Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor; I'm an esthetician, herbalist, and wellness enthusiast. Nothing that I discuss is meant to be taken as medical advice. It is information that I am excited to share with you to spark your curiosity and give you something to explore further on your wellness journey. You must look into anything that you consume to be aware of the contraindications. Just because it is a plant doesn't mean it is benign and it doesn't mean it's meant for everyone's body or every situation. I never want to contribute to health anxiety; rather, I want to remind you of your innate power. It's your right and responsibility to discern what is appropriate for your individual health needs and consult with your inner knowing so that you can take what resonates and leave the rest.As we approach Valentine's Day, I thought this topic would be appropriate. It's also the heavenly birthday of my soul dog, who I lost the Christmas before last, and so for me, it's a time when my grief over that bears itself very fresh in my heart again. But I also know Valentine’s day can bring up some mixed feelings for lots of people. But more than that, it's always a time to care for our physical and our energetic heart. Before I get into the herbs today, I want to briefly talk about how they can be accessible to you because I know it can feel intimidating. Because it isn't talked about, there aren't commercials for it - which I think is great because it keeps plants sacred, but I do want to break down the intellectual and physical barriers. I recommend the book "The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual" by James Green or the Modern Herbal Dispensary: A Medicine Making Guide by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne. You can also consider:* Growing it yourself* Local apothecary* Local herb farms* Mountain Rose Herbs* Pacific BotanicalsWhen I went to herb school in 2020, one of my favorite things that we learned about was "heart medicine."This wasn't referring to a stent or medication but rather herbs that evoke feelings of warmth, love, compassion, and emotional openness. These herbs may be used to alleviate stress, anxiety, and grief or to promote feelings of love, joy, and inner peace.In yoga, heart-opening postures are ones that physically and energetically expand and open the chest area where the physical heart sits, and where the heart chakra also is positioned.Interestingly, most often, when an herb is supportive to the emotional heart, it is also an herb that is supportive to the physical heart.It makes sense that the energetic and emotional heart overlaps the physical heart.The heart is not just a mechanical pump. The physical heart experiences the effects of emotions through a combination of neural, hormonal, and biochemical pathways that influence its health and functioning over time. When we experience emotions such as love, compassion, or sadness, our brain sends signals to the heart through the autonomic nervous system. For example, feelings of love and compassion can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a decrease in heart rate and a sense of calmness and relaxation. Conversely, emotions like fear or anxiety can activate the sympathetic nervous system, causing the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise in preparation for a fight-or-flight response. Over time, chronic stress, unresolved emotions, or traumatic experiences can have a cumulative effect on the physical heart. Additionally, research suggests that emotions can directly impact the functioning of the heart muscle cells and the electrical signals that regulate heart rhythm. So it makes a lot of sense that heart-opening, emotional heart-supporting herbs would impact the physical heart.There is a concept in herbalism called the Doctrine of Signatures: this states that nature provides clues or "signatures" to humans about the potential uses of plants for healing purposes. According to the Doctrine of Signatures, plants exhibit physical characteristics