Nature’s Rx with Amy Stein

Erica

Amy, I'm so glad you agreed to be on my podcast.

Amy

I'm excited to be here. 

Erica

Amy, I will talk a little about you and all your magic for those who may not know you. You refer to yourself as an herbalist, an energy medicine educator, and a breathwork coach, which I love. We have similar passions! You describe your mission as being moved to educate, teach, and empower people struggling with their health by showing them how to reconnect with their bodies, inner knowing, and innate intelligence to use Mother Nature as a guide.

And I love how you say that because it's so needed now. And we could talk so much about this, but we agreed to really focus this conversation on ways for people to connect with Mother Nature and begin to heal on all levels. And I will share the quote on your website that I fell in love with by Dr. Norm Shealy: energy medicine is the future of all medicine. That's so powerful. I love that you have that there to help root your work and how you help people. 

Let's start by having you talk about your journey. Maybe you could start with that moment when your grandmother passed and you were gifted her herbal book. You knew something was there - after suffering from inexplainable fatigue for quite some time.

Amy

Yeah. I had been struggling for a while. I was on that merry-go-round. I've seen all the different doctors. Desperate for a diagnosis. Bedridden and not being able to have any quality of life. And my grandma had passed, and I was really close to her. She was my best friend. And we talked a lot about many different things when she was alive.

And so when my parents were going through her stuff, my dad found this herbalism book. He asked me, do you want it? And at that point, I had reached the end where I was gonna fire all the doctors, and I was gonna Guinea pig myself because I was sick of being everyone else's Guinea pig and getting sicker.

So I said, yes, I want that book. And that's what led me down this rabbit hole of plant medicine. And it wasn't like psychedelics. It wasn't, "I'm gonna go and smoke marijuana." It was "eat your weeds." All the plants I was growing on the property had medicinal benefits that I could harness.

And so anytime anyone tells me they're struggling, I'll say, go outside. I guarantee Mother Nature has planted what you need for the issue you're experiencing right now. And so it's not allopathic medicine like Western medicine where we use a pill for an ill. That's not what it is.

It's that the body recognizes the intelligence of Mother Nature. But our minds in our society don't realize that, but the body does. The body doesn't recognize pharmaceuticals. So when we can connect back to the intelligence that exists there, it helps us connect back to the intelligence within us. 

Erica

That is so powerful, and it's so much like the way of life of the indigenous people from over the millennia. That's how they worked. They worked in harmony with Mother Earth and saw all the medicines she naturally provided. And I love that we're in this time as a collective starting to return that way. And so I'm so glad your light is shining bright in this area.

Amy

Thank you. In our society, we revere technology. It's a very masculine-driven society. And everything needs to be proven; it has to be logical. But for thousands of years, humans have used plants for medicine and food. So why would we go away from that? 

So what I teach people is to go back to basics. There is magic in basics. There is healing in the basics. It's not all about technology. 

Erica

I'm glad you said that. And while I've come to appreciate that technology has served a purpose - and, yes, it does carry that structured process, masculine energy - it has become toxic. So we need to soften that and return to gentler ways of working, creating, and healing. 

So you talked about plant medicine. Please expand on that by explaining the different types of ways that people could lean into plants as a form of medicine.

Amy

Sure. So for me, I made everything myself because I was like a mad scientist. And I was excited by it. It was something that gave me control back over my situation. But not everybody has to do that. So, when I started doing this 10, 12, 15 years ago, it wasn't popular. It wasn't becoming as mainstream as it is now. And I caution people that anybody can say anything on the internet. So I say get a book. There are so many well-written books. I have a hundred herbalism books. They all say something different. You get something different from each person because everyone has their own perspective.

Plus, the plants will lead you on the journey if you're open to it. And that's what happened to me. So even though I was making all of my own products at that time - today, there are a lot of great companies making clean products you can utilize. So whatever form works well for you, do that. 

There are also flower essences where we take the plant's essence and use it for medicinal purposes. Dr. Bach spoke about this, and his flower essences are the original. Still, there are a lot of great companies that are doing that now. 

The plant has all these different attributes. Another way to capture this is the essential oils of the plant. But the plant has many other properties, as explained in Spiro Genix. And when we put them all together, it makes plant medicine more powerful. 

So the training I did for herbalism was on Spiro Genix. I learned to integrate the properties of the plant into a tincture infused with the essential oil - making it a potent medicine. Plants can be used in many ways - these are just a couple of them.

You could also go and forage, eat your weeds, and get a book about plants. Don't just start eating things. Be mindful because some plants are not to ingest, and you want to know where you're foraging from so that it's a clean area. So I forage in my yard because we don't spray pesticides - but my neighbors might. And we live in a toxic world, and there are chemtrails. So be mindful of what you ingest and the benefits of the plant. In general, anything I forage is more nutrient-dense than anything I can plant in my garden. And, yet, anything I grow from seed is excellent and far better than anything trucked across the country, like the vegetables and fruit you buy at a store. It's getting back to the basics of knowing where your food comes from?

Where does your medicine come from? The same applies here. If you go to a CVS for an over-the-counter medication, your body doesn't recognize that. The medicine is a disconnection from your body. It's also a disconnection between the whole community and Mother Nature when she has so much to offer. So instead of going to CVS, consult a local herbalist, and purchase a tincture made from local plants or an oil-infused bath bomb instead of going to CVS.

I started doing this and finally opened an Etsy shop - after making medicinal products for 10 years and sharing them with family and friends. So you can make your own plant-based medicines and commune with the plants or find skilled herbalists who make them for you in an ecological, friendly, sustainable way. Find somebody that you can learn from in your community. It's a great way to find that original formulation that's gonna work best for you. 

Finding somebody in your community that you can learn from is something we're missing. There's a disconnection between the community and your elders who have knowledge passed down over generations. We no longer have that, so I'm trying to start that again. I'm establishing these communities and having these learning events for people to learn how to make their own fermented food - for example. That's another way to receive plant medicines. 

Ingesting positive plant material into your body can be as simple as making your cucumbers into pickles. Or make your cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchi. My husband does not eat vegetables, but he'll eat fermented food. So it's about finding what works for each person. I will eat or drink anything, no matter what it tastes, when I know it's good for me. But most people won't do that. They're not gonna take a tea blend that tastes gross. I will because I know it's good for me. But most people won't do that. They want it to taste well. And so, there are many different ways to embody the power of plants.

If you use essential oils - I caution people of dilution issues and may not get the pure products they desire. So I advocate for you to read your labels and purchase from companies that have organic products. It's something you need to know. Or you could find an aromatherapist and learn from them. So whenever we buy products, we want to be mindful of where they came from, who created them, and understand how to read labels.

If you're not creating it yourself, understand how to read a label. If it says fragrance, that's not good for you. If it's a salt bath and there's a fragrance added to it - it's chemicals that are not good. But if you make your own, buy Epson salts, and add dried herbs that you organically grew yourself or purchased from reputable companies, you could have a great experience just by bathing. Or you could have a great foot bath with it. And so, there are many easy ways to implement plants into your life. It's just what feels good to you. 

Erica

I love that. I noted that because making your bath salts is a beautiful place to start for someone who's brand new to this but curious. Another practical way you offered listeners to integrate plant medicine into their lives is by reading the labels of things they consume, whether oil or tea. Or reading a book about plants and their healing properties. How else would you guide someone to tap into their innate knowing and learn from Mother Nature?

Amy

Get outside. Step away from the screen and go out - whether you take a walk or sit in the sun and listen to the birds. You experience what is around you and witness something bigger than you. So for me, Mother Nature is what's bigger than me. That's who I connect with. That's who I pull inspiration from and garner wisdom. I see that she leads by example with resiliency. So humans have abused her for thousands of years, yet she still exists. She's still resilient and will outlive humans like we think we're gonna kill her. We're not. She survived long before us. She'll survive long after us.

And so when you're outside, you might be inspired by something you see or hear. When you start to take the small steps in a different direction - when you have the courage and the curiosity to do that - something bigger than you will continue to provide you the breadcrumbs to move forward on that journey. So I got that book from my gram. And then the universe sent me a random invite to an herbalist summit for herbalism training. And then another random notification of an herbalist that's gonna be in my area doing a talk. And so I had all these instances of the breadcrumbs coming, and I just kept following the breadcrumbs when it felt good.

We often live only in our minds and ignore the body - like we're numb from the neck down. But when we reconnect to the body's intelligence, we can discern what feels good and doesn't? So when something doesn't feel good or inauthentic, you may notice your body contracts or stomach pain. Or you may get anxious or know this doesn't feel right. But it's also good to discern if the body's trying to keep you safe or help you heal. It does both. Your body doesn't want to make these radical changes because that may be unsafe. It's like, oh my goodness, we're gonna die. Like you're gonna, jump off the cliff, but you're just trying to re-read some labels and reintroduce something different into your lifestyle. So it's all about the small steps, and when you start taking the small steps, the breadcrumbs will appear, and you'll be able to take the next small step.

And then, the path will become clearer as you do it because then you'll meet the person making their own soup. You'll meet the person that you know has an Etsy shop that sells products in your area. You'll go to the library, and they'll be talking about growing your garden, which five plants to start to grow a garden, and things like that.

And it sounds really simple, and in theory, it is. And we complicate a lot of simple things, but it's not always easy. Because we're stuck trusting Dr. Google for everything.

Erica

Yes. And to add - we live in an era where everything is easy. Things are made to be easy and convenient. I mean Amazon, for example. You can have anything you want at your doorstep, possibly on the same day. But that's not always what's best on many levels. But get quiet and listen to what's best for your body's needs. I often tell my clients that when there's an inquiry they have or an area in life, they seek guidance and look externally - then go outside in nature.

If you're gonna look externally, then be in nature and access the eternal wisdom of the Earth Momma. And she's going to lead you back to your inner wisdom. You could be at a crossroads and decide to go outside for a walk. You may ask mother nature for a sign of which direction to go. And then on your walk and just allowing yourself to receive her messages. And when you do that, start to notice how much is attracted and magnetized to you to help you discern the direction to go. And follow those breadcrumbs. 

Amy

We struggle in our society to trust something inside us because we're taught that if you can't see it, it's not real; it doesn't exist. But everyone has the ability to access their intuition. Everybody has the ability to trust the wisdom that Mother Nature provides. But because we're so hot to look outside of ourselves for the answers that somebody else knows better, it feels strange to ask ourselves, well, what do I think? What feels good to ME?

So again, be curious when you notice your tendency to seek answers outside yourself. Instead, ask your body how an answer feels? If it doesn't feel good, what would it feel like? Or ask Mother Nature, a source bigger than us with community and connection. Accessing this guidance, rather than breaking down or trying to compete - is about cooperation, resilience, and patient responses. Mother Nature doesn't react. She responds. So we think she does these harsh reactions through storms, droughts, tornadoes, and things of that nature. But these are in response to what's transpired for a long time. It's not an automatic reaction. 

And we can learn from nature. We can learn to live our lives where we respond instead of react. Rather than constantly reacting to all these triggers - which we're human, and that's hard to do - we can work with our bodies rather than against them. Then we struggle less, and listening and connecting to yourself becomes easier than looking outside you. 

I tell people to avoid looking for answers on social media or Google. I avoid watching the news. And while some people think it's radical, it's not. It's how people have lived for thousands of years. I want to live well and healthy and in connection with my body - rather than in connection with something that doesn't serve me.

Erica

Yes. And living in connection with your body also opens you up to connecting with Mother Nature to heal. Nature is a form of guidance that is always available and supports you when you're in the elements and just being. You don't have to talk when you're in her presence. Or maybe you talk to process a feeling or a situation that feels unsettled. Nature has a way of providing you the right nurturing or the right grounding to be able to move through that feeling or move through that situation. She helps you find light in the darkness or your sense of direction. 

I say that because healing from mother nature can mean many things. The healing can be in the form of helping you to process or reflect on what is happening inside you. So the power of the plants comes through Mother Nature in other ways besides ingesting them. It also happens when you're next to them or with them. 

Amy

I like to sit in the garden. It looks like I'm doing nothing because we're taught in our society to always be doing something. That's what's heralded in our society. But when you actually are doing nothing, it's actually doing something. Your body is resting. I'm being with my thoughts. I'm feeling my sensations and processing emotions. It's what the body was designed to do. But it can feel bad because you're never taught to sit with it. And so when you sit outside, you're not alone. You're surrounded by the birds. You're surrounded by the plants. You're surrounded by everything you can see, smell, feel, and touch. It allows you to be more present in the physical body.

Being present is all that we really have. It's the now. So rather than living in the past or future and feeling anxious and depressed - you can stop and come back to your breath and take full breaths. When you're present, you can ask what I need to know now? And whether you connect to Mother Nature, Universe, God, Allah, or whatever you wanna call it - you can ask what do I need to know today? Or what would you have me do or change? Having that curiosity, without judgment or shame, opens up our awareness. And that's the magic of it. 

Erica

And for people that feel they're not outdoorsy or not the outdoorsy kind - I like to ask, "What if you thought of mother nature as the Great Mother or the Divine Mother?" Would you still feel that way? I thought of this when you referenced the different names we give Source. And even with the different names, I come back to the fact everyone has a mother. And if you think of all a mother's best and supportive qualities - then you're reconnecting with this wisdom and her essence. 

You've touched on several ways for folks to lean into Mother Nature to reconnect with their innate bodies and innate wisdom. They are...

• Read labels on all the things you're ingesting when it comes to plants. 
• Get outside and learn from something so much bigger than you or I or us.
• Follow the breadcrumbs when you set a pure intention.
• Take in all of what the plant is offering you.

And as we wrap up, what's something you would offer - a piece of guidance, direction, or wisdom - your younger self to connect with plant medicines earlier in your life.

Amy

I would tell myself don't be afraid to try something different. Because I was raised in the paradigm. I was taught when there's something wrong with you, then you go to the doctor, and they fix you. You take the medication they prescribe, and you get better. But that never worked for me as a child, and it certainly didn't work for me as an adult.

And so if you would've told me 10 or 15 years ago when I was a medical researcher at a big university, Hey, you're gonna go on this path that involves plant medicine and energy medicine - I would've told you, that's insane. There's no real science; it's woo-woo because it was different. It was scary, and it's not something that was talked about. But today, this stuff is becoming more mainstream. 

So find the path that works for you and involves being present in the body. And to do that, dare to do something different than everybody else. For me, it was the courage to say I'm doing it my way. And if it doesn't work out, I've made peace with that. At the end of the day, I'm the one living in this body, not my parents, not my husband, not the doctors. 

And it started out with small steps of doing things my way. I ran out of laundry soap. So I went to the Environmental Working Group site and found one that had less toxic ingredients, which means fewer toxins on my body by the clothes I wear, the towels I use to dry my body, or the sheets I rest on. Or it's researching a new mattress to find one that does not have toxic chemicals. That way, I'm not breathing that for eight hours a night. And so it's this idea of trusting your wisdom and gut. Even if you can't see it, you can feel it and tap into that feeling because it's not bad. It's just you're not used to it. So it feels different. And that's okay. 

Erica

Yes. That's so important, and it's needed right now. We need to break out of the mainstream and the conditioning. And in that light, if someone wants to break away from the paradigms they live and loves what you're saying and hangs on to your every word - where can they find you? Or what could you offer them to start with? 

Amy

I invite them to check out the free gift about five ways to reconnect with yourself to overcome feeling overwhelmed and stressed and return to the present moment. These five simple ways help you connect to your body's intelligence - of which we talked about many of them today. These things sound really simple, but if you're not actually doing them, they won't work. And when you do these things - you're gonna feel a difference and allow you to be more curious. They're small efforts - no radical changes. It's these small changes that add up. And when we celebrate these small wins and reflect back, we see how radically different our life is. Healing is not linear. And a lot of the time, it's a process of unlearning.

Erica

So true. Amy, where can people find you? 

Amy

They can find me and grab the free gift at MindBodySpiritBreath.com. 

Erica

So good. I love this. I must have you come back because we only touch the surface of so many things. But for now, I thank you. 

Amy

Thank you.