In this video, I talk about the herbs in Clear Mind herbal smoking blend and how they can support your mental health. Spearmint, gotu kola, linden, and mullein work together to give, what users report as, a greater sense of peace, mental clarity, and relief from anxiety and ADHD symptoms. To me it has post-yoga class vibes. Try Clear Mind when you want to get zen, do creative work, or for greater ease do not-so-creative, but necessary, mental work.
We offer our smokes in classic (with little messages on our color-coded crutches), filtered, and roll your own (great for pipe and tea too). I like them all for different situations:
A classic sampler pack is my favorite for meeting up with friends:
Whether you are trying to quit tobacco, or looking for a safer leisure, social, or ceremonial smoke, Brown Bear Herbs is here for you. We have several smoking blends that contain no additives, no CBD, no THC, no nicotine, no tobacco--indeed, nothing but organic and/or safely wildcrafted herbs.
Find our Classic and Filtered packs here:
https://brownbearherbs.com/collections/herbal-smoking-blends
Find our Roll Your Own pouches for rollies, pipe smoking, and tea here:
https://brownbearherbs.com/collections/roll-your-own-smoking-blends
Take it Easy herbal smoking blend that I formulated to support folx during the early stages of tobacco withdrawal. The herbs in this blend are organic mullein, lobelia, skullcap, catnip, and rose. This blend is also good for work breaks and work frustration, and can be helpful for headaches related to neck issues.
Astral in Body is an eccentric social smoke. For personal ritual is helps connect with the moon and other energies while feeling grounded. This video discusses the nature of full moons in general and in particular the full moon in Capricorn.
Astral in Body is made with organic mullein, mugwort, yarrow, and blue vervain.
The astrology during the month of May 2024 is full on for enjoying your body (Taurus is living in the moment, except for their background financial planning, lol). There will be four to five planets in Taurus this month: Sun (until 5/20), Moon 5/6-7, the new moon is on 5/7, Venus (through 5/23), Mercury (5/15 through 6/3), Jupiter (until 5/23), Uranus (begins its transit through gemini on 7/7/25). That's a lot of Taurus energy which is normally a bit conservative. However with Uranus, planet of new thought and freedom, in the mix and the eccentric energy of Pluto in Aquarius being highlighted as Mars in Aries sextiles it, the energy is there to invite new ways of being sensual into your sexual world. It's the May vibe.
Smoking Herbs to enjoy:
Sexy Smokes herbal smoking blend, with organic damiana, blackberry leaf, rose, hibiscus, and mullein is wonderful for tapping into the sensuality within and releasing negative ideas or experiences that are holding us back. With rose it keeps the heart engaged. Astral in Body herbal smoking blend, with organic yarrow, mugwort, blue vervain, and mullein, helps connect us to non human energies like the moon, fairies, and other worldly energies, all while keeping us in our body. It is a little eccentric! Calea came up in this discussion, it is an herb that is still considered experimental. It is a dream herb traditionally used to uncover the source or path to resolve for an illness or to locate a lost loved one. It can be used for other serious dream quests or to connect with the elements.
Our Clear Mind herbal smoking blend is super light. It is popular as a stage smoke. Brown Bear Herbs' Clear Mind was used in the movie Oppeheimer, among other films. This blend was formulated to help artists and writers who smoke while they work. Since the herbs in it are supportive for focus, this herbal cigarette is a favorite for easing ADHD and anxiety symptoms (per customer reviews). Clear Mind herbal cigarettes, or our Clear Mind roll your own smoking herbal smoking blend, is centering and clarifying for contemplative moments.
We use organic and/or wildcrafted and tested herbs in our products. The spearmint in Clear Mind makes it a lovely alternative for those trying to get off of menthol cigarettes.
Trying to smoke less, quit smoking tobacco, or smoke in a less risky way? Mullein is an herb that was traditionally used for lung herb, it was even smoked! Learn more about mullein in the video.
Lavender is a peaceful, harmonizing herb to smoke. Lavender is our Gentle and Protective herbal smoking blend. Lavender is an adaptogen which means it helps your body manage stress. If you are anxious lavender tends to relax you. If you are depressed it tends to lift your mood. Gentle and Protecitve is a wonderful smoking blend for when you are feeling emotionally or psychically overwhelmed.
Lavender smokes smells so beautiful, making the second hand smoke a pleasurable incense.
Damiana is a traditional aphrodisiac that has historically been used for many sexual issues including nerves!, performance anxiety, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and getting back into the saddle after negative experiences. Rose helps make sure that the heart is part of the sensual connection!
Damiana and rose are in my Sexy Smokes herbal smoking blend along with blackberry leaf, hibiscus, and mullein.
Due to the centering, connective nature of these herbs, I hear of people that have gotten off of porn using Sexy Smokes. That is a win for mutual respect and human connection. :)
This video looks at our herbal formulas that support artists and creatives. I'm Lily Arati Michaud the herbalist and founder of Brown Bear Herbs. I am also an artist so these are fun products for me too.
Artist's Dream Tea (for better dreams and creative blocks) Starts at 13 seconds.
Color Wheel (inspired vision flower and gem essence) starts at 3 min 18 seconds.
Clear Mind Herbal Smoking Blend (focus, creatives who smoke while they work) starts at 4 min 52 seconds.
Sexy Smokes Herbal Smoking Blend (sensual creative work!) Starts at 6 min 36 seconds.
Clear Mind herbal smoking blend is one of our lightest blends (Gentle and Protective is also super light). Clear Mind herbal cigarettes are formulated to support writers and creatives who smoke while they work. This blend is non-habit forming and provides a lower-risk smoking option than tobacco. Many of our clients have reported that this blend helps with ADHD and anxiety.
If your anxiety is more of the too many thoughts, mental type, I recommend Clear Mind. Purchase here.
If your anxiety manifests as physical tension, try Take it Easy. Click here to purchase now.
If you tend towards emotional overwhelm or psychic overwhelm, Gentle and Protective has a reputation for being soothing and comforting. Buy here.
Watch the Video: I think of the herbs in this blend as a team of social lubricants. Go yerba santa, California poppy, and violet :)
Use this one if you are being social and/or dealing with peer pressure or are struggling with drug and alcohol use.
This smoking blend has limited availability! Some of the herbs are hard to come by. So grab it when you can. Find it here when it is in stock.
New video on our Take it Easy herbal cigarettes. This herbal smoking blend was formulated to make tobacco and nicotine withdrawal easier! This herbal cigarette is grounding, great for work break smoking, and can even help with headaches with associated neck tension. This herbal smoking blend contains organic and/or wildcrafted mullein, lobelia, skullcap, catnip, and rose.
Lobelia interacts with the same neurotransmitters as nicotine but is not addictive. It helps ease cravings for nicotine.
Mullein has historically been smoked for lung support and is in all of our herbal cigarettes to help support your lungs as you quit smoking tobacco.
Skullcap and catnip are relaxing and help with the irritablity that often accompanies nicotine withdrawal.
Rose is soothing to heart energy which is often damaged by chronic, habitual smoking.
Smoking herbs has historically been integrated into many cultures in a balanced way. According to the American Lung Association, "There are approximately 600 ingredients in (big tobacco) cigarettes. When burned, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals." Herbal cigarettes offer a risk-reduction method for quitting tobacco. You can have one of our additive-free herbal cigarettes while you break your addiction to tobacco. The herbs in the blends can support you with your stress responses. Read the full blog post:
Our luckiest herbal smoking blend is back! Each Lady Luck pack is filled with herbs that have been historically used to improve luck. And...each pack purchase makes a charitable donation to help spread the luck.
Lady Luck Vibes:
This full moon in Aries is extra fighty in feel because the ruler, Mars, is conjunct the South Node in Libra, and the North Node, in Aries, is conjunct Eris. Eris is one of the largest known dwarf planets (about the same size as Pluto). Archetypally she is related to the fighting feminine.
Our Take it Easy herbal smoking blend was made to ease withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. It is our most grounding herbal smoking blend, which is probably why it helps so much when nerves are irritated and tension is high for those first days off tobacco.
I love this blend for getting out of my head after a frustrating day. It tends to drop those shoulders and help dial back the steam coming out of your ears. Try it next time you are frustrated at work, or if you need to wind down before bed. Off-label use tip: try Take It Easy for headaches related to neck problems. If it is going to work for you, you will know within a minute or so. :)
Our 7/3/23 newsletter. Scroll to the footer to subscribe. This newsletter announces our new blog on Community Building here.
"Rat Park": Lessons on Community & Joyful Living
In the 1970's Dr Bruce Alexander did some studies on rats and addiction. He found that rats placed alone in a cage with a choice of water or water and drugs (cocaine or heroine) (and nothing else) would take drugs repeatedly until they died. If instead they were placed in a stimulating environment with other rats, still with access to the same substances, they did not use them very much.*
I am not into animal studies! But, one of my favorite discoveries came from a study where bunnies were force-fed high-fat diets. One group of bunnies had really positive health outcomes. What was the difference? Their researcher for that group of bunnies couldn't help but pet and love on them when they were feeding them. Love is strong medicine!
According to an article on this rabbit love study in the New York Post, "Chronic loneliness is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, heavy alcohol use or obesity, as reported by a 2010 study in PLOS Medicine." Read it here. Yikes!
Both studies really motivate one towards holistic living. Our bodies are not machines, and our relationships are vital to our well-being.
I have started a new, ongoing, blog about community building which has long been a passion of mine. According to the US surgeon general as many as half of adults are feeling lonely and like their existence has little meaning. For humans, having a fun and interesting life is also great for managing or avoiding falling into addiction. So, after you master your tobacco addiction, or whatever journey brought you here, stay connected to Brown Bear Herb to learn about healthier living, including understanding how your sense of community can be improved. This will help you and your people have better, healthier lives!
Read my latest post here.
Let's work together to feel more connected. Please connect. I would love to share your resources about community building. If you are interested in doing work with herbs in your community, I can facilitate that through my position at Herbalists Without Borders.
Have a great day!
Arati
Balancing Family & Profession During This Moon
This full moon is in Capricorn on July 3rd. This astro report takes you through the next two weeks, til just prior to the full moon in Cancer on 7/17/23.
This full moon is likely to increase any sense of stress between the demands of family (Cancer, the current sun and Mercury placement) and that of your professional life (Capricorn, where the moon & Pluto are). You are likely to be communicating about it with Mercury along for the ride. Jupiter in Taurus supports the full moon bringing the potential for big positive shifts. The ruler of Capricorn is in Pisces, in retrograde. The aspect is also supportive. The energies will be best utilized for structuring areas related to secrets, sorrows, and self-sabotage (in the family/work arenas). Reflect on unsightly situations, things you may not want to admit (like addictions and undermining behaviors of all kinds), and be prepared to do the work to clear things up. Use the next two weeks to figure out ways to release or reduce these problems.
There is also quite a bit of tension between Mars and Venus in firey Leo and Uranus in Taurus for another week. These two energies feel chaotic together. The tension eases by the tenth. To best use this time, find creative expression. Do some sort of art project or performance. Otherwise, you might find your self-expression (in the form of arguments or other communications) met with unsettling resistance.
Linden was historically used as wood in courtrooms, town halls, & grown in the center of town. It's helpful for clearing out emotions that are dragging you down so you can enjoy the sweeter side of life. The astrology of the next two weeks looks juicy creativity and ripe for emotional breakthroughs. Take advantage!
Guide to quitting tobacco with Brown Bear Herbs herbal smoking blend:
Step 1: Understand when and why you smoke. This will help you pick the best smoking blend(s).
Step 2: Choose your pack--will you like filtered smokes or our classics?
Step 3: Anticipate how many packs you will need. Plan to get down to 2 of our cigarettes a day within a day or two.
Step 4: Congratulate yourself for breaking your addiction! Make sure to keep a pack or two of your favorite Brown Bear Herbs organic herbal smoking blends on hand for difficult or tempting times so you don't start smoking tobacco again.
A discussion of herbs for lung health to remind you that in spite of air quality issues, you can have healthy lungs. I look at stories of healing including my father getting off of hospice with Easter Lily flower essence. I also share a couple stories of healing asthma and pneumonia with the herbs mullein, cardomom, and grindelia. Herbs, including smoking mullein have a long history of being used to heal and support our lungs. Don't despair when air conditions are poor. Find herbal allies to support your lungs and work and make decisions for a more sustainable future.
My work focuses on helping people go from smoking as a form of enslavement to empowerment by harnessing plant medicine and releasing addiction. But I also do individual herb consultations.
If you are a tobacco or marijuana smoker and have anxiety or ADHD, try our Clear Mind organic herbal smoking blend. Our smoking blends are non-addictive and the herbs in them address the underlying reasons why people smoke. I see from our reviews that many people with ADHD and anxiety symptoms find relief from smoking Clear Mind. Clear Mind is also great for creatives who smoke while they work and mj fans who want to feel clearer but not sped up or jittery from stimulents.
How do we connect to Spirit through the physical world?
Spirit permeates the physical. When our auric field (picture above) is strong we feel connected to spirit. Spirit is not just far off in the heavens, it is around and in each of us. The same is true for plants, animals, minerals...the Earth. We put energy into the things we make, touch, and use. Even our ideas and emotions carry our energy.
With the new moon in Taurus (enjoying the physical world) and Jupiter (mental expansion and spiritual inquiry) in Taurus, now is the perfect time find the spiritual in the physical.
Here in Portland, Oregon the trees lining the streets and gardens are filled with blossoms. As hard as life can get, when I see all those flowers, the sense of renewal and magic is real. Flowers are a particularly potent part of a plant. Their energy has emotional and energetic healing properties. We use many flowers in our smoking blends: rose, lavender, hibiscus, linden, and violet, to name a few.
Plus, a rare hybrid solar eclipse in Aries. This one will have long lasting affects for many, it does depend on your natal astrology (birth chart).