From the
Ground UP
Herbs for life & health
by Pamela Paris
As we head into the New Year, with Valentine’s Day soon to follow, it is appropriate that we consider the energy and gifts of the fourth chakra, the heart chakra. This chakra is associated with self-acceptance, relationships, compassion, love and even fear and grief. If you have not made a New Year’s resolution yet, why not consider spending this year practicing self-acceptance. I believe that this is the secret to finding true happiness. From here the other gifts can flow – unconditional love for self and others, healthy relationships, and compassion. I also believe that we are able to weather grief easier and can face our fears when we have accepted ourselves for who we are and have found true happiness.
An herb that supports the heart chakra is hawthorn. This plant is in the Rosacea family, which is the rose family. The early Greeks associate the rose with love and passion and both of these emotions are connected with the heart. In the lore of both the Greeks and Romans, the hawthorn was a symbol for hope and happiness -- again emotions associated with the heart. The genus for this plant is Crataegus, a word derived from the Greek word kratos meaning strength. Undoubtedly this was due to the fact that the wood of this tree is very strong. In Celtic lore, hawthorn was believed to heal the broken heart. So we can infer from all of this that hawthorn is good for strengthening and healing the heart.
Medicinally, hawthorn was used as early as the first century A.D. by a Greek herbalist, Dioscorides, predominately for supporting the heart. These days hawthorn is used for cardiac insufficiency, minor angina, hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and arteriosclerosis. Hawthorn has several flavonoids which support the circulatory system. They have been shown to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and lipid lowering. All of these actions help to support the vessels of the cardiovascular system. In the Chinese system of medicine, hawthorn is used for disturbed shen, or spirit. Some of the signs of disturbed shen are anxiety, insomnia, bad dreams, palpitations, irritability, heartache, and fear. This demonstrates the use of this herb with the emotional aspects of the heart.
When using hawthorn for medicinal purposes the flowers, leaves or berries can be used. All parts of the plant support heart health; however, the berries are best for the structural healing of the heart and the flowers and leaves are best for the emotional healing of the heart. Teas can be
made with the flowers and leaves by infusing them in hot water (allowing them to steep in hot water for 15 minutes) or with the berries by
decocting them (simmering them in water for
30 minutes). Beyond medicinal uses, the leaf buds
and flowers are edible and can be tossed into
salads while the berries can be used to make an
herbal wine or a flavorful jam.
Pamela Paris is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist practicing in Harford County, Maryland. She can be reached at
443-243-4728, [email protected]