Got the Blues? Chin up…we have some solutions for you.

No matter how bright, sunny, and alive the days of summer may be, anyone’s head space can still turn less than 100%.  There’s no doubt about it.  Life can be hard, but don’t turn away from those trials.  There is so much opportunity to learn! 

One of my favorite quotes states,

” Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us…”

  -Pema Chodron

Know that your friends ARE there for you.  It’s okay to reach out to them and your family.  Whether it’s the chaos in the world or your own challenges, speak up!  Ask for support. Start a conversation.  Reach out for a hug.  It’s okay.

If you feel yourself in a state of melancholia, make sure that you are eating right and getting out of the house.  Make plans for dinner.  Go out for a walk or a hike.  How many kitties can you find on your walk?  How many smiling children?  Smell the air.  Be in the moment.  Do some yoga.  Go ice skating even if you’ve never tried it.  (Those rinks are a cool relief from sweltering days!)  Go catch a frog. Find a meditation group.  Try acupuncture and/or massage to get yourself back into your body.  Do whatever you need to do to get out of the head space that you are creating.

Melancholy can be brought on by so many things.  I mentioned eating right.  Are you eating too much sugar or other processed foods?  Alcohol is also a depressant.  Try and unsweetened iced tea or a sparkling mineral water with a little bit of lemon. 

Perhaps your body is low on some essential vitamins.  Make an appointment with a doctor (your regular physician or naturopath) and discuss options.  If you don’t have health insurance, have a look around for some sliding scale naturopaths or clinics.  A lot of people’s deficiency of essential vitamins will bring on fatigue and/or depression.  If it is the right option for you, there is nothing wrong with going as far as anti-depressants.

At the end of 2011, Dr. Peter Borton presented an amazing line of tinctures for the Dragontree.  These tinctures were created with utmost skill, care, and love.  In light of today’s topic, here are a couple of options:

Anxiety formula: This is a calming formula that attacks anxiety from a few different angles. First, there are heavy, anchoring, mineral-rich substances, like mother of pearl and “dragon tooth”  (fossilized bone); then there are nourishing herbs that build “substance” or yin – to counteract the free-floating mental energy; then there are “moving” herbs – herbs that promote a shift in energy and/or blood – that help get a person “unstuck”; then there are herbs for phlegm – even if there is no tangible phlegm, Chinese medicine considers intangible phlegm to be a contributing factor in many cases of anxiety and depression by clouding the mind.

Melancholy formula: This formula helps elevate the mood thru several approaches. There are herbs that build energy – a lot of the time, a person doesn’t have enough energy to get out of the mental state they’re in, even if they have tools for managing it. There are herbs that calm the mind – even though people think of depression as a sluggish thing, often the mind is actually overactive and needs to be pacified. There are herbs for promoting mental clarity, so a person can more clearly evaluate their circumstances. There are herbs the promote “movement” of energy and blood, to help a person get “unstuck”. There are herbs that clear phlegm, which can hinder mental clarity. There are herbs that promote upliftment, a cheerful state.

These tinctures are made by us with the highest quality herbs we can get our hands on. The base is about 50% grain alcohol and 50% purified water.

Dosing: there are 2 ways for people to take these.

One is the “energetic dose” – this is not enough to have a pharmacological effect, but works on an energetic level – like Rescue Remedy. For this approach, people can just take 3 drops on or under the tongue 1-3 times a day. I know it sounds crazy, but often this works the best.

The second approach is to take more of a dose that would produce real pharmacological effects. Like 1-3 dropper fulls, 3 times a day (or more for severe or acute conditions) – the labels list this pharmacological dose.

It’s hard to know who will benefit more from which approach. For pregnant women, I’d stick to just energetic dosing – 1 to 3 drops 1 to 3 times per day. Same for kids under 12. For others, they can try it as a big dose first and if they don’t get any benefit after a few days to a week (depends on the formula) , they can switch to a micro dose (3 drops), or vice versa.

Meredith DeLoca
Assistant Spa Director, The Dragontree PDX