My favorite sedatives

Sedation might be something many may wish to shy away from. We may myopically associate it solely with medical operations, perhaps contemplate an opium den, or even conjure up visualizations of the Anglo-Chinese opium war.

Without the economic precursors and pressures at hand, the idea of a war over opioids I must confess does seem to be an oxymoron. Like the skit performed by the late Bill Hicks when describing the impossibility of violence between two people smoking marijuana, due to their inherent vagueness.

The 21st century is a peculiar one, successfully pushing capitalism to fresh new heights. When the attainment of “stuff” is the most ingrained goal given to us from all directions, taking a break and resting usually lands last on the tasks of things to do. And the idea of sedation? Leave that for the couch potatoes, the melancholics, and destitutes...?

As with everything, there is varying degrees of strength, dose, and frequency for the class of plants categorised as sedatives, or sometimes named, nervines. This writing is of course going to be discussing Nature’s medicines, not the synthetic derivatives born in the laboratory.

Do you suffer anxiety, heart palpitations, physical pain, insomnia? Perhaps something to calm the nervous system could be added to your daily diet. It can be a vicious cycle, the hyperactivity of the heart or brain, the lack of sleep, the tiredness the following day, the then subsequent ingestion of more stimulants.

It is complex - it may be an unresolved trauma lurking in the memory, it may be the impending doom of a business meeting tomorrow, possibly a false belief of scarcity, it could be a food intolerance, or even have an environmental pollutant origin. Identifying the exact causative agent that is promoting the symptom could be difficult. I personally love Chinese and Tibetan medicine views that see all imbalances stemming from an energetic or emotional root. I love it due to it indicating that the individual claim responsibility, as opposed to being the victim of circumstance.

If our bodies are books, with the whole story written all over it: on our faces, in our posture, mannerisms, etc, then our nervous system is what we write the text with. Some text is written in pencil and will easily be erased, others in pen -scribed over us quite permanently.

The greater we react, hold on, force, the thicker the permanent marker is. We have all heard the stories of drunk drivers surviving car accidents due to being relaxed during the incident, and possibly if they had tensed their bodies there could have been much more physical damage.

Yet there is a gift to pain, which may sound a little sadistic initially…

It is our bodies saying, “HEY, Buddy, this isn’t right!” Something is out of line, and we have the gift of hearing our physicality speak back to us. See it as an offering from your best friend, attempting to shunt us in the right direction. We may wish to claim an authoritative

stance and push on, in the same direction, yet this rarely has sustainable results.

The key of course is finding the lesson, the balance, the correct direction before the plant allies are to be sought. Listening to the message and making the appropriate adjustments. Realistically though, if we are to be completely honest with the demands of our life that is entangled around so many others, aligning ourselves to such a degree probably is not going to happen.

So what are my favorite sedatives?

It depends on the time, season, and reason.

Chamomile - The gem hiding in plain sight.

This unsung hero has an amazing calming effect on the digestive system also. Most folks feel that it isn’t strong enough to have any effect. I see this being due to the little tea bags you buy from the shops not having enough herb within them. It is the equivalent of having a quarter of a Panadol when you have a migraine and wondering why it isn’t working. Don’t be shy with it. I see one strong cup of chamomile being equivalent to 30 minutes of meditation. It is bitter, so add honey if you wish.

Hops – Every tradesman’s love affair.

We do mostly know this plant as an ingredient for beer. Many herbal textbooks will note its estrogen modulating effects. I heard one man say (knowing about its estrogen modulation), that it ruins testosterone. Don’t worry, this isn’t true. In regards to the beer-bellied men with diminishing libidos, this is more likely due to the sugar, alcohol, diet, lifestyle, etc. Hops clears heat in the liver. A perfect remedy when there has been too much exertion in the summer heat and irritability is on the rise

Zyzphus – Always thought it would be a good name for a cat.

More commonly known as jujube, or red date, in Chinese markets. The fruit of this plant has a great effect on insomnia, hot flushes, nerve weakness or exhaustion, and is safe for children and the elderly. It is considered the best of the ‘nutritive sedatives’ in Chinese medicine.

Others include – Damiana, Californian poppy, valerian, passionflower, skullcap…

If you are feeling courageous enough, swap the morning stimulant for a calming brew. Once the initial fatigue debt has been paid you will be completely amazed at the blissful effect these plants offer to your day. Tension-free and patient, you may even start achieving more!

If you're not quite ready to take that leap of faith, simply find the joy of completely relaxing in the afternoon. Let go of needing to do anything, don't even watch a movie. Just sit and be, and allow the body to finally rest and recover.

As Kundun (the Tibetan name for the Dalai Lama, which simply means, presence) says, “If you are tired, go to sleep”.