Healing with Yarrow
Ancient Healer & First Aid Kit Essential
Although not as commonly known as other medicinal herbs, yarrow is exceptionally powerful and actually grows everywhere from hiking trails to car parks. It comes from the flowering plant, Achillea — a name you may notice bears a striking resemblance to the Greek god Achilles. In fact, it is said in Greek mythology that Achilles used yarrow to treat his wounds. Outside of mythology, it’s one of the oldest and most widely applied herbs and has been used in Greek (and numerous other cultures) for thousands of years for its potent healing properties from digestion to blood flow and women’s health. New clinical studies are also demonstrating yarrow’s ability to treat health conditions including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. A plant that is a true medicine — let’s dive deeper into some of yarrow’s top healing properties.
Yarrow as Wound Healer
As we mentioned earlier, yarrow has been applied topically and internally as a wound healer since the times of Ancient Greece and has been used on battlefields across the ages.
Considered nature’s bandage, it’s been said to help deep cuts heal and leave no scarring in the process.
It’s also very popular for any oral issues and a few drops with warm water is a great natural remedy for ulcers or post dental operations. It’s all thanks to yarrow’s unique blend of antibacterial, antimicrobial, and astringent properties that keep wounds clean and help coagulate the blood.
Yarrow as Digestive Aid
Another couple of yarrow’s powerful properties are flavonoids and alkaloids, both of which are antispasmodic and can help relieve many digestive issues including IBS, bloating, constipation, and stomach aches. It’s also an excellent herb for digestive maintenance helping us to break down our food and even encourages the liver to secrete digestive enzymes.
Yarrow as Menstrual Salve
Another powerful aspect to yarrow is its multi-purpose approach to healing women’s menstrual challenges. Yarrow is an amphoteric herb meaning that instead of having a specific function, it normalizes a bodily system — such as irregular or absent periods.
For cramping and general PMS, yarrow’s antispasmodic properties are also at play here and can help relax internal uterine muscles to reduce cramping — plus its anti-inflammatory nature can help with the pain.
Many women choose to have yarrow tea around this time in their cycle to ease symptoms and also apply a compress, or engage in a pelvic steam. If you’re looking to add yarrow to your menstrual cycle self-care, our Womb Protector™ pelvic steaming herb blend is a powerful, healing, and comforting ritual that can be easily done from your home. You can learn more about our custom blend and ritual bundle here.
Yarrow as Circulation Booster
Good circulation is important as it means that every area of the body is receiving enough oxygen and blood to function optimally. Equally, poor circulation can result in conditions such as varicose veins.
Yarrow can improve blood flow as it dilates the capillaries and its astringent properties also tone the walls of the body’s veins.
As you can see, yarrow is a genuine and verified healer and can treat many conditions — making it an excellent herb to have on hand and a great addition to any herbal first aid kit.
