A Medicinal Voyage
Just about three months ago I had an unexpected introduction to the daily use and benefits of herbal tinctures.
I had joined some old friends on Maui as a deckhand aboard the s/v Wild Thing, bound for the South Pacific. Full of gusto and anticipation, our crew of six assembled. And, as prompted by the captains, we brought with us any specialty items that we thought would enhance the health and wellbeing of our new floating community. The list naturally included surf gear, fishing gear, books, music, first aid supplies, and nutrient dense food stores.
A surprise addition to that list, and perhaps the most beneficial to me personally, was provided by our crew member, Amelia. I can’t say that at the time I was as enthusiastic about her tinctures as I was for the fishing and surfing gear, but I soon discovered their irreplaceable value.
My history with tinctures is similar to this, if i may: in the same way that some people only pray when life starts to get scary, I would only use tinctures when I got really sick. Someone, usually a girlfriend, would insist that I try something other than symptom-covering pharmaceuticals to heal myself.
I now chock it up to time spent unaware. However, I have come to understand that our path to wellness normally doesn’t happen overnight. On the contrary, available ways to heal our bodies and minds gradually come into our awareness as our understanding of ourselves and the natural world around us grows.
This voyage I am now on, aboard the s/v Wild Thing, is my open-ended way of diving into self discovery and personal healing— by doing all of my favorite things with supportive, like-minded people.
It has been over three months since Amelia showed up with an array of tinctures from the Herb Pharm. And it was during our 17 days at sea to our first landfall that I started to use the medicine. I must be honest, at first I used my old “pray when its scary” technique because I had rallied way too hard at our bon voyage party before leaving Maui. The result was a complete funk of body and mind, so I turned to the curious herbal apothecary aboard.
For some reason, an inner calling perhaps, I kept using the tinctures and began to really listen, prompted by Amelia’s insightful and well-informed explanations. Slowly, I got to know and decipher the organic and spirit-infused benefits and behaviors of the herbal remedies. For example, Ashwagandha helped keep my body feeling spry while putting myself through the rigors and bodily taxes that life in the sun and sea take.
I am writing this mostly as a thank you letter to the Herb Pharm. I could break down the ins and outs of all my ailments, how my resilience and clarity of mind was enhanced when I used the remedies, or how I noticed old pains and symptoms come back when I didn’t take them. But the bottom line is that when I was feeling good, it was directly linked to a morning ritual of taking a tincture. Some of my favorites became: Skin Health, Rapid Immune Boost, Fungus Fighter and Ashwagandha.
I also discovered the benefit of using herbs topically. A few weeks ago I hit coral while surfing a shallow reef pass. The puncture was deep enough to warrant three stitches in my left leg. Thankfully, we had a Calendula Succus tincture aboard, which has proven to be a great alternative to standard first aid kit wound healing disinfectants.
Is it true that what we need to heal our bodies and minds already existed on this earth long before any human intervention? It seems we have forgotten, that I forgot— though my body knows, all our bodies know— that healing is a natural part of the universal process of life. So, why wouldn’t everything needed for that process naturally exist within it? This is something I am learning as I become more aware, as I accept the healing properties of the natural world that exists outside and within me.
Thank you, Herb Pharm, for helping me understand the profound journey of healing through products that are tried and true, and made with herbs that are timelessly beneficial.
Mahalo,
Lando
P.S. Our morning medicine ritual evolved into concocting an intuitive shot of the day’s desired remedies in a small glass of water… swirled around and taken down with soul.
Herbal Voyaging Kit
Based on our experience with herbs at sea, this compilation of remedies provides the complete package for living a healthy, harmonious voyaging lifestyle.
Ashwagandha Glycerite for “keeping the body spry while putting oneself through the rigors and bodily taxes that life in the sun and sea take.”
Suggested dose: 1 dropper, 1-2x daily.
Neutralizing Cordial for combating nausea, sea sickness and the gastro-intestinal upsets provoked by all the motions of the ocean (including the common farts).
Suggested dose: 1 dropper as needed for acute symptoms and discomforts.
Fungus Fighter for addressing the impact of living in a watery world, with special consideration for all the microflora that tend to thrive in, on and around such a wet environment.
expedites the healing of injuries and infection from coral/reef collisions
combats fungal conditions commonly encountered on boats (haole rot, athlete’s foot, etc.)
excellent remedy to prevent and reduce severity of staph infections.
Suggested dose: 1-2 dropper, 2-3x daily for acute symptoms -or- 1 dropper, 1x daily for equilibrium.
Skin Health an ideal tonic for maintaining the resilience and vibrance of our skin in lieu of constant elemental exposure. (The nutritive depuratives in this blend feel particularly fortifying when fresh provisions are running low)
Suggested dose: 1 dropper, 1x daily for tonic benefits.
Rapid Immune Boost our go-to remedy for feeling under-the-weather, beating into weather, and boosting the immune system in a pinch.
Suggested dose: 1-2 dropper, 3x daily at first sign of symptoms.
Daily Stress Balance absolutely essential for dry-dock endurance and helping maintain a balanced state of being. Supports adaptation to new environments, compassion in close quarters, and mindful management in challenging scenarios.
Suggested dose: 1-3 spritzes daily for optimal balance, elevated mood & groovy perseverance.
Calendula Succus an herbal antiseptic wound-healing agent that’s effective, water-resilient, convenient to use and particularly applicable for boat life, water sports, and ocean-oriented existence.
easy application
ideal for cuts, scrapes, jabs, lacerations, fishhook punctures, etc.
coral/reef encounter savior!
reduces infection, seals open wound, and expedites cellular skin repair from inside-out.
Suggested dose: apply externally to affected area until healed :)
*kit co-imagineered by Amelia & Lando, compliments of Herb Pharm :)
