she breaks down every cycle that we have. And not only is it what you should eat, but it's how you should exercise. Because I don't think that we should exercise exactly the same every day. I think that then our body starts to regulate that as normal, and so then you're not getting you hit those plateaus, you know, like it you you become it becomes normal for or heavy exertion classes any day or exercise routine.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

For sure. Some days you might want to walk or do yoga and then you do a hard cardio, you know, it's like alternate.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

Yep, everyone is different within that for sure. You know, and I know some people also really are, I have to do this or I'm not gonna do it. You know, so everybody's brains are different with it. Totally, but I'm on the same page as you is like I don't actually want to do the same type of exercise every day. I would like that variety of, you know, okay, I'm walking certain days, like, you know, I work with horses, so there's a lot of physicalities. Yeah, some days you're just doing that, yeah. Yeah, and that is enough some days. Um, and then, you know, other days I'm like, I want to go do a yun yoga class, or I want to go for a hike, or maybe I want to go swimming, you know, like there's so many ways you can actually get exercise in that is not necessarily just like this focus driven. Yeah, I'm doing the exercise.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

But letting that match your energy level versus forcing yourself to do something you don't have energy for. Yes. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Uh all right, let's dive in here a little bit more. So, you know, slowing down your nervous system is also really important for the adrenals. And, you know, that can be breath work, that can be herbs, that can be some sort of ritual that you might do when maybe it's taking a bath, you know, but just really like trying to slow down, especially in the evenings before you're trying to, you know, go to bed and things like that and get that rest. Sometimes it's a a process of an hour or so or 30 minutes, you know, before then that you're really just slowing down, disconnecting from social media or text messages or the TV or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Whatever it is, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Yep, for sure. And I think breath work is a really key ingredient to slowing down. Um, and we'll talk about that a little bit more here soon. Um, but also um, you know, incorporating those herbal supplements into your daily regimen is really great. And um, again, like it kind of goes into food as medicine. Maybe you can figure out a way to add some of these adaptogens into a smoothie versus like taking tea or a tincture or a capsule and totally fit them into your routine in a way that works, right? Yeah, otherwise they're never gonna work if you never get to get to take them. Yeah, for sure. I feel like that's a constant conversation with people and they're like, Well, which one works better? And I'm like, Well, the one that you take is the one that you take. Yeah. Um, and so to hop back in a little bit about breath work, um, this blog got a really great, easy, uh, simple reset for your energy here. Um, you know, there's lots of different uh breathing techniques. I really love the box breath as well. Uh, but this one is just, you know, get your feet on the ground. I love it if you can go outside and get in the grass or the dirt or whatever it is. That really helps with grounding. Um, and then, you know, putting your hand on your heart and one on your, you know, back and your kidneys and an adrenal area because that then you're sending that breath to that area and really focusing and concentrating. Um, and then you're gonna just slowly inhale through your nose and exhale out. You're gonna want to do like a four count in, a six count out, and then just keep rebreathing that until you feel your body go, ah, okay, like this is great, you know. And I love this here, like just giving yourself the mantra of I am safe and I can slow down is so powerful.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

It's so powerful.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

You know, we have to constantly tell ourselves these things because again, you know, society is so fast all the time and changing all the time. And, you know, we're like, oh, I gotta do this, oh, I gotta do this, oh, I gotta learn this new technique. Oh, you know, your brain is.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

Or we're being constantly bombarded these days, right? With our phones that we're carrying around.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

And yes, you know, yes, constant, constantly.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Yes, it's okay to slow down.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

And I'll just like kind of throw this in here too. It's a great thing to take like a social media detox. Yeah, it really is, or TV or whatever your like main thing that you feel like you're kind of addicted to a little bit. Like give yourself a week off from it and just see how you feel after that. See if your rest feels better, see if uh you know your sleep feels better, like all those things. And the system feels more relaxed.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Um, yes. They're not comparing yourself to every single person you see on the internet, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Yeah, for sure, for sure. Or I mean, I find myself like scrolling and being like, oh, look at that program, oh look at this thing. You know, and I'm like, oh, I should do this for my business, oh, I should do this for my exercise or whatever, you know, and you it's really easy to get it.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

I have stopped impulse purchasing those things.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

That's so easy to do. You're like, it's like, oh, I'm gonna do that class. It's $25. I got this. You know, yeah, for sure. Um, all right, let's dive in a little bit here to some herbs that are adaptogenic herbs. Yes. Um, these are some of my favorites. There are many out there for sure, but I've worked with most of these pretty extensively. Ashwaganda is one that's fantastic. It has a pretty nice flavor to it, also. It's it's got a little malty Swedish flavor to it. Um, I say that lightly because all herbs like tend to be a little on the better side. But you know, as far as these herbs go, the that one and the maca are really lovely um blended together. Uh, I love putting those actually in a milkshake. Uh I've got to blend the muscle maximizer that has those in there, and it has a little pumpkin pie spice in there. So you put that in your smoothie and it is so yummy. Um, and then uh rhodiola is another delicious. Um, it's pretty mild flavored. It's a little more on the bitter than like the ashwagandha and the makka, but another excellent adoption. Eleuthero is also Siberian gens. So, you know, a lot of times people want to go to American gens or some of the other ginsengs out there, and they can be fantastic as well. But I find that they're more of a spike and then like a crash a little bit, even though they are still adaptogens. I feel like a luthero is a very nice, gentle, easy um ginseng. And so and it's also a lot more affordable because like American Gen Sing is one that's endangered, and you know, so it's three times the cost of Eleuthero. And it's a great art, but I find that I personally, and again, you know, like everything, like everyone's body is slightly different. Um, but I love Eleuthero. I love the way that it fills my body. Um, and then the last one on this list here is Reishi, and Reishi Mushroom is fantastic. I mean, all I feel like so many of the medicinal muscles.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

So many of the medicinal yeah, the mushrooms are great. They are turkey tail and cordyceps and all those kinds of yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

And Reishi is known as the mushroom of immortality. So I feel like it has this very like grandiose like personality, if you want to call it that. But it also just such a great additional.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

Is it the diva of the mushrooms?

SPEAKER_02 21:46

Maybe. I'm like, I haven't thought about that, but I'll get back to you on that. I feel like it's I feel like it could definitely be the diva of the of the mushroom world. Okay. So yep, yeah. And so those are just a few. I mean, and I encourage people to try them individually. Really feel how they feel in your body.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

You can do that with a tincture. Yeah, you can do a tincture.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

You can make a cup of tea with it. You can um do a capsule with that as well if you wanted to. But you know, start with one, maybe do one a week and see like if you like one better than the other. You know, some can be a little hotter on the body, some can be a little more cooling in the body.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Let's take a second here to talk about this because I know we're gonna about to go into some other um, you know, specific blends and stuff that you have available and that are even on sale right now today as we speak. Um but um let's talk about the different ways people can source this stuff. So do you have dry herbs available on your website as well as tinctures as well? So they have choices. Do you want to just talk about that a little bit? Because I've had some feedback of people heard us talking and didn't know exactly where to go. So let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

You can definitely go to the website, which is um the herbshopedx.com and shop as S-H-O-P-P-E. Um, I saw all of these in bulk herb, um, a lot of these in bulk powder as well, um, or tincture. And then I can also do custom blends of anything. So if we were like, hey, I want a capsule of this or a tincture with, you know, maybe three of these herbs, um, I can always customize anything. I'm in the process of having it uh accessible on the website. So you can actually go in and custom blend. Uh yeah, it's really exciting. It's been in the works for many, many years, and we finally found a way to do this. So right now you can do custom tea blends on there. Soon you'll be able to do custom essential oils and bath salts, and then it'll be tinctures, and we've got there's a whole list of ones that we're working out.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

But okay, that sounds great.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

But in the meantime, you can always just email the shop or that we've got a chat. You can call me, you can text me, you can do you can reach out to me in 10 different ways, but we can get it sorted for you. And typically I create an invoice and email it over, and then you can have your custom blend.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Nice. Okay, I just wanted to kind of clarify that. If you wanted to try these individually, you can get it in a dry form or in a way.

SPEAKER_02 24:07

Whatever, you know, and with that being said, I sell most of my bulk herbs by the ounce or the quarter ounce. So you can actually get a small amount of that without having to buy four ounces or eight ounces or a pound, which is often what you see.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

What you see in some of the bigger herbal, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

And I do that because sometimes you might not like that herb, you know. So being able to get a small amount of that is really important and um helpful for a little tangent here, like a lot of people have no idea what an ounce of like molin might look like versus an ounce of ashwagandha. Right. I and you know, that's a huge difference, and it's hard, and I don't expect people to understand that the volume of what one of those looks like versus the other.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

I don't understand. I'm like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

I mean, every once in a while I'll get an order for seven ounces of molin or something, and I'm like, hey, do you know how much do you know how much molin that is molin that is? Oh, there's obviously a learning curve with that, but that's also why I do like smaller amounts that you can purchase on the website.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

It sounds like you can always message with questions if you if you're not sure.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Yes, absolutely, absolutely. Um, okay, let's see here. Let's dive in a little bit to some supportive herbal practices that um are separate outside of of um the adaptogens themselves. But some things that can really help would be digestive bitters. Um, those are great for getting into your digestive tract, especially if you already have digestive issues going on. Um, that just helps keep things running smoothly and regulated. Um, another thing is the green food. We kind of talked about that a little bit, but a really good green food supplement that's just giving you a high-packed um boost of vitamins, basically, is always an excellent addition to your daily. And again, that can be a capsule, you can throw it in a smoothie. There's a lot of them out there, and there's a lot of different things. This is like a bonus added in, takes you five, second.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

It's a way to get all that nutrient, all those nutrients that you need without um having to eat.

SPEAKER_02 26:21

Yes, exactly. Um, and then if you are finding that you're having issues with blood sugar regulation, uh, there are tons of herbs out there that can help with that. And on this blog, there's two that are my favorite. Um, Gemema is fantastic for sugar cravings. So if you find that you are like constantly craving sugar, it really helps to cut that craving down. And Devil's Club is another one that can help with that as well. Um, Devil's Club is also an adaptogen herb. And so it's kind of the only one on this little section here that um that is also an adaptogen, but it's one of my favorites. It's it grows all over. I've never heard of that one. Oh, really? Yeah. Look it up. It's it's a magical plant. I've done some extensive work one-on-one with Devil's Club for emotional as well as you know, just energy and adaptogens, but both of those are great for blood sugar regulation, also. Love that. Um, and then we already talked a little bit about custom blends, but yeah, if you're like, hey, I want this, oh, I can't have that, or let's try this. I can always create um a custom blend for any person that might need one.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

And you guys offer herbal consultations on a sliding scale also. If you don't, if you're not sure what kind of blend you need or want, you can with you or one of your other herbalists, right?

SPEAKER_02 27:39

For sure. There's um several of us that are doing the 30-minute sliding scale consultations and um, you know, put that out there because I really want to be able to help any person that has a question with that. Um, and it kind of takes place of having a storefront and people coming in and, you know, having that 30-minute conversation with you. I want people to feel like they can still come to me and there's a full intake, so I get a really good, well-rounded picture of what all's going on in your life.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

Um which is important. It is, because that's not about just taking a plant and being like, okay, cool. This is gonna make everything. No, yeah. It's really like again, finding that balance in the body and in your lifestyle and your wellness practices and trying to find, you know, that perfect balance for you. So awesome. Yeah. So a few, a few different products that we have at the shop that are adaptogenic are our plant blends. Um, I've got a few listed on this blog, and really there's a whole line of them, and a large chunk of these are actually 15% off through April. Um, and so dive in there and get those right away. But the better than coffee is great, especially if you drink coffee and you're really trying to get off coffee. Um, it has a very similar roasted flavor taste to it, but there is no caffeine in here. Um, but it has those adaptogen herbs, the ashwagandha and maka. And so that is gonna be a great replacement for your natural energy balance because you're gonna get it natural because your body is providing it with these versus that spike that pouring in of the caffeine and then the yes, exactly. That spike that coffee gives you. Um and it's super yummy. I love this blend. And I'm not a coffee drinker, but I think that most people that drink coffee really appreciate this.

SPEAKER_00 29:30

Um is it a is it a tea form? It is tea form.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

Yeah, that is a tea form. Um and then yeah, I feel like especially if you are a coffee drinker and you're looking to get out of that, that is an awesome tea blend for replacing that same ritual that you have.

SPEAKER_00 29:48

Or even just for me in the afternoon, I could use a little pick-me-up to use something like this instead of caffeine again, right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 29:55

Absolutely, yep. And then Soul Shine is probably my most favorite blend. Um, it was one of the first ones that I created. Um, and that is an adaptogen blend. It has a lot of the herbs that we talked about in there, and that you can get in tea form or tincture form. Um, I've worked with this blend now for uh I'm gonna go 13 years with this one. And it's my staple when I know I'm gonna need that extra energy. I'll, you know, take more of an acute dose. I'm more of a tincture person than I am a tea person because I don't sit still long. Just pop it in your mouth and go. I can keep that tincture with me in the car if I need to or whatever. And so that's that's definitely one of my favorites. Um the Nutritive Beginnings is also a great mineral uh vitamin boost, and so it's similar to like a vital, like a green food blend, but it is a tea and there's a tincture for that one as well. And then the Vital Greens is my um that is my blend that I make in-house that is a green food and it's great for smoothies. Um it's very, very green. It has a lot of powder, it's powdered already. Yep. Um, and I do have that one in capsule as well if you just don't have time for smoothies. So a couple different options. And then the muscle maximizer we talked about, and that's the one with the ashwagandha and maka and the pumpkin pie spice blend. And it's just such a great that sounds so yummy, it's super yummy. Um, and just again, that great little extra natural energy booster that's not gonna give you that crash that you get so much with caffeine.

SPEAKER_00 31:31

I love those. Those all sound delicious. I want to try them all.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

Yeah, I know, right? Like just buy them all a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Gotta go, gotta go place an order now. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

Totally, totally, yeah. So, you know, as far as like herbs and things of that nature, that's kind of a good, well-rounded picture of of different options that you can look at. Um, you know, but let's dive in a little bit to you know, the clearing and the resetting, the actual energetic versus the physical.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Yeah, of your space or of your energy field, yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Yep, for sure. So I definitely am a huge advocate for um clearing your space. And, you know, I feel like at my house, if things are not in order, I can't get anything else done. Yeah. And, you know, but actually doing a cleansing with like a smoke bundle of some sort. Um, and again, there's lots of schools of thoughts for this, but um, I typically will take a bundle and start in a corner of a room um and go to all the corners of that room and then, you know, open the door and swish that out, whether you're sweeping it out or just swishing it out. Um, if you're having a hard time with somebody in your space and you need some protection, this can be another great asset to to utilize to like clear that energy out of the space. Yes, yes. Um, and that can really help just reground yourself. I feel like I don't I don't know really what it is about burning herbs, but it's like oh I don't know either, but I can really feel the difference.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Yes, complete reset. And even even just, you know, I see a majority of my clients on Zoom, like I clear between each person because it's like I just want the energy to be cleared, you know, and it it's important and you can feel the difference once you do it.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

You really, really can, that's for sure. And I really appreciate that. And um, you know, to dive in a little bit more about you know, smoke bundles and uh and what you're using, there's so many plants out there, and um, you know, often overused are white sage and Palo Santo, and yeah, you know, they've been so they've been used so many times that now they're endangered. And and you know, there's some cultural appropriation also with those. So I feel when it comes to making smoke bundles, uh look and see what's growing around you. Right. Because there's usually an abundance of something, you know. For here, I love using mugwort, um, lavender, rosemary, juniper, cedar, all of those grow so great in the Pacific Northwest. And you can do a blend of all of these, or you can just have one of them and uh, you know, use some use what's there, you know, and they're gonna, you know, you can dive into each one and see what each of those are clearing for you. Like mugwort, for example, is amazing for intuition, the dream world, you know. So if you're diving into lucid dreaming or just, you know, what having some issues even with your dreams, like mugwort can be an awesome asset and ally for you within, you know, making a smoke bundle with even for setting the intention.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

If you're wanting to tap into your dreams more and you've got your dream journal there, just burning that and setting the space of like, okay, I want messages to come through my dreams tonight and just kind of setting that energy.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Exactly. And that is it. Again, you were talking about the energy, right? Like it's not just your physical, like physiological energy, it's your space, it's setting those intentions to have or bring in whatever energy you're trying to work with as really I love that you have herbs listed that aren't sage because that's like the go-to.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

It is, and it's so hard, I feel like, to get ethically sourced, even I mean, like you said, it's endangered, but to get it ethically sourced sage, even if it says it, it it isn't always really that's true.

SPEAKER_02 35:31

And so it's I feel like if you're growing it yourself, great, you know. Or if you know a company that is growing it and it's sustainable, awesome. You know, those are great ways to to work with that, but um, work with what you have and work with with what's around you and uh to to to chime into mugboard a little bit here too, I will just say, you know, use that sparingly because if you already have really intense dreams, it can amplify that in a way that is it can be uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

So um, you know, really, really lucid dreaming is the reason.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Really, really lucid dreaming, yes, exactly. And I'm notorious for always act doing a little too much of something with plants and eating higher than a kite. Yeah, the first time I drank the dream tea to like test it out. Well, it already has mugwort in there. And I was like, how about I just add a little extra mugword in there? Oh no, I was uh in and out of this lucid dream all night long. I didn't sleep, I mean, I wasn't rusted sleep because it was just like dreams can be exhausting. They can be a fruit, you know, and that's not our goal here, you know. Like we want to be able to rest. Yeah, for sure. So a little bit goes a long way. I mean, really with all herbs, like a little bit goes a long way. But you know, mugwort's one of those funny ones for me where I'm like, oh yeah, I have a story about mugwort.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

Overdid it a little bit. Yeah, I love that the rosemary's for protection and clarity because that could be a kind of a replacement for that sage of just kind of resetting the the protection in the in the space. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 37:07

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 37:07

I mean the cedar cleansing. Gosh, rosemary and cedar together would be amazing.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

So yeah, yeah, for sure. And rosemary, you know, is such a good brain, you know, brain plant anyway. So like that clarity, like that sharpness, the you know, acuteness that you get from just a glass of rosemary tea totally is amazing. Yeah. Um, but yeah, there's there's so many plants to work with and you know, dive into you know, harvest what is around you versus like what's popular more so.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Absolutely. Yeah. Um, I like that you mentioned um the natural twine here. So if you're do you want to just kind of walk through that a little bit? Because if you're making your own smoke bundle and you've never done that before, there's some things to think about.

SPEAKER_02 37:46

There definitely are. And I, you know, it's very simple, but you really want to gather like a large what seems like it's gonna be more than you need because it does shrink down um of whatever herb it is that you have. And I usually get like a good, you know, handful of that. And then, you know, taking the natural twine, I feel like natural um twine is a great way to bind that together. Um, some people will use different color threads as well, depending on what they're calling in, like the different colors can associate to things like protection or love or abundance or whatever it is that you might be trying to create there. So that might be a fun way to kind of dive into that. And so, yeah, after you get that, then I usually will, you know, start at the top of it and tie a knot in the top, wrap it around a few times, and then I'll go all the way down, wrap a few times at the bottom and all the way back up again to kind of crisscross on there. Um, and then you kind of want to just let it sit for depending on the plant, it could be a week, it could be two weeks, just to make sure it's really dry because you're starting with, you know, a fresh plant. I don't know if I said that, but you know, starting with a fresh plant is way easier than starting with a dried plant and then trying to uh turn it into a smoke bundle. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. So that is, you know, it's very simple. And then I usually trim the ends just to give it a little bit of a clear, a clearer cut. But you know, there's other ones that, you know, maybe I put some yarrow in there and I want those pretty flowers to come out of the top of it. Um, so you know, you can be creative with what you're doing. There's not really a right or wrong way to make a bundle, but you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

I love that. I have some yarrow growing in my backyard. I'm not gonna use some of that.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

Yeah, you go make your little protection bundle there. So yeah, we all need lots of protection these days.

SPEAKER_00 39:33

We all need lots of protection.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Lots and lots of protection these days. So yeah, that is a simple way to do that. And um, we make lots of different bundles at the shop with different herbs and things like oh, so you have them for sale too.

SPEAKER_00 39:45

People want to buy the bundles. Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Yep, I do as well in there. And um actually we're gonna be making smoke bundles at the summer solstice event that's coming up in June. Oh, nice! So that is always a fun thing. So if you want a beautiful day retreat, we're doing a full day with St. John, um, guided plant meditation, herb walk, making some products. There'll be yoga and sound healing, and then I'll be doing a guided plant meditation with sound healing, like we've been doing with the the classes this spring. And so, but it's a whole day retreat.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Whole day retreat. Uh-huh. And that's on June 20th, right?

SPEAKER_02 40:21

It's on June 20th. It's at the Confluence Art Center out in Scotts Mill, and this is our fourth year doing that. So it's growing and evolving every year.

SPEAKER_00 40:30

Um so if you're in Oregon, or even if you're not and you want to come visit. We're we're here hanging out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:37

Yes, yes, for sure. Uh it will be a lovely day to just, you know, welcome the light and uh to gather and celebrate and all the good things.

SPEAKER_00 40:47

You have one more of the plant meditation series coming up in May, right?

SPEAKER_02 40:51

I do, yep. We'll be working with Rose. It's on May 14th, and that's at Candle Creations here. Um and I'll be planning out some more for the fall also.

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Good. Those have been fun. They are been attending those, and they're they're so special. They're good, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

And it's just, I mean, it's uh a nice way to spend your Thursday evening where you're like, oh, I got a natural reset. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

So love it. Love it.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

I love that you're loving them too.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Yeah, they're fun. They're fun. Let's talk about the magic behind the smoke clearing because you've got a section here about that.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

For sure, for sure. So energetically, like some things that you might want to work with whenever you're doing a smoke cleansing are you know, clearing that stagnant or heavy energy. Um, you know, that's so important. And again, that kind of goes back to what we were briefly talking about. Like maybe you have a bad roommate, or maybe you just got an argument with your partner.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

I was just gonna say, I clear every time if we get in any kind of argument, I'm walking through the house and the dogs are looking at me like, okay, we're we're cool now.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

Yes, for sure. And so that's you know, a few ways. And then, you know, setting the emotional tone of your space also again, like, you know, talking about going into the dream world, like maybe burning that mugwort before you are emotionally and energetically setting that tone for what you're diving into. And it can be anything, but that's just one example. Um, supporting the transitions, whether that's seasonal, personal, or spiritual, also another great way to use um smoke bundles and clearing your space. Love that.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

It's so important.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

It is, and then you know, creating that intentions and presence, right? You know, like it that's really what we're doing here. So, like, okay, I mean, our words are so powerful. And when you think about um, you know, spells or um, you know, trying to create the path that you want for your life or allowing that path to open, it is so much of like I am creating this intention, I am setting this intention for myself, and um therefore it is present in that space.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Absolutely, and to do that mindfully is so important because you are manifesting whether you know it or not.

SPEAKER_02 43:05

Yep, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 43:07

If there are negative words or negative energy coming out, then that is what you're gonna attract.

SPEAKER_02 43:12

Of course. Yeah, that is that's why I say your words are powerful.

SPEAKER_00 43:15

Your words are powerful, they're spells, and you're always manifesting.

SPEAKER_02 43:18

For sure. And I I try to help educate people on that on the daily, you know. Like people may say, oh, you know, whatever. They may say something that's like rude or hateful, and like, oh, I'm just kidding. Well, actually you're not, because now you just put that in the state. Yeah, totally, totally. You know, like you're creating that whatever you say, like is is what you're putting out there. Totally.

SPEAKER_00 43:39

And that's a constant. I catch myself doing, you know, it's like it's a constant paying attention, being mindful of where your thoughts are.

SPEAKER_02 43:47

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Because that is what you're that is what you're bringing in.

SPEAKER_02 43:50

It is, you know, and it's the karma that we put out into the world with our words, and then totally obviously things come back and you're like, oh wow, yeah, totally called that in an accident.

SPEAKER_00 44:00

Yeah. So clear that space and only put positive positive intention and words out there.

SPEAKER_02 44:06

Yes, yes, exactly. Um, and then magically, of course, like you're working with the element of air, um, you're working with the element of fire, and you're working with the plants. So, you know, those are all combined together and creating, you know, this ritual within using a smoke bundle and clearing your space. Magic. Yeah, it is magic. Um, so we kind of briefly talked about like the simple ritual. So again, you know, I tend to do the corners of whatever space I'm in, whether that's your whole house or whether that is just one room. Um, and then energetically like going through that space and speaking, you know, like a lot of times I will say prayers or intentions or whatever it is that I am working with within that space, and then just open that door window and just let it out. Totally. So now you're not only like cleansing your space, but you're speaking those words out into the universe as that smoke goes out of your space. Um, and it's just such a simple, easy reset that we can all do. Um, you know, it doesn't require having to go somewhere, you know, do something with someone where they're doing an energetic clearing necessarily. Like you're doing simple, easy way to do it. Yeah. You're doing this for yourself for sure.

SPEAKER_00 45:27

So absolutely. I love I love the idea of setting the intention. I that's I do that as I'm clearing.

SPEAKER_02 45:33

I'm like, okay. Yes, yes, for sure. It's really, it's really powerful.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

Open opening a space and then closing a space.

SPEAKER_02 45:40

Yes, yes, absolutely. So so those are, you know, all some great ways to work with like physiologically, energetically, you know, all the above, like they're all connected. They're all connected to where you are, the people that are around you. So, you know, those are just like a few little tips, and um, you know, people are feel free to reach out with any other questions that might, you know, come up for them as they're you know listening to this and reading the blog and learning more.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

Yeah, absolutely. And I think just remembering that, you know, the the energy in your body implac impacts your energetic energy and that impacts everybody else, just like you were just saying, but it really does cascade out.

SPEAKER_02 46:24

And you know, we're all cultivating our own lives, right? We're all creating our own life path. So if you feel really stuck, this these, you know, especially the energetic clearing part of this can be a great tool to add to your tool belt to really start pushing through whatever you're working on.

SPEAKER_00 46:41

Absolutely. Thank you so much. This has been fun. This has been a good conversation. Yeah. Um, yeah, check out the blog. Amanda's information is in the show notes um as a co creator of this episode. And yeah, you can check out the website at the herbshoppdx.com.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 47:01

Thank you.