Herbs for Mental
Clarity and Peace
By Darcey Blue French
In today’s busy world, our brains are expected to be on at all times and performing multiple tasks at the same time; and not only that, our minds are constantly stimulated by noise, cell phones, computers, televisions, and high stress environments. It’s no surprise, then, that our minds can become overwhelmed, overtired, and begin to lose clarity, focus, and the ability to retain information. On the flip side, our brains are one of the most beautifully functioning miracles of the human body, of which we only tap into a small percentage of its abilities consciously!
Many studies have shown the power of practices like meditation and yoga increase mental focus and peace of mind, and also increase the ability to achieve “supernatural” abilities, including spontaneous healing of the body, telepathy, or clairvoyance. Our mind has far more capability to grow and do miraculous things when it is in balance and peaceful. So how do we bridge our mentally overwhelming culture and the natural peaceful and powerful state of the mind?
Practices and tools such as meditation, breathwork, and yoga are absolutely essential in moving toward mental health, peace, and focus; but for many of us, it’s a long road between our current state of mental mayhem to being able to sit in meditation for even fifteen minutes a day. Plant allies offer us a natural and effective way to cultivate mental clarity, focus, peace, and improve memory and mental acuity for our necessary daily mental gymnastics.
I’m going to share with you my favorite herbal allies that can help bring peace and relaxation, improve mental focus and memory, and restore healthy brain function.
Along with our beautiful plant friends, our minds require many nutrients to function well. A balanced diet abundant in antioxidants from brightly colored fruits and vegetables; Omega-3 fatty acids from deep-sea fish, algae, and some nuts and seeds; B vitamins; and adequate proteins help to build neurotransmitters that influence our mental state on a daily basis, and this goes far beyond serotonin and depression.
The study of neurotransmitters and mental health is a topic far beyond our scope here, but we need adequate healthy protein and strong digestion to build neurotransmitters in adequate supply.
Tulsi/holy basil (Ocimum sanctum): In the mint family and related to garden basil, holy basil is revered in its native land of India as a spiritual and physical medicine, and is grown at the door of the house. Tulsi is a medicine for cultivating peace of mind and is called sattva in Ayurveda. Tulsi brings us peace, calm, clarity of thought, and is said to enhance meditative states and general mental well-being throughout the day.
I use tulsi specifically to clear out “brain fog” from being overtired, overworked, using too many recreational substances, or for the black fog of depression. Tulsi brings back the sparkle to the mind and is mildly energizing to the body, yet is relaxing to the mind and spirit. It is a perfect balance. It also helps to alleviate stress and reduce stress hormones, like cortisol, it can help manage blood sugar, and support and clear the respiratory system during colds and flu. Tulsi can be sipped as a flavorful tea or used as a potent mind-clearing tincture, and can also be purchased in health food stores in a capsule form.
Wood betony (Stachys betonica): One of my very favorite mind allies, wood betony has been beloved as a healing and protective plant in Europe since the Roman empire. There is a proverb from Italy that says, “Sell your coat and buy betony,” indicating its high regard for healing! Wood betony has been used for centuries to relieve headaches and tension in the head. It increases circulation to the brain while reducing tension that causes headaches. Wood betony is also very protective and connects you with your intuition that comes from the gut/solar plexus.
I use wood betony when there is a lot of stress and mental agitation, which results in being ungrounded and disconnected from the body in the present moment. This is another plant ally that is helpful to cultivate a peaceful mind for relaxation or meditation, but I also find it helps with insomnia related to mental over-stimulation, stress, tension, and even bad dreams.
When you feel spun out, ungrounded, overthinking something (thoughts going around like a merry-go-round), tense, or headachy, reach for a little wood betony tincture (15–45 drops), or brew up a cup of wood betony tea with honey.
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica): This is a cooling and moisturizing herb that is a wonderful and rejuvenative mind tonic. It improves circulation to the brain tissues, strengthens the venous walls, sharpens neural function, and improves concentration and memory. It is considered an adaptogen, rejuvenative, and nourishing herb for the whole body, as well as the mind. Gotu kola is best used over several months when the mind has been taxed, overworked, or is overtired. But it just as well can be used to keep the mind in good shape before it gets overworked. In Asia it has been touted as a longevity tonic, and there is a saying “two leaves a day keeps old age away.”
It is generally considered safe and gentle for adults, children, and elders, but too much can cause headaches. I like to use gota kola as a tea, blended with other brain supporting herbs, especially tulsi and wood betony!
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): “Rosemary, that’s for remembrance,” recites Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Aromatic, stimulating, uplifting, and clearing—rosemary energetically fosters a clear mind, the mind of what I like to call “eagle eyes.” This is the state of mind where you can see and envision clearly the big picture of your life from way up high, and at the same time have the ability to focus on the tiniest of details, like the tiny mouse in the field below, in great detail, so you can swoop down at just the right moment to pick up what you need, or take action on a project or situation.
Just the fragrance of fresh rosemary or essential oil can stimulate memory and clear focus; it is wonderful for students or those in heavy or intense study or memorization to improve memory and recollection of facts. I like to tuck a fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden behind my ear when I need mental clarity and support during work. Rosemary stimulates circulation to the brain so effectively that some folks will get a headache when they take it in medicinal doses. Most of us are familiar with cooking with fresh or dried rosemary on poultry or in Italian sauces, but rosemary tea, or rosemary tincture, will distinctly stimulate the brain and the memory.
Start with small doses, 4 ounces of tea or 10 drops of tincture, and graduate to larger doses if you can tolerate it. This plant is a wonderful afternoon revitilizer and pick-me-up when you feel sluggish or sleepy after sitting too long. Rather than an over-stimulating cup of coffee, try a zesty cup of rosemary tea with lemon and honey.
Rosemary is also a potent antioxidant and protects the tissues of the brain and the liver from free radical damage, which is important in long-term memory and cognition preservation. And let’s not forget that rosemary is a warming and stimulating digestive ally that clears heavy, sad, and dark emotions and thoughts from the mind and spirit. Brushing the skin, face, and forehead with fresh rosemary sprigs, or misting with the essential oil, can help shift the energy when you are stuck in a heavy or sad state of mind. Rosemary is used ceremonially by traditional curanderos in their healing limpias (“cleansing ceremony”). Never underestimate the power of this potent little garden ally!
Sage (Salvia officinalis): Sage has been touted by herbalists since medieval ages to improve memory and strengthen the mind, and it has been backed up by modern science showing that it helps to slow the breakdown of neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine, which aid in memory retention. Sage is a plant of wisdom that, like other plants, improves brain circulation, protects vascular and brain cell tissues from damage by free radical oxidation, and protects the longevity of a clear mind. It is also a very good ally for calming anxiety, giving us “strength of mind” and resolve to maintain ourselves in our truth. Despite the temptations or challenges that life hands us, sage helps us maintain alignment with our higher good and spiritual truth, whatever that may be, instead of getting carried away by emotions, momentary pleasure, or distractions from our purpose.
Sage has a way of helping us to focus on the truth that speaks to our soul, and to keep our minds clear and focused on such truth. It can be cooked into food like many other kitchen herbs. It also doubles as a medicinal ally when taken as a tincture or as a tea on a daily basis. Garden sage tea is a strong, aromatic, and slightly bitter tasting tea that can be combined with honey and peppermint for taste. A cup of sage tea every day strengthens the mind, the spirit, and the belly. As the saying goes, “Why should a man die when he has sage in the garden?”
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea): When you need powerful, strong, and immediate aid for your mental state, rhodiola can be a good solution. This is one of the more powerful and stimulating plant allies for the brain and has very specific uses. I do not generally use rhodiola on a daily basis for extended periods of time, as large doses seem to have an unwanted effect of causing a similar “crash” to excess caffeine.
If you are sensitive to stimulants like coffee or chocolate, rhodiola may have similar side effects. But it is a remarkable ally for clearing mental fog and depression, energizing the mind and the body, and improving oxygenation of the brain. My favorite and most common reason to recommend rhodiola is for those traveling to high altitudes at risk of soroche, or “altitude sickness.” Rhodiola dramatically improves mental clarity and circulation of oxygen to the brain, even when oxygen levels are reduced. Usually, rhodiola and gingko work best together for this. Rhodiola may also increase neurotransmitters like serotonin. I find it is best to work with a tincture of rhodiola for most purposes because the dose is so flexible; you can take 1 drop, 10 drops, or 30 drops, finding the dose best for you and your needs.
I also generally recommend using rhodiola as part of a formula rather than by itself. If you are using it for altitude sickness prevention when traveling, you may find capsules are effective and easy to travel with for a limited period of time. Just note that if you feel overstimulated, experience headaches, or feel exhausted after using rhodiola, you may need to reduce the dose.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba): Gingko leaf extract is a modern herbal product derived from the ancient tree. Ginkgo nuts have been used for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine, the leaves have been studied extensively as a brain and memory tonic, and it is a potent antioxidant rich in polyphenols that protects sensitive tissues of the vascular system in the brain and the rest of the body. Ginkgo improves circulation and oxygenation to the brain and increases neurotransmitter synthesis, especially dopamine.
Ginkgo leaf is usually taken as a standardized extract because large amounts of raw leaf have been known to cause digestive upset. It is also a wonderful ally for addressing the symptoms of altitude sickness, along with rhodiola. Gingko can aid with memory, cognition, mental acuity, and protection of the delicate brain tissues as we age.
Sources
Mars, Brigitte. The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, 2007.
Darcey Blue French is a shamanic and clinical herbalist and wildcrafter of plant medicines. She calls herself a devotee of all that is sacred on this wild, beautiful earth. She learns from the plants and listens for the quiet, intuitive knowing of a plant communicating to her its love, its medicine, its nature enveloped and rooted in the magic of the natural world—the place where the heart hears what is being said. She is here to dive deep into the wild world and to experience, to sense, to taste, to feel the magic of the plants and the wisdom of spirit within each of us. Darcey lives and works in the southwestern deserts and mountains of Tucson, Arizona, where she maintains her private healing practice and offers an Herbal Medicine CSA, a shamanic herbal apprenticeship, medicinal plant walks, and plant medicine retreats. She was trained in clinical herbalism/nutrition at the North American Institute for Medical Herbalism. Visit Darcey online at www.shamanaflora.com.