Robust + Resilient: Holistic Immune Support and Sale!
Hello loves!
Check it out… every once in a while we take showers and put on clean clothes! This photo was taken at the wedding of dear friends in Southern California last week. We had a dreamy time witnessing their sacred rite, swimming in the ocean (with dolphins!), and reconnecting with old friends.
Aaaaand, despite our exposure to people with colds and tickles in our throats one evening, we stayed quite well, thanks in part to the hefty supply of herbal tinctures and supplements we brought with us.
You may be mingling indoors with a wide range of folks again too, and we want to help you stay well for it! Through October 14th, we’re offering 20% off some of our favorite tinctures for immune support. And if you’d like to learn more about holistic approaches to staying (and getting) well, keep reading below!
Scroll down further for more shop and event updates.
In love and beauty, Bex and Seth
Wild Wellness
Holistic Immune Support
As you know, there are many factors that influence our susceptibility to getting—and staying—sick and, while we can’t control all of them (like our genetic predispositions), there’s a lot we can do to support a robust immune system, minimize our chances of getting sick, and regain vitality if we do.
Adopt an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle
Systemic inflammation makes us more susceptible to imbalance and illness of all kinds, while minimizing inflammation can amplify the wellbeing of our body-mind-souls. Luckily, there’s a lot we can do to manage inflammation!
But you already know this, don’t you!? I’m going to remind you anyway. It’s so easy to forget that the best medicines can be woven into the fabric of our daily lives—and even easier to feel like they are indulgences we don’t deserve. But WE ALL DO!!!
Here are some important anti-inflammatory threads that are vital to overall health:
Rest. Sleep! Nap! Screw capitalism’s story that your worth is equal to your productivity!
Touch the earth with bare skin every day. A hand on a leaf, two feet on grass, your butt on a stone. One minute is better than no minutes.
Practice awe. The work of Dr. Dacher Keltner and other scientists have recently demonstrated a correlation between experiences of awe, decreased inflammatory markers, and increased mental and physical health. So, while we may not be able to summon awe at will, we can create the conditions that make it more accessible—like taking a walk with “awe glasses” on. Do it!
Tend to stress. While stress is unavoidable, practices that help us meet stress in a nourishing way are powerful medicines. Singing, hiking, swimming, drawing, stretching, meditating, reading, crocheting, and heart-to-hearting with friends are some of my favorites. What are yours? Give yourself over to them!
Take a bath. Baths are relaxing and great for circulation (especially when you do the hot/cold thing), and they are excellent delivery systems for herbal medicine and minerals. Take a magnesium bath with some personally tailored essential oils or herbs tied up in a sock or muslin bag.
Ditch the booze, smokes, refined sugars, and processed foods! While infrequent and small amounts of these treats may be okay for some of us, habitual engagement with them is bad for all of us. Duh. They may decrease stress in the short term but tend to cause problems over time.
Feast Well!
Of course, a diet based on organic whole foods is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our bodies throughout our lifespans, and incorporating immune-modulating foods into our meals is an extra good thing to do during seasonal shifts and when we want to strengthen our immune response. Here are some of our faves:
Reishi, turkey tail, chaga, red-belted conk, and shiitake mushrooms. We like them powdered and added to our hot drinks or simmered in our soup stocks.
Garlic, ginger, and onion. They are strongly anti-microbial and promote circulation.
Fresh herbs!! Many of our most common culinary herbs are also powerfully antimicrobial, and offer other beneficial properties too. I recommend using a good handful of fresh herbs in at least one meal every day. Oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, and cilantro are all fabulous!
Sauerkraut, raw vinegar, kimchi, yogurt, and other fermented foods support a diverse gut microbiome, thus decreasing inflammation and strengthening the immune system.
Good fat. As Gen-Xers, Seth and I were programmed to think eating fat was BAD, but it’s not! Healthy fats and fatty foods like avocado, wild fish, flax and hemp, olive oil, coconut oil, and raw nuts and seeds help our brains, cells, and immune systems function well and impede inflammation.
Vitamin C! Raw citrus, cranberries, rose hips, and bell peppers all have it.
Liquids! Water, of course, is the elixir of life. Herbal teas, miso, bone broth, and other nutritious liquids are fab too. Your future self will love you for packing a thermos full of your favorite drink for your daily outings!
Supplements
For the most part, Seth and I rely on herbs and food for our nutrients and medicines. However, there are a few important supplements that we take daily, including:
Vitamin D. Especially necessary in the cloudy Pacific NW, this vitamin plays a big role in our immune systems and mental health.
Vitamin B complex. This supports brain, nervous system, and immune health.
Zinc. Supports immune system, skin, gut, and eye health, among other things.
Magnesium. Our soils have been so depleted of minerals that it’s hard to get enough magnesium from food alone. It supports brain, nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic health, all of which contribute to resilience to sickness and disease.
Herbal Medicine
Most herbs support the immune system to some degree, as all plants need to protect themselves from microbes, but some offer more potent support than others. These immune superstars can be broken into a few categories. Working with a combination of herbs from each category can provide a good baseline for your health as we head into fall and throughout the year.
Immune Modulators. Immune modulators strengthen and bring balance to the immune system by taming overactive responses and activating sluggish ones. They have traditionally been used to ward off common colds and flus, prevent cancer, support cancer care, and help with asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.
Red-belted conk and tulsi (aka “holy basil”) are two of our favorites in this category. Astragalus, ashwagandha, reishi, turkey tail, and other medicinal mushrooms are great.
Immune Boosters. These activate an immune response and are great to work with if you are about to get on a plane, volunteer in a preschool class, or go to a dinner party. They are also important if you are starting to come down with something or already have. However, if you have an auto-immune condition, immune boosters are not recommended. Choose modulating herbs and options from the other categories below instead.
Elderberry, lemon balm, echinacea, ginger, and licorice root are some of our faves in this category.
Anti-Microbials. Anti-microbials help us stay well by making our inner landscapes inhospitable to many of the microbes that initiate illness.
Try Oregon grape root, cottonwood bud, Usnea, calendula, yarrow, echinacea, oregano, thyme, sage, garlic, and ginger to ward off bugs.
Lymph Movers. Free-flowing lymphatic systems play an important role in our immune system by bringing metabolic waste, toxins, and damaged cell fragments to our lymph nodes for elimination and immune activation. Because it does not have its own pump, we need to help the lymph fluid move. Physical activity, gentle massage, and skin brushing all help. So do a few common herbs, including:
Cleavers, calendula, goldenrod, burdock root, red clover blossom, chickweed, and violet leaf.
Diaphoretics. Diaphoretics have traditionally been used to help break fevers and promote sweating to help the body eliminate toxins.
We work with yarrow, motherwort, coyote mint, and elderflower to promote sweating. Peppermint and cayenne are great too!
Immune Support 20% Off SALE! *
Resilience Tincture
Taking our Seasonal Resilience Tincture* is a great way to ward off bugs during any season, and to decrease the intensity and duration of colds and flus if they set in.
Steeped with a variety of immune-boosting, antimicrobial, and diaphoretic herbs, it support wellness through many herbal actions.
*This tincture is not recommended for pregnancy or folks with autoimmune conditions.
Elderberry Elixir
Have you tried our elderberry elixir*? If so, you know it’s delicious, and if not, it’s the perfect time to check it out!
We simmer the wild elderberries that we harvest on the flanks of Dutchman Peak with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove until the tea is nice and concentrated. Once it’s cooled down enough, we stir in local raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, and tinctures of yarrow and elder flower.
And right now, we also have a batch of Elder-Cran Elixir! It’s the same as our original brew, but with the added Vitamin C and zesty flavor that come with organic cranberries from the Oregon coast…. and it’s a stunning hot pink to boot!
Take it by the teaspoonful for prevention, by the tablespoonful for recovery, and by the 1/2-ounce with some sparkle water for a delicious mocktail!
*Not recommended for pregnancy or folks with autoimmune conditions.
Red-Belted Conk
Red-belted conk may be one of our least-known—yet most badass—tinctures. It is a shelf mushroom that grows on old and often decaying trees and we collect ours alongside the creek that runs through our community land.
Conk is a fantastic fungal ally for general immune function. As an immune modulator, it can be supportive for folks with auto-immune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis. It has a particular affinity for the gut and intestinal lining, and is often recommended for inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract.
It has also been shown to inhibit tumors, presumably by flagging them for the immune system, and has been used to ease the effects of chemotherapy. I take a dropper every day to stay well, and more if I’m feeling funky.
CBD Hemp Tincture
Many studies suggest that CBD has anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties, and may be supportive for a wide range of folks, including those with auto-immune conditions.
Our CBD tincture is made with full-spectrum CBD hemp that was grown by good people on a certified organic + byodynamic farm. It pairs well with and seems to amplify the benefits of other herbs. And it’s a great pain-reliever and sleep-supporter as well!
*Sale good for 1oz. & 2oz. bottles only. Ends Wednesday night, October 14th.
Tea and Tarot in Grants Pass
This month I’ll be doing tarot readings at the Mystic Valley Farm Tea Shop in downtown Grants Pass on Wednesday, October 21st from 11am-3pm. I’ll also be there on November 17th and December 16th.
You can book ahead of time or drop in, and get a free drink and 10% off tea and beverage purchases. I hope to see you there!
Mystic Valley is located at 229 SE 6th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526.
Market Updates
Markets are still in full force! If you live in Southern Oregon and want to find us in person, here’s our general market schedule for the rest of the season:
Medford at Hawthorn Park through 11/19
Thursdays, 8:30-1:30
Grants Pass outside at F St. + 4th through 11/28
Saturdays, 9-1
Ashland Saturday Market on Oak St. through 10/31
Saturdays, 8:30-1
Holiday Markets!
Holiday Market at the Expo, November 13th, 14th, 15th
Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-3
Rogue Makers Market at Rogue X, November 21st and 22nd
Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 10-3
Winterfest at Pacifica, December 5th and 6th
Saturday and Sunday, 10-3
Somatic Soulwork for Radical Self-Love
$40 Featured Special: Venus Retrograde
Astrology, tarot, and parts work are three of my favorite practices for cultivating radical self-love, acceptance, and deep healing, and they all come together in my “somatic soulwork” practice.
In our 1:1 sessions, we can call upon one or more of these modalities to help you connect with your embodied and intuitive wisdom and bring loving presence to the places that need it the most. I offer individual sessions and bundles of four for ongoing work. Check out my offerings to learn more!
In addition to live sessions, I offer recorded tarot and astrology readings. And right now you can get a recorded Venus Retrograde reading for just $40!
In this reading, we’ll see what your chart and the cards have to say about your evolving relationships with yourself and others, the inner gems that are ready to be excavated, and the healing work you are supported to do right now.
In addition to the information revealed by the planets and cards, each reading contains journaling prompts and personal practices to help you integrate the invitations of the moment.
New Hats!
Did you know that I also make hand-painted hats? Well I do, and these two are brand spanking new! All the hats I paint are made out of organic cotton and recycled polyester and they would be honored to grace your beautiful head!
You can order these online or pick them up at our farmers’ market booth. If you see sold-out designs in our shop that you like, shoot me a message and I may be able to make one just for you!
Stay in Touch on Social Media!
Follow us on Instagram to get market updates and Instagram-only sales!
Subscribe to Becca’s Substack
I’m making my own tarot deck and book of love letters to go with it! Subscribe to my Substack to follow my (on-hiatus-for-the-summer) process. Here’s an excerpt from one of my faves:
Dearly beloved,
Welcome to the land of Love! May it envelope you, strip you to your wildest self, and transform you into something more expansive than you could ever imagine.
Welcome to love in all its forms—romantic, mystical, platonic, wild, familiar, frightening, and neighborly. Welcome to the deep and abiding love that emerges from years of knowing another being, and to the fleeting love that passes between you and the gas station attendant, the child on the playground, the person in the crosswalk.
Welcome, too, to the messes that love makes…. Keep reading
Resources
Groves, Maria Noël. 2016. Body into Balance: And Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care. Storey Publishing: North Adams, MA.
Kloos, Scott. 2017. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press: Portland, Oregon.
Herbal Academy. https://theherbalacademy.com/. Website.
Disclaimer
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
