Botanical Name – Leonurus cardiaca

Family: Lamiaceae

Energetics: cool, dry, relaxant

Taste: bitter, aromatic, acrid

Parts used: leaves and flowers

Affinities: cardiovascular and nervous systems

Actions: nervine, sedative, emmenagogue, cardiac tonic and antispasmodic, diaphoretic, digestive

Preparations: tea, tincture, oil infusion, vinegar infusion

Cautions: Generally regarded as safe. May have some interactions with heart medications. Just pay extra attention to how you are feeling when you start working with motherwort. As an emmenagogue, it is probably best to avoid motherwort during menstruation if you are prone to heavy flow. It can, however, help bring on a period that is slow to start.

Therapeutic Uses:

• Motherwort can help you when you need to set healthy boundaries. If you are a person who is prone to always saying yes to everyone, motherwort can help you care for and protect yourself by helping you say “no”.
• As a cardiac tonic and antispasmodic, motherwort will help relax the heart muscle which is particularly useful for issues such as heart murmur, palpitations, and angina. It is also a gentle vasodilator helping lower blood pressure and allowing blood to flow better. 
• As a cooling diaphoretic, motherwort will help cool you down when heat has risen due to anxiety, heart issues, stress, or just hot weather. As a nervine and sedative, motherwort can help cool you down enough to get to sleep on hot, summer nights.
• A soothing nervine, motherwort helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is the “rest and digest” system. It will help calm anxiety, tension, nervousness, tension headaches, and can help with insomnia. It is particularly useful for helping you sleep through the night without waking up often. 
• It is a bitter herb which means it will help aid in digestion especially when the digestive issues are due to stress and tension.

**This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease. It is for educational purposes only.