What herbs do you use and how

distaind

Im looking into getting more herbal and was curious what herbs do you use? How do you use them? Teas, grind em up and mix it with snuff or just snuff the herb? You use the root or the leaves?and why do you use them? What benefits are you supposed to get from the herbs you use? I know a few of you here use herbs so any info will be soaked in like a sponge and also very appreciated.

BigDaddySnuff

Yeah I use quite a few different things. I guess it depends what you are looking for but I use herbs for peace of mind and meditation. I'll start you off with one that I use twice a month.

I buy most of my herbs form Mountain Rose Herbs:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/
You can find herbs cheaper but they have the best quality out of all of the places I have ordered from.

First one I use is KAVA KAVA:
I buy the gound (not powdered) bark and then grind it myself in a coffee grinder. I measure the amount of powder for the effects I am looking for and put the lot in some cheese cloth. It soaks in warm water for a bit and I start squeezing the cheese cloth repeatedly for 30 mins. You end up with this water that looks like a coffee/milk colored mud puddle.

I basically do a full blown Kava ceremony with my wife and any other guests I may have. Each person gets roughly 1 cup of Kava to start with. The key is to get it down as quickly as possible. It tastes like ass. Hang out and make sure you get to where you want to be then decide if you want more. Maybe 10-15 mins.

The Effects:
First thing you will notice is that your tongue is numb. You will then feel your body totally relax. It's almost narcotic in that sense. You will then get a tremendous sense of euphoria. If you are with another person or a group of people two things can happen. Either talk will turn highly philosophical or everyone will be laughing their asses off for the next hour.

The peak of the Kava experience last for maybe 1.5 to 2 hours. After the peak you will start to come down and feel extremely relaxed and content with the world. The best part of the Kava experience are the dreams. You will sleep so good and have such vivid dreams that it is incredible. This is when the subconscious gets to have it's fun. Most people don't experience this side of kava until after 2 or 3 sessions but it will come. You wake up refreshed, not hungover, and have an overall sense of well being.

Kava is one of my favorite (still legal) herbs. I highly recommend it because it is safe, non addictive and a hell of a lot of fun.

I also use Reishi mushroom daily as a supplement but I'm out of time right now. I'll do another post shortly.

bob

orange juice or cheap red juice makes kava much more bareable.

basement_shaman

I have a whole kitchen full. Too many to list it would fill a book. I have medical herbs for healing and entheogen for traveling other dimensions and comuning with the spirit world. But you already knew

basement_shaman

Ok, I drink holy basil tea in the morning. I take Echinacea , birdeye pepper, ginseng that I encapsulate. A shot of raw apple cider vinegar in juice with food grade diatomaceous earth. This ensures good health and Absorption of essential nutrients. As for medical herbs their use is based on need. If you want snuffs for entheogens read http://www.erowid.org/ or any retailer that sells botanical. I can not endorse the use as results vary, you may have an alergic reaction or even cause harm to yourself and others. I suggest extensive research before using any herb or combination. Smoking is the fastest way to determine the toxicity of a substance. Once ingested it is too late to turn back.

distaind

Thanks guys. That kava sours interesting I might have to try that out

Mr_O

basement shaman- what does the holy basil do for you? I've just recently started to use some some in loose form and it seems to have a positive effect on my psyche, but I can't put my finger on it. I haven't tried it at the beginning of my day, and the start of my day is super late, so I'm not sure if it'd wake me up or give me a surge of energy.

basement_shaman

@Mr. O Originally I started using it to treat cancer symtoms and it worked. So now I continue to use it for mental clariety and overall phyical health. I mean why wouldn't you?The benefits could fill the page. And it not offensive in taste. The best thing is; there is no crash like when I drink coffee. You can keep your 5hour energy type supplements. I have vana and rama The energy your getting is the spirit of the plant. We are but spiritual beings trapped in earth bound bodies these shells we call human. We all draw are energy from the sun. Therefor all living things have spirit. Goes to support "you are what you eat".

Mr_O

basement_shaman, gotcha. I should do some more research. I do like the taste too. The shop where I bought mine had only one type, whatever it is it's rather purple. Mountainrose Herbs stocks 3 types of it, I will probably try all three if they're in stock when I order.

I'm getting back into Gotu Kola these days. Seems nourishing and detoxing to body and mind. I infuse 2 to 3 tsp. or so in a covered container for quite a while and shake it at least a couple of times. I let it brew for at least 10 min, but usually 30 min to several hours- I think it'd be hard to over-steep.

Also these days fairly often I'll brew up an infusion of peppermint and lavender, often adding a couple pinches of eucalyptus leaf. Also a long infusion here. The purpose for me is for grounding, calming and cooling.

3_D

I swear by my Echinacea in the winter, that's about it though

horus92

Great post @BigDaddySnuff, I remember a friend of mine used to smoke Kava (retarded) and that never did much to me, also one time I found some lying around my parent's house but it was in tea-bags and didn't do much. You make it sound pretty awesome, I'll have to give it another shot one of these days.

Juxtaposer

Too many to mention but herbs that I have and do use for snuff are;

Basil, coriander, diviners sage, gotu kola, calamus, wormwood, clip daga, goldenseal, echinacea, ava, cannabis, lavender, N. glauca, saffron, coriander, angelica, fennel, anise, licorice root, ginseng root, woodruff, ...

most spices as well...

I'm sure I left some out!

bob

Kava is great. Get the actual root. It's wonderfull and it is amazing how awake I feel today after a few days of shitty sleep. Don't mess around with tea bags or other stuff get the real thing. IT's much more fun and affordable that way. The only diffrence between bigDaddySnuffs tech for making is I use cold water. The most noteable effect really is a general sense of calmness and well being. And the sleep is great.

howdydave

I don't use herbs per se...
But I DO use "simaler items" in my neti pot!

Some of my favorites to put in my saline water for flushing out my sinuses are:

Ground Ginger
Ground Sage
Tulsi
Brahmi
Valarian
Sandlewood Powder.

The ginger and sage can be gotten off of the spice rack at any supermarket.
I get the others in the Aurvedic section of a local Indian Store.

TomStrasbourg

I drink a cup of St. John's Wort tea every day to treat depression. I've got other herbal teas and some Chai Masala that has some Holy Basil in it, but I've never gotten into mixing up my own herbs.

OleFactoryHugh

I have lots of experience with kava kava. I get for shredded roots then powder it in the coffee grinder, add some lecithin to emulsify the lactones(actives) whizz in the blender with water then strain. i dont mind the taste. Effects are mild and subtle for me.

Holy basil is amazing stuff! Wonderful flavor and very beneficial to overall health and well being!

Firestarter0

tobacco- smoked, snuffed, snus. - you know why :P
cannabis- smoked, eaten. - i used it for sleep, to ease pain, unwind, level myself.
salvia- smoked (with utmost respect and care, it is required) - another world, and the glow for the next day or so.
Valerian, hops, passionflower blends- pill form, i use these common blends as they are cheap, but preferred pure root when i had it. - these to sleep.

i only use the three legals regularly, want to try this kava stuff, and the holy basil.

in response to any having an issue with admitting illegal substances, im in the UK, but that doesnt mean i cant have visited places where usually illegal substances are fine ;)

JakartaBoy

I certainly can't admit to ever having used anything illegal in the jurisdiction in which I live, considering that simple possession of weed makes you liable for prison sentences of up to five years. If it weren't for that, I'd smoke weed in a vaporizer (the NO2) to avoid any smell that would create suspicion. In my younger years, I would have used all the major plant-derived elixirs, particularly the psychedelics. These days, I'm happy with snuff and strong Twining's tea, milk no sugar.

I tried kava kava once as a university student, but I found the taste too horrible to make it a regular experience. My great grand-father had a sugar plantation in Samoa, my grandmother still had a large wooden kava kava bowl hanging on her wall. I remember her telling me that the traditional means of preparation involved young virgins chewing the root and then spitting it into the bowl, after which it was consumed - probably by men whose level of sexual experience remains moot.

cloudyman

Wow, prison time for sayin you once used marijuana...holy smokes that's rough. i've smoked pot for twenty one years but no worry of prison for that in the states. Lol or snoop dog wouldn't make all that money. viva la sweet leaf. bet there's gonna be a nobby nob on here that's going to be all offended and think i'm some sorta mental midget now, lmfao. oh well smart people like to smoke weed also...if only i was one. Hah! If only i cared. oh yeah i also use a plethora of herbs for cooking, as well as tons of spices.

Firestarter0

@jakartaboy in the uk the penalty is up to five years and/or an unlimited fine, boosted to fourteen years for supply. if you have enough on you to be seen as intending to supply, share etc or acquire it for someone counts as supply.

so, due to these laws which i must abide by, i should point out that i have been to places where the drug is legal occasionally, and in line with the law i have definitely limited my use to those places.

general_desaix

@basement_shaman
Wife and I grow Holy Basil (tulasi), ginseng, turmeric (yes, it WILL grow well here but have to take up each Autumn), mint, 7 kinds of thyme, horehound, bee balm, and a whe host of others. Our pride is the turmeric we grow--- we use it both fresh and prepared(dried). Treats cancer, arthritis and a whole lot of others-- been taking daily for many years now. Thyme is 2nd most important to us and only thing we use for colds/flu etc... None of us have been to Dr. office in over 15 years :) No joke. Crush insurance companies, the medical industry and ther rotten political cronies all at once --- GROW HERBS!

SnuffySnuff

With just a few exceptions, I've used nearly every herb mentioned in this thread at some point in my life.

Nowadays I'm quite boring. Just your usual Italian cooking herbs, Indian spices, tea, herbal teas (many varieties), and tobacco. Haven't had any weed for a while sadly. I could do with finding a supplier as it helps to keep me from drinking heavily which is far worse.

Johano

I use plenty of herbs for cooking, recreational and health purpose. Prefer to grow them as much as my garden can hold, as the quality of plant material available in shops is unpredictable..

Rn im using Bacopa for learning improvement before exams (really terrible taste but works quite well when u take it long enough) and st Johns Wort juice during quarantine to cheer me up a bit

Snuffalufagis

I used to cultivate fungus to treat addiction and the ensuing depression. I found great peace in the process of meticulously going from spore to dried fruit. I would dose 10-12g once a month or so. Its amazing what you can learn when you eliminate the barrier that your ego creates.

volunge

Nothing as of late, but tobacco, coffee, tea and occasional sip of some innocent herbal infusion, like fireweed.

I did drink several cups of freshly picked coltsfoot tea this unnerving spring.

@Snuffalufagis, beautiful remedy that. Stay strong, mate.

Snuffalufagis

@volunge my wife is actually an herbalist, we're currently looking for a good spot to start her herb garden next year. She's mixed up some things for me and the kids that have prevented trips to the doctors office. Shes been getting on me about another crop as ive definitely had some tough times since I stopped.

Captainblackboogers

Only time i tried i simply dumped some of my ginseng powder in with my Toque coke. It wasn't bad, gave me a little pick me up.