Seasonal Chat - Vital Energy

Vital Energy was designed to help relieve everyday stress. Formulated in partnership with a revered local herbalist, it is designed to provide support to the endocrine system, support normal metabolic processes, and restore balance to the body.

The formula includes Eleuthero, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Gynostemma, American Ginseng, Schizandra, Suma, Licorice Root, Chinses Red Ginseng, Damiana, Prickly Ash, and Compass Root.

The formula is a special combination of herbs that are "adaptogens". Their is a long tradition of their use as restorative, tonic, and rejuvenating. Plants deal with stressors too (bugs, microbes, heat, cold, drought, etc.), although we rarely think about it. Adaptogenic plants thrive in rugged terrain - high altitude, extreme cold, and intense radiation (to name a few). Their resilience is stored in their plant chemistry, and becomes available for us.

• Flavor - it's complex. but pleasant to the taste. Adaptogens often have a sweet taste, which makes them easy to take.
• Smell - again, complex, but fruity and aromatic. I smell (and taste) the Rhodiola and Schizandra, which are very distinctive and recognizable.
• Emotional - I feel a greater awareness through my senses - sight, hearing, smell...which makes me feel resilient, but not hyper-aware.
• Physical Body - I find that it provides a warming and uplifting energy, while allowing me to feel grounded at the same time. I feel that it makes my breathing more efficient and connects my nervous system, my musculo-skeletal system, and pulmonary systems.

5. Why would you recommend the Vital Energy Herbal Formula to a customer?

We love to educate our customers on how to use this formula. It is a bit of a mini-class, because we feel that is is so important for our customers to understand that our approach is about balance, rather than going after a solution for a particular symptom - which is how our healthcare system is designed. Sometimes a symptom needs to be addressed quickly - and that's something our healthcare system excels at. And, sometimes, we need to look at the entire system and determine what is out of balance. Vital Energy is a great formula for people who are feeling "stressed". Often they describe a somewhat nonspecific combination of symptoms - this may appear as nervous energy, or fatigue, or insomnia, or depression.

6. How does the Vital Energy formula tie-in to the Winter season?

Our holistic Winter cleanse kit includes the Kidney Cleanse, Deep Tissue Detox, and Vital Energy formulas. Winter is a time of stillness and preparation, cold temperatures, short days, and long nights. It's the season of preparation. The Winter Cleanse lets us take special care of our kidneys and bladder, to minimize stress, and invite a sense of peace and balance into our lives. Our winter seasonal cleanse ends with the Vital Energy formula, which is a nice compliment to detoxification, and provides support for our adrenal system.

7. Why is it important to incorporate the seasonal changes into our lifestyles?

We are connected to the physical world that we live in. A Lakota phrase says it much better than me - "Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us". The physical world is part of a system that is able to provide everything that we need to live happy any healthy lives.

8. What does the Winter season mean to you?

I've grown to appreciate Winter. I LOVE warm weather, but I've developed a respect for the gracefulness and dignity of Winter. It's a time of reflection, rebuilding, and of great creative energy. I have an annual ritual of starting seeds indoors. It gives me absolute joy to watch and tend them, and it makes me feel that I am part of a grand system...that I have everything that I need to be healthy and strong.

9. Do you recommend any other herbs/self-care practices to pair with my Vital Energy formula?

Wow, yes, there are lots of things. I wish we could all go to a clinic where we could be pampered, massaged, fed amazing meals, take naps, listen to music, feel the breeze on our skin, and sleep with the movements of the sun. During our Winter seasonal class, I often include meditation, yoga or tai chi, herbal baths, herb-infused oils for the skin, eating seasonal foods, and creating meaningful daily rituals that match the season of Winter.

10. Choose only 1 word to describe the Vital Energy formula and explain why you chose this word.

Resilience - for me, the way to deal with stress is to become more resilient. Stress doesn't go away, but we can choose how we respond to it. Vital Energy is a way for you to listen to your body and take action. 

 

More thoughts on holistic and seasonal cleansing:

Cleansing is a traditional practice that allows our body to reset through the use of gentle herbs, healthy seasonal foods, and restorative lifestyle practices. For many, this is related to eliminating metabolic toxins that accumulate as a result of the hectic pace and irregular eating of our modern lives. 

Based on Ayurvedic, European, and Chinese traditions. cleansing allows us to adjust how, when, and especially what we eat, with special attention to the function of specific organ systems related to each season. Cleansing helps us work with our body's natural resources to prepare for the challenges of each season, and to treat our bodies, emotions, and spirit with love.

While many cleanse protocols focus on the liver cleanse, our approach is seasonal, and incorporates spring, summer, fall, and winter herbs and seasonal foods that match the body systems related to each season.

 

*Please consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking any liquid supplements. Do not take if pregnant or nursing.

**These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.