by Sara Weinreb writer, herbalist, host of the Medium Well Podcast

 As an herbalist, each morning I make an herbal elixir that is supportive of my physical and emotional health. I love to integrate ingredients that my body is craving, and what’s speaking to me in the moment. Lately, I’ve been turning heavily to rose to peel away a bit of the heaviness of the world. It’s no coincidence, in my opinion, that so many people are reporting wild rose growing rampantly this year. It may just be the medicine many of us need.

Let’s be honest: 2020 has, overall, felt pretty heavy. We’ve seen a lot of pain and suffering across so many levels of society and across the globe. While herbs can’t solve the problems and challenges in the world, they can help soften our experience, sometimes, in our body.

So while I was developing a nutritious, delicious morning elixir with Nutu's health-supportive moringa, I couldn’t help but turn to rose as a lovely complement. Not only is it tasty, but it also has been shown to have soothing, heart-opening, mood uplifting properties. I used Anima Mundi’s vibrant rose powder, but you could also use rose water, or brew a tea with rose petals to use as the base of this elixir.

And if you have wild rose around, or rose in your garden, consider spending some time with it. Sit with it. Observe it. Smell it. Admire it. This practice will bring you back into the present, and may even help soothe your worried nerves, at least for a moment. It will connect you more deeply to the plant and the medicine it provides.

As this elixir is caffeine-free, it can be enjoyed any time of the day. You can also serve it iced by using cold milk instead of heated milk, and pouring the whole drink over ice.