Aphrodite’s Medicine Chest (6 Herbs to Love Up Your Valentine's Day)

in #naturalmedicine5 years ago (edited)

We love the Natural Medicine "Love it Up" contest. (Check it out here: https://steemit.com/naturalmedicine/@naturalmedicine/enter-the-natural-medicine-love-it-up-contest-30-sbd-in-prizes-due-date-valentines-day-14th-feb)

And we love love!

From NuMundo contributing writer Salix Roots we bring you...

katherine-hanlon-242211-unsplash.jpg

6 herbal aphrodisiacs to get your love on this Valentine's Day... and every day after that:

laurens-r-m-d-318013-unsplash.jpg

There is a class of plants found in nature that work to ignite sexuality and desire within our bodies. These herbs give us permission to receive the nectar from our pleasure more fully.

jakub-dziubak-592951-unsplash.jpg

This class of herbs is commonly referred to as herbal aphrodisiacs, named after Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite was known to have the ability to transform the ordinary and mundane into something beautiful and special through the power of love.

I like to imagine Aphrodite carrying her own little bundle of medicines containing the same class of herbs that have been named in her honor.

mythology-1099255_1920.jpg

Aphrodisiacs have been working their magic on humans all throughout history. Here’s a few of my favorite ones that I have found to be quite effective... and I think Aphrodite would agree:

Damiana (Turnera diffusa)

5590680389_1f6ab4a4d4_b.jpg

Damiana holds a great deal of erotic power. The Mayan and Aztec people worked with Damiana as a sexual stimulant and a potent catalyst of desire for centuries. Damiana contains terpenoids that reduce anxiety and nervous tension while increasing blood flow directly to the genitals, getting all of your sweet and sensual juices flowing. Spicy, floral, and bitter in taste, Damiana can be brewed in tea, taken in tincture or powdered form, or smoked in herbal blends.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao)

joanna-kosinska-1116644-unsplash.jpg

It makes sense that the base ingredient for chocolate is Cacao, since chocolate is for lovers. Cacao is an aphrodisiac superfood, soothing and exciting to the body in a palpable way. Considered the ‘Food of The Gods’ by the Aztecs, Cacao has been ceremonially ingested for much of history and continues to be in modern times, typically in the form of a thick brew infused with raw Cacao melted into liquid and combined with other ingredients such as herbs, spices, and medicinal mushrooms. Upon ingestion, this beverage can recreate the same neurochemistry that we experience when we fall in love. This powerful, rich medicine increases circulation in the body while giving us a sweet boost in serotonin, the neurotransmitter involved with sexual arousal.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii)

maca-1360646_1280.jpg

Maca is the highest growing plant in the world, flourishing at altitudes of up to 11,000ft in the Andes Mountains. As such, Maca extends and accentuates our sensual energy while taking our pleasure to new heights. Maca has been used as a longevity and sexual tonic in Peru for the past 3,000 years. Maca mitigates stress and strengthens the function of the endocrine system, which naturally boosts libido. Maca’s nutty, sweet, earthy, and scrumptious flavor is something quite special and is most commonly enjoyed as a food in powdered form and added to drinks and herbal treats.

Kava (Piper methysticum)

14090487142_5e846264e0_k.jpg

Kava has a fascinating history originating out of the South Pacific Islands, where it has been used ceremonially for over 3,000 years. Kava continues to be drunk in a social and ritual form today, where it facilitates an atmosphere of sharing and connecting with others. Kava is recognized as an empathogen (1), a plant that encourages relatedness, emotional openness, and union. As a GABA agonist, Kava helps to slow down or completely cease feelings of anxiety that stem from circular thinking. When we get out of our heads and back into our bodies, the potential for pleasure can radically expand. Kava is a mind melter, giving our brains and muscles a chance to relax, which, in turn, allows us to drop more deeply into the portal of our sensuality.

The way to maximize the effects of Kava’s compounds, mainly the Kavalactones that are responsible for the anxiety reducing, psychotropic, and hypnotic effects that this root induces, is to infuse 1-3 teaspoons of the chopped or powdered root into 8-10oz of warm milk. (Any kind of milk will do -- the more fat the better). Add some coconut oil if needed, and sweeten to your liking with honey or maple syrup.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

7554087958_8fea77baca_k.jpg

The Kama Sutra, an ancient and sacred Indian text, mentions Ashwagandha in its literature as a potent sexual stimulant. Ashwagandha is a highly revered Ayurvedic medicine, used in India for centuries to increase fertility and libido in both men and women. Ashwagandha also works to nourish the adrenal glands, reduce cortisol in the body, balance hormones, and as a result, allow us to move through our day with much less stress weighing on us. Ashwagandha has been shown to dilate the blood vessels that carry blood to the genitals, leading to increased sexual desire (2, 3). This potent plant tonic has been proven to raise testosterone levels in the body, which fuels sex drive significantly in both women and men. The root can be dried, brewed in tea, tinctured, or powdered for capsules or aphrodisiac edibles.

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa/Cannabis indica)

lexscope-1103272-unsplash.jpg

To add to the never-ending list of benefits that Marijuana imbues upon our bodies, this powerhouse of a plant also makes for a great aphrodisiac for some (not all!). In India, practitioners of tantric sex incorporated Cannabis into their love making as early as 700AD (4). The psychoactive compound THC found in Marijuana has the ability to increase testosterone straight after consumption and can thus improve sex drive and enhance sexual pleasure. Cannabis has been shown to increase sexual stamina and skill, tactile sensation, length and power of orgasms, and emotional bonding between partners (5).

evan-kirby-101570-unsplash.jpg

The list of herbs that have aphrodisiac properties is very extensive, and each herb will work differently for each person. When it comes to herbs for addressing human sexuality, it’s important to remember that we are all complex beings and there is never a one size fits all answer in herbalism.

At the root level, plants are love. They emanate it in everything they do from open source pollination to the exchange of cellular energy that they offer to entire ecosystems. They give themselves graciously to the larger nourishment of the world. It’s really no wonder that there are many plants that can awaken and support our deepest longing for love, sensuality, and connection.

Give yourself time to get to know the personality of these plants and observe how your body responds to them. Be loving and receptive towards them, as they are towards us, and you will be that much closer to unlocking the power and wisdom that they have to offer.

james-cousins-385610-unsplash.jpg

References

Lover, K. (2019). Kava Aphrodisiac Kava | Kava Root Available at: https://kava.com/kava-aphrodisiac/
7 Amazing Benefits of Ashwagandha Root for Women. Available at: https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/7-amazing-benefits-of-ashwagandha-root-for-women/
Improve Your Sexual Health with the Power of Ashwagandha – DailyNutra Available at: https://www.dailynutra.com/blog/ashwagandha-sexual-health/
Halperin, A. (2019). The love drug: can marijuana improve our sex lives?. the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/09/cannabis-marijuana-sex-aphrodisiac
Todd, T. (2019). Is Marijuana A Sex Stimulant? Steadyhealth.com. Available at: https://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/is-marijuana-a-sex-stimulant

Sarah Levine (Salix Roots) is a clinical herbalist, medicine maker, writer, artist, teacher, and environmental activist. She studied Ecopsychology and Cultural and Regional Studies at Prescott College, and has since been inoculating culture with beneficial ideas and actions that aim to move humanity towards a more balanced, ecologically informed, and regenerative world.

Sort:  

Such a great post; so informative! I found it because @porters featured you in her Pay it Forward Curation contest entry 😊 Feel free to join us anytime with an entry of your own.

I'm also submitting this to c-squared, hopefully they stop by to show their appreciation as well 😊

Thank you so much for the support! We're so glad you enjoyed the post. :)

Im going to have to stock up on these! Not for myself... Of course!

Posted using Partiko Android

Haha, of course! ;)

Glad to know we all share a love of Damiana. :-) Thank you for your comment! X

Well put together LOVE post with some powerful plants!
Loving your view on plants

At the root level, plants are love. They emanate it in everything they do from open source pollination to the exchange of cellular energy that they offer to entire ecosystems. They give themselves graciously to the larger nourishment of the world. It’s really no wonder that there are many plants that can awaken and support our deepest longing for love, sensuality, and connection.

Thanks for introducing me to these wonderful aphrodisiacs of the plant world!

Thank you for reading! We're so glad you enjoyed reading about these amazing plants! Xx


giphy.gif


Your post was featured in an entry into @pifc's Curation Contest:Week 45. Posts are selected because the entrant felt you are producing great content and deserve more attention (& rewards) on your post. As such your post has been upvoted and will be visited by other members of the PIFC Community.

We are always looking for new people to join our curation efforts. This is a great way to meet new people and become part of a community that focuses on helping one another.

Want to promote a post for free and have a chance to find some other great content? Check out this week's Pimp Your Post.

The Pay It Forward community also has a Discord Channel if you are interested in learning more about us.

You've been visited by @riverflows, on behalf of Natural Medicine. Love your work!

Oh, and we'd love it so much if you could nominate us here for the chance of a delegation from the generous @theycallmedan - it'd really help this little community support natural healing wisdoms on Steemit! Kisses and hugs and all things nice!

Consider supporting Natural Medicine through continued use of the #naturalmedicine tag, or delegating any amount through clicking below. We're all for empowerment in natural ways, and love to support those on their healing journey. Come join us on Discord if you're not already there! We'd so love to have you.

My Post 12.jpg
20SPII50SPII100SPII200II500SPII1000SP

Very interesting article. Lots of great information.

I wasn't clear where your photos came from as those should be sourced as well.

I found you today because @porters featured you in the Pay it Forward Curation contest. Keep up the great work!

Hey there! Glad you enjoyed the article!

These are all free-to-reuse-without-sourcing photos from unsplash.com. :) While we do like to give credit to photographers as much as possible, we also don't like to interrupt a reader's experience with distracting captions...

Excellent. On Steem, we very strongly encourage sourcing all material borrowed, even when not required by the original supplier. You can always put those sources at the end as you did with your other sources. Also, it's very easy to have the "caption" be one word - source.
That's easily coded as:

[ source ] ( url of image/text/whatever ) - done. (Take out those spaces I put in to keep it from working in this example.)

Thanks for the tip--very much appreciated!

Really nice post @numundo / sarah. I am glad to see such quality content coming from you :) Keep up the great work! & looking forward to see your HSCO store in the near future.

Thank you for reading! :-) Xx

What a great article, full of interesting knowledge and the pictures you've chosen to accompany the text are simply perfect! Well done!

Congratulations on being featured by @porters in her entry for the Pay It Forward Contest!

Thank you for the lovely comment! We're so glad you enjoyed the article. :-) Xx

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.35
TRX 0.12
JST 0.040
BTC 70734.57
ETH 3561.52
USDT 1.00
SBD 4.75