Herbs To Get Through The Silly Season

My number one hot tip has got to be: don't get into a Jing-leaking cycle to begin with. Not sure what I mean by this? Dive into this epic podcast episode on What Is Jing Energy?

So many people in the SuperFeast community have done so much to pull their lifestyles back into balance, whilst learning how not to exhaust themselves and burn the candle at both ends. They've been using tips from How To Cultivate Your Jing Energy. But this is the time of year where you're given an inch and, all of a sudden, you're taking a mile due to not laying down boundaries for your Jing, and you use up all your “savings” that we rely on to stay grounded and not fatigued. I'm talking both energetically AND literally.

Everyone uses up *all* their savings and remember, this Christmas holiday tradition is originally celebrated in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere, celebrating at a time when there's not much going on and everyone needs their spirits lifted, right?

Well for us here in Australia, we're in the middle of the high Yang already, hot weather, lots of activities on, lots of movement and excitement, lots of places to already spend our savings. So we don't need any more Yang. And so, the very Yang expression of Christmas and New Year needs to be mitigated and watched.

TIPS FOR NOT LEAKING YOUR JING

So prevention-wise, how do you not leak your Jing essence? First of all, you get ultra responsible with your calendar, make sure you've carved some time out to prioritise your personal practice and your rest / Yin time. And then the other thing you need to do is not get complacent with your diet and with your nice deep breathing because they are the things that give you your daily Qi. Qi energy ensures that you're animated and you can get through these long days, which are pretty hectic, without drawing on your Jing reserves.

HERBS I LOVE

If you feel you're prone to becoming exhausted at this time of year, you might just want to incorporate those Jing herbs into your days, to really buffer you and to get you through. I'm talking the JING blend of course and herbs like deer antler and ashwagandha, especially if it feels like you *really* need some grounding, foundational support during this time with managing stress.

If you are called to keep up your Qi tonics, I'm really happy to share that early next year, we'll have the QI blend coming. For now, I love our sexy schisandra berry and astragalus, which are great Qi tonics. The Mason’s Mushrooms also supports the daily Qi.

And hey, if you are someone that is feeling like you're in a really good place and you're not going to be exhausted, just keep on hitting the mushrooms (Mason's Mushrooms blend is always a safe bet to cover all bases) and astragalus to keep up that robust immunity.

HAD AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE OR THREE?

So if alcohol is your thing, keep on hitting Beauty Blend and MSM (a gorgeous beauty mineral). The schisandra, goji, and pearl in our Beauty Blend are going to cover a lot of your Liver Qi needs, and you can just easily get up in the morning (hopefully you're not feeling too remorseful) and have a Beauty Blend, lemon, and warm water to kick off the residue. Feel free to keep this practice up throughout the silly season if you find that you're celebrating life often with a joyfully boozy drink in your hand.

Maybe you've indulged in a little bit of that white powdery stuff, sugar. I find the medicinal mushrooms are really great blood sugar regulators, the Mason's Mushrooms blend is great for this one (we have maitake mushroom in there, which is particularly known for its blood sugar balancing, along with chaga, also great at mitigating blood sugar spikes).

FEELING ANXIOUS?

If you're prone to feeling anxious around this time of the year (well, honestly, this conversation is relevant for any time of the year) and obviously if it gets severe, make sure you've got someone you can talk to, but please remember to focus on your meditation practice, whether that be sitting or forest bathing or hitting the surf, spending time doing what helps you get into the space to digest and process life is going to be a huge factor. We've all listed our personal practices over here, so you might get some ideas to set up your own personal culture. It gets really mentally 'hivey' during this time (busy energy, easy to get swept up in everyone else’s energy), feeling some social angst can be pretty common if you’re not ready to go full commercial Christmas. A good reishi tonic at night, or even in the morning if you're kind of getting swept up into it, is a great idea. We love our reishi/chamomile combo, AM or PM, whatever you need. If you've got ashwagandha floating around, throw that in too.

REMEMBER, THE HERBS ARE YOUR ALLIES:

The whole point of taking these magical herbs is that we've got strong, protected Essence (Jing) so we're super physically healthy and robust so we can enjoy ourselves and not risk burning out or sacrificing our Essence in order to experience life at its fullest. Through building our Jing with lifestyle and the herbs, we can be that expression of ourselves who's able to be out there staying athletic with the kids or hitting up those abundant social obligations without getting exhausted (protect your sleep for this!)

These herbs, when they’ve got the Jing foundation, allow for a strong, open flow of Qi to run through the body and the organs. This is where we experience vitality, and where your emotions can be felt and experienced and dealt with so that you develop and express your Shen (your virtuous nature i.e. compassion, patience, empathy, joy) easier and easier as you become healthier year by year.

Why am I going on about this? Because let’s be honest, this time of year tests everyone’s ability to go through this process as we get tested by the people you are might least likely to be virtuous towards, your family and your parents. So at this time of year, we take the herbs and keep up our healthy practices so we can keep a strong flow of Qi and express our Shen so we’re not assholes to these beautiful people. Rather, it’s a time of year to REALLY test and hone your ability to stay stable and aware of your inner process so you can stay centred. This is ultimately what the herbs are about long-term.