Immunity Tincture

IMMUNITY TINCTURE

Ingredients: Dual Extracted Wild Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) and Reishi (Ganoderma applanatum), Wild Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Cedar (Thuja plicata) Bough Tips, Wild Black Cottonwood Buds (Populus trichocarpa) in
Alcohol and Water

Traditionally used to treat bacterial, fungal, and viral infections of the respiratory and digestive systems, such as cold and flu. This remedy boosts immunity, clears mucous from the lungs and sinuses, settles an upset stomach, calms the nervous system, relieves pain, speeds up the healing of infection, and gives strength and energy in recovery. Shake well and store in a cool and dark place.

Dose: Adult (20+ years) – 20-40 drops three times daily with water. Youth (13-19 years) – 10-20 drops three times daily with water. To evaporate alcohol, dispense drops in boiled water before ingesting.

Plant Medicine Details:

I harvest Devil’s Club from stands located on Squamish and Cowichan territories, with respect and reverence for the plants and peoples of those lands. Spicy and pungent Devil’s Club root or stem bark dispels cold and dampness from the lungs, loosens stuck mucous, and speeds the healing of respiratory infections. The medicine helps moderate blood sugar levels, along with changes in diet and lifestyle, to reverse the effects of Type II diabetes. Bitter, sweet, and saponaceous, the adaptogenic properties also support the adrenals by moderating the body’s reaction to stress. Devil’s Club is well known as a spiritually protective plant and aids those with adrenal burnout who have suffered major traumas in their lives. Those who have been sexually, verbally, or physically abused often live in a state of constant vigilance, and being on guard all of the time is draining. The medicine will nourish the adrenals and relax the hyper-vigilant nervous system. Devil’s Club teaches us to trust our ability to perceive when a response to true danger is necessary, helps us see that our greatest gifts come from the places of our deepest wounding, and provides a protected healing sanctuary for those new sprouts to emerge (Kloos, 2017).

The West Coast Reishi (Artist’s Conk) is harvested on Coast Salish territories throughout Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Lower Mainland regions and processed fresh. This fruiting body contains similar immune-stimulating compounds as those of Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and benefits the immune, digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems. This medicine lessens general inflammation, reduces the size and inhibits the growth of cancerous tumors, stimulates white blood cell activity to boost immunity, and protects the body from the harmful effects of radiation. This remedy aids digestion, settles an upset stomach, and dries up excessive mucous discharge from the lungs and sinuses. The medicine also calms the nervous system, and inspires a deep, meditative state of consciousness that is timeless and free from thought, fear, and attachment. Tap into this mycelial awareness that for eons has witnessed the rise and fall of many forests and relax (Kloos, 2017).

The Douglas Fir and Cedar Bough Tips were harvested in spring locally outside of my cabin on Salt Spring Island. These trees are guardians of my space and they offer so much medicine in the physical form, but even more so beyond into the spiritual where they offer strength, deep grounding, and ancient wisdom. Both of these tree medicines offer immune support as well as clearing of the respiratory tract.

Black Cottonwood Buds are harvested in the winter on traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Warming and stimulating resins in the buds encourage lung secretions to expel mucous, speed the healing of infections, and increase the circulation of blood to the exterior. This medicine will clear the lungs of hard, stuck mucous that causes rattling unproductive coughs, resolving lung infections, and reducing inflammation and pain. On the emotional level, the deep anchoring and solidity of this tree is a signature of its ability to impart calmness. Black Cottonwood teaches us to radiate quiet dignity and to receive and transform chaotic energies (Kloos, 2017).

When working with this remedy it is important to examine how the infection and imbalance came to be. Was there stress and exhaustion from overwork and a lack of self-care? Are you exposed to toxicity in your environment through chemical-based body products, cleaning products, or household products? Have you been supporting your body with a balanced diet of healthy foods? Are you getting enough relaxation and rest? Perhaps you’ve been giving so much of your time and energy to others or commitments in your external environment and have forgotten to replenish your reserves. And finally, it may be that your body needed a simple reset to settle into rest and return with a fuller sense of strength, energy, and clarity. Our bodies are always for us, never against us, and there are deeper messages and meanings to illness that we can attune to if we slow down, become quiet, and listen.

Caution: Do not use during pregnancy. Do not exceed the dosage, and do not use for more than four weeks at a time.

Best Before: 5 years

Size: 100ml

Price: $50.00

Weight & Dimensions: 194g – 13.5cm x 5.5cm x 5cm

References:

Kloos, S. (2017). Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press.