M Pire Magazine February 2014 | Page 75

M PIRE ON HEALTH Herbal Remedies for Anxiety By Melanie St Ours Herbal remedies for anxiety are one of the great treasures of herbal medicine. If you find yourself dealing with high levels of stress, suffering with thoughts swirling around in your head that won’t let you sleep, or high levels of anxiety, this episode is for you. Herbs for anxiety work in different ways. Some help to calm the nervous system and induce a parasympathetic state (“rest and digest” mode) like Lobelia inflata. Others provide nutrients that help the nervous system to function better, like Milky Oats and Stinging Nettle. Each anxiety-relieving herb has its own “personality.” This episode will help you choose the one that’s right for you. The herbal anxiety remedies I cover in today’s episode include: 1. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) 2. Kava kava (Piper methysticum) 3. Scullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia) 4. Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) (Cont’d) 75