Brown Bear Herbs' Herbal Smoking Blends

Guerrilla-Puffs
Guerrilla Puffs
  I made this smoking blend when Trump was first elected. There was a lot of panic happening. A couple of my friends moved out of the country. We were all worried what would happen. I started to see people slip into political apathy. This would not do!  I wanted to make a smoking blend that would help people stay engaged politically and not get overwhelmed. I had an image in my mind's eye about activists plotting in a room filled with tobacco smoke. I was thinging of all the herbs that would love to make the world a better place! Hello, climate change is real and plants don't have voting rights (nettles?) or arms to throw bricks (dandelion!?).   So I started researching plants to help with the impacts of mass hysteria and the ability stay action-oriented. To test the herbs my team would watch the news before smoking. We landed on this beautiful balance of organic and/or wildcrafted red clover, mullein leaf and flower, calendula, lemon balm, and holy basil (tulsi).  Click here to watch my video with more information. I hope that you will take Angela Davis' messages and these plants to heart and get up and fight for the rights of our people. Who are our people? The inhabitants of this planet. We all need access to healthcare, housing, food and body sovereignty. Currently, the rights of women and children are under siege, globally and very much so in the US. Everyone in sympathy is needed to bring us to a fair, responsible future.  We cannot advance as a global culture while simultaneously undermining over half of our population.  Lots of love, Arati from our March 15, 2023 newsletter
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Herbs for Aura Health
Herbs for Aura Health
Arati is discussing herbs for a strong energetic field. Yarrow, St. John's Wort, Devil's Club, raspberry leaf, lavender, & mullein (the herbs in my Gentle and Protective herbal smoking blend). This video was made in conjunction with Herbalists Without Borders. Join HWB or donate to support their amazing international work for natural healing, plant education, and food support at hwbglobal.org
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Quit Smoking Tobacco with Herbs. Recognize Your Emotions
Quit Smoking Tobacco with Herbs. Recognize Your Emotions
New Video! Learn which smoking blends/herbs will be helpful for you on your journey to transform smoking and quit smoking tobacco. Want to try a few herbal cigarette varieties? Our smoke sampler, My New Ciggies, is fun. Try five herbal smoking blends, or have the variety to share with friends.  She is discussing increasing awareness of our emotions, so we can increase decision-making time. This gives us more opportunity to make good decisions, rather than falling into unhealthy coping patterns, like addictions. When we have self-assessment time, we can choose to smoke healthier substances that address our needs, engage in yoga, text a friend, or do something else self-nurturing, rather than self-limiting. Meditiation is a great tool for increasing the space between emotion and reaction. She gives basic meditation instructions in this video too.
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Tobacco Flower essence for Quitting Tobacco?
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Tobacco Flower essence for Quitting Tobacco?
I find flower and gem essences to be very helpful for emotional and mental concerns. One major thing I have learned working with herbs for 20+ years is the importance of using the entire plant. If you develop side effects or allergies to an herb you can't or won't avoid, try using another part of the plant. Tobacco flower essence is known for helping with tobacco & marijuana dependency. 
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grounding-herbs-blog
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Grounding Herbs
Take it Easy, Sexy Smokes and Astral in Body are all grounding smokes that work very differently! Take it Easy is wonderful if you have tension around your shoulders, neck and/or head. The herbs tend to relax that area, including dropping you out of your brain. As an alternative to tobacco, it is a great smoke for easing work frustrations, or to clear your head before bed. Sexy Smokes herbs are excellent at bringing your energy into the sensual realm. If you have trouble being too mental or goal focused with sexy time, this blend is great for helping you enjoy the moment. I wouldn't say it is hard to get mental like Take it Easy, you just have other things to focus on. Also it is helpful for improving confidence, which makes it fun to smoke during creative or social times. I think this has a connection with anxiety and mental agitation. It is hard to be too worried when you are feeling confident!  Astral in Body might be an unexpected option for a "grounding" smoke. Socially this blend is a bit of a wild card. However as a solo smoke, when the moon is full or in a difficult sign for you, it is grounding and centering. It tends to bring your awareness to the energy around your body and bring your energy downwards. If you are looking for a slightly eccentric herb experience, while learning more about your body's energy...I would choose Astral.  In general, I find that most herbal aphrodisiacs, herbs for reproductive and lower digestive tract health are grounding. Some examples available on our website include: Lady's Thumb,  ASMR tincture, & Black Cohosh.  Nervines like skullcap, in our Mother's Little Helper tea, are helpful at soothing frayed nerves.  Energetic boundary healing through herbs like yarrow (in Astral in Body herbal cigarettes and Blood and Boundaries herbal bath), St. John's Wort, and Devil's Club is another approach, if you are feeling overly sensitive to the world around you.  Many black gemstones, like black tourmaline, are also very grounding.  I encourage you to learn about different tools for grounding and see what feels best for you. I think one of the most beautiful and powerful things that we can do is share our experiences. So, as you learn, please share too.  Arati
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Herbs for Back Support
Herbs for Back Support
In this video, I discuss my Back Support tincture for lower back issues, like nerve pain and bulging discs. Valerian for muscle spasm, True Solomon's Seal (made properly from the fresh root!) for ligament adjustment, whether too tight or too loose.  Also, Take it Easy herbal smoking blend (you can also drink the loose herbs as a tea) is often helpful for headaches with a neck components that is twisty--like asymmetrical whiplash or a waking with a kinked neck. Black Cohosh tincture is more suited for symmetrical whiplash.  All herbs mentioned above are available on this site!  
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destress-and-engage-with-guerrilla-puffs
De-Stress and Engage
From the newsletter,  I am hearing and feeling a lot of grief and frustration related to the shooting in Uvalde, TX, and the threats to women's rights. I find that a combination of self-care, involving plant medicine and mindfulness, as well as taking action helps me feel less depressed and more hopeful.     Some of my favorite herbs for frustrating times include:  Guerrilla Puffs, a smoking blend to help you stay politically engaged and fighting in the face of injustice, mass hysteria and fear campaigns. Clear Mind, a smoking blend for centering.  Mother's Little Helper, is an herbal tea for anyone suffering from prolonged stress. It helps maintain mental clarity while soothing your nervous system. Color Wheel, a flower and gem essence for seeing the color and beauty and not just the madness or bleakness. Both gun control and abortion rights are issues that the majority of the US is unhappy about how the government is handling matters. Even when I am not sure if my actions will cause any positive change, it feels better to take action rather than give up.  Please take some time to contact your senator (202) 224-3121 and ask for gun regulation, to protect abortion rights and to eliminate the filibuster.   I recommend developing a practice of yoga, breath-work and/or meditation. Here is a link to my youtube playlist with some meditation practices. These practices are invaluable to me. I feel they have contributed to a feeling of connection to the world around me, to the healing of my body from twenty-some chronic illnesses and most importantly they allow me to center as needed, even in very difficult times. When you have more inner peace, you have more ability to direct your life.    Since it is Gemini season and it is hard to be too serious, here is my list of videos for dark times. Most are just stuff that makes me laugh :)
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Yarrow for Warriors
Yarrow for Warriors
from today's newsletter Yarrow, or Achillea Millefolium, is the pink flower pictured above. The typical flower used medicinally is white. Other types of yarrow are used in flower essences as well. Pink is often used for healing the energetic field, which imparts strength and resilience to attacks.  Historically Yarrow was used on battlefields for cuts to the artery. I have seen it save people from trips to the emergency department. It is helpful with moderating blood in general, making it excellent support to people who bleed (especially menstruators). Clear the wound of any debris before applying yarrow on or near an injury. I usually prefer the tincture for this. If you are wounded in the field and see some, you can chew the yarrow and place it next to a rinsed wound. It should quickly slow or stop bleeding. On an energetic level, yarrow is helpful for healing holes in the energetic field which can be caused by various types of trauma, including physical injury. Healing the energetic field gives the person a sense of strength, solidity, and impermeability that makes it much easier to press forward into battle or just our everyday lives without feeling overwhelmed by others. For bleeding or clotting issues, energetic maintenance, and (in the case of Astral in Body) giggles...I recommend yarrow. It is an herb no home should be without.
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the-social-herbal-smoking-blend
The Social
In this video, I discuss my favorite blend for social engagements, the social smoke! Made with organic yerba santa, mullein, California poppy and violet leaf. Enjoy :)
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4/29 Newsletter: Devil's Club and the Taurus Solar Eclipse
4/29 Newsletter: Devil's Club and the Taurus Solar Eclipse
This new moon is also a solar eclipse. It happens in the Earth sign Taurus, close to the planet Uranus. Uranus has a more objective handle on things and is not afraid to disrupt everything to offer fresh alternatives. Keep an open mind...if something unfortunate or unexpected happens, shout "plot twist" and observe for silver linings or unearthed gold. 
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clear mind herbal cigs
Why Clear Mind is so Great for Actors
Clear Mind is a beautiful and gentle smoke. It is made with organic spearmint, gotu kola, linden and mullein. I created this herbal smoking blend for writers and other creatives who smoke while they work. This blend helps clear out emotional debris which can interfere with performing. Gotu kola is a great herb for mental clarity and memory. I think this is why it is a favorite smoke for actors, on or off the set.
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warming spicy herbs elixer
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Warming, Spicy Herbs for COVID-19
In this video I discuss, in this order, Sweet Dreams Tea, my new Warming Elixir for digestive issues related to COVID-19, Lomatium and Baikal Skullcap. All of these products are (depending on season) available on the site!
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dreams and manifesting change
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Dreams and Manifesting Change
It can sometimes seem overwhelming to think of how one person can make a difference with all the problems in the world today.  By lucidly dreaming or even through dreams of clarity you can gain solutions to obstacles--from health issues to auto mechanics. Check out the Sleep, Dreams and Magic section of the shop for teas and more information.  Though dream work is delightful and inspiring, creating a better world in the waking time takes hard work and determination.  Brown Bear Herbs started working with Baja Mandala, an organic farm in Baja California Sur a couple years ago. Hoping to expand our collaboration with the farm, I took a visit.  I was so happy with what I found. In addition to super cool organic farming techniques I discovered the team had clean and healthy working conditions, fair wages, year round housing and medical insurance.  In addition to good working conditions, their side project: Los Sagrados horse sanctuary, is really heart warming. The sanctuary is a source of healing for horses, many of whom have been ill-treated. The horse rescue also offers healing to humans. Los Sagrados offers a space for mindfulness work with the horses for victims of domestic violence, neurodivergent folks, and at risk youths. Beyond workplace rights this is a place for workers and family members (as well as those in the community at large) who are ready to receive healing through mindfulness and serving the rescue horses.  Here is me with my favorite buddies, Pluto (my #1) and Cosmos.  I am so excited to be working with Baja Mandala (@bajamandala) and Los Sagrados (@lossagradoshorserescue). I applaud them for doing the hard work to better their community. If you are seeing healing progress in your world, please share the beauty you are witnessing. -Arati PS To read my new and full moon astrology updates, learn about promotions and more, add yourself to our email list.
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responsible ritual vlog
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Responsible Ritual
Today is November 1st. This is a time of year when the veils are thinner between the spirit world and the material world. Some tips and herbs to support ethical spirituality and magical practices. Find our herbs, including mullein, Gentle & Protective, Clear Mind and Guerrilla Puffs on our website!
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clear mind smoking blend classic pack
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Clear Mind Smoking Blend--Short and Sweet
Quick overview of what makes our Clear Mind herbal smoking blend so popular! This blend is great for taking a moment for yourself before you meditate, before beginning a project, when you're getting ready to brainstorm, or when you're just feeling the vibe on a nature excursion! Enjoy :)
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sexy smokes herbal blend
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Sexy Smokes herbal smoking blend -- Short and Sweet
Quick info on our Sexy Smokes herbal smoking blend! Made with organic and/or wildcrafted damiana, blackberry leaf, hibiscus, rose and mullein, this blend is a great social smoke, but its properties can also be enjoyed alone, in intimate settings, or in groups. Enjoy :)
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