Plants to the People
Herbal Remedies & Resources
PHOTOS BY AERAN SQUIRES
Since last year, Loam has volunteered with Plants to the People. A not-for-profit Herban Cura herbal mutual aid project, Plants to the People seeks to “make herbs and plants more accessible to low-income, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.” During Plants to the People pop-ups, Loam shares free books (many from our little mobile library!) that we hope will inspire and inform.
As part of sustaining their praxis, Herban Cura curates a CSA (Community-Supported Apothecary) program. Their locally-sourced and community-made medicines have been such a gift to our tiny team, and we are so excited that HC will be offering them again this season.
CSAs are critical to sustaining our shared ecosystem. They also help us to navigate the stressors of living through continued crisis: for many of us, spring signals not just the rebirth of new life (we’re so thankful right now for all the sweet flowers unfurling!) but also the start of intense smoke, heat, and unpredictable rain.
Below, Antonia Estela Pérez and Em McCann Zauder of Herban Cura share a remedy for a lung support tea and steam that can support us and our loved ones in navigating the somatic impacts of climate chaos throughout the spring and summer.
And for those of you searching for sustaining support, consider signing up for a share with Herban Cura. HC remedies are very close to our heart, and we hope they will nourish you as deeply as they have nourished us.
The roots of climate chaos—deforestation, mass extinction, water pollution, catastrophic wildfire—are colonization, capitalism, white supremacy and a myriad of co-infecting violences. These logics and systems of violence are the result of a deep severing of relationship to the earth, kinship and ancestral, place-based lifeways. As we move deeper into these unprecedented climate catastrophes, it is important that we resource and strengthen our relationships with our plant kin and our human and more-than-human communities. This does not necessitate "going back to the land" - we can access these plant medicines and remember pathways of reciprocal relationship wherever we find ourselves in the urban or rural landscape.
We are all part of one interconnected, interdependent organism, the earth. As we have seen, fire in one place can mean smoke on the other side of the globe. During fire season, we must equip ourselves and our communities with herbal knowledge and mutual aid values as part of our collective wellbeing and resilience. Whether we are experiencing the smoke from forest fires or just everyday air pollution, our lungs need support and care from all the filtering and detoxing work they are doing.
LUNG SUPPORT TEA
This tea is meant to help coat our lungs and intestinal lining so they can receive softness and relief from irritation. If you do not have access to all of these ingredients it’s okay, use whatever you have available to you. This herb blend also includes herbs to support our nervous system, because we all need extra support to navigate everyday and emergency stressors. The total amount of herbs used depends if you are using fresh or dried herbs. You will need more plant matter for fresh herbs, but about 2 tablespoons of dried herbs per 2 cups of water should suffice.
INGREDIENTS:
1 part mullein leaf
1 part marshmallow root and flower
1 part plantain
1/2 part tulsi
1/2 part rose
1/2 part lemon balm
1/2 part linden
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place marshmallow leaf in a pot of 2 cups of water and simmer until water has reduced to half. Turn off heat and add mullein leaf, plantain, tulsi, rose and lemon balm. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain and drink slowly. We recommend making bigger batches of tea to have for later or to share with family. Play around with water ratios to meet your needs. This tea can be taken as an everyday lung support, when you are experiencing respiratory illness or for support during fire season.
BREATHE DEEP LUNG STEAM
This steam is meant to help support in clearing the nose, throat and lungs of toxins or obstructions and to make breathing easier. It can be nourishing, refreshing and clearing, providing herbal support to our whole system. If you do not have access to all of these ingredients it’s okay, use what is around you. It is not necessary for you to use all of these herbs, you can use just one of these herbs.
The total amount of herbs used depends if you are using fresh or dried herbs. You will need more plant matter for fresh herbs, but about 2 tablespoons of dried herbs should suffice.
INGREDIENTS:
1 part cedar
1 part pine
1 part marshmallow leaf
1 part comfrey leaf
5 cups of water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Boil water and pour over herbs inside a large pot or bowl. Allow the herbs to steep for 10 minutes and then place face over the container, first checking the temperature with your hand to make sure it’s not too hot. Place a clean towel over your head and pot to contain the steam. Inhale to take in the steam and exhale. You will start to sweat and may notice that mucus starts to move or that you start coughing. Blow your nose as needed and take breaks if the steam or heat feels too much. Continue to take in steam until there is no more steam.
Always consult with a qualified practitioner, especially if pregnant or if you have pre-existing health conditions, before integrating any herbs into your diet.