I have to admit I’ve been a bit down-in-the-dumps as of late, which is why I haven’t been consistent with my blog. Gotta love menopause and the emotional roller-coaster ride it takes women my age on…like I hadn’t had enough wild, roller-coaster style adventures in my youth…only this one takes me to dark places instead of exciting ones (that and I’ve got to bite the bullet and get wifi in my new home, so I don’t have to pack up and go elsewhere to work).

It finally hit me one day last week, while I struggled to just get out of my pajamas on a day off, that as one trained and licensed in Chinese medicine I should know how to resolve this problem. Instead of running through a list of signs and symptoms in my head (the traditional intake and diagnosis approach), I simply fixed a cup of herbal tea containing four gentle but powerful herbs (hence the name of the tea – Four Pillars) that pretty much resolves emotional roller-coaster situations.

Why? Because these herbs move Qi/energy in the digestive system (stomach/spleen/pancreas region), where food and thoughts (in Chinese medicine, this is the emotional aspect of our digestion) become stuck, leaving one feeling tired and listless, with poor focus and little motivation (in spite of the desire to act) to do much of anything. I fixed a cup of that tea for three nights in a row, after dinner, as a carminative to help digest my meals and get things moving down there. Wow. Since last week, I’ve been bursting with energy, inspiration, and motivation to write, including creating some new additions to my nutrition book, which I will (notice I didn’t write plan to, a less confident choice of words) re-publish as an expanded, second edition some time later this year. Wahoo! Inspiration Explosion!

And that inspiration has led me to think more about making my own herb teas and tinctures (I am a medical herbalist, after all, and feel I should try to use at least some of my medical skills in creating an independent lifestyle). I also unpacked a few more small containers left unopened since I moved into my new place in February, and now my jewelry/accessories are nicely displayed and organized. Amazing what one can accomplish with just a little “boost” – which has carried me into this week!

So if you find yourself feeling “stuck” in your life or your writing and need a little help “moving” in a forward direction, make a cup of this tea and you’ll be amazed…

Four Pillars Tea

2 teaspoons fresh dried peppermint

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

(you can find this in spice sections at the market)

1 teaspoon fresh dried ginger

(or about 3 fresh slices ginger root, bruised)

Put all herbs in an empty tea bag, add boiling water, and steep for five to seven minutes. No sugar or sweetener needed (and shouldn’t be added as it is congesting), the tea will be sweet enough on its own.

Sit back, sip, wait for the fog to clear, and the inspiration explosion to arrive!

(generic herbal tea)