Relaxed Recovery

before modern medicine cabinets, people around the world were experimenting with the plants growing right outside their doors. Herbs like mullein, mugwort, lavender, skullcap, damiana, passionflower, mint, rose, blue lotus, calendula and others became part of traditional herbal practices, including teas, incense, poultices, tinctures and, in some cultures, smoking blends.

Some of these plants developed fascinating reputations over the centuries. 🌙 Mugwort and Calea zacatechichi became associated with vivid dreaming. Mullein was traditionally connected with respiratory herbalism. Lavender, passionflower and skullcap were used in calming preparations. Damiana gained a reputation as both a mood herb and aphrodisiac, while rose appeared in remedies, foods and perfumes across multiple cultures.

But there is an important distinction between traditional use and scientifically proven medical benefit. A number of claims on graphics like this one are based on folklore, traditional herbalism or early materia medica rather than strong modern clinical evidence. Some claims can also be misleading. For example, red raspberry does not simply “neutralize ni****ne in the blood.”

And one especially important point: 🌬️ burning and inhaling plant material still creates smoke. Even when a plant is ni****ne free, smoke contains particles and combustion products that can irritate the lungs. “Natural” does not automatically mean harmless to smoke.

That does not make the history any less fascinating. In fact, I think it makes it MORE interesting. These plants tell us how generations before us experimented with their environment, passed knowledge forward and sometimes arrived at traditions that researchers are still investigating today.

Which one should I do a full deep dive on next? 👀🌿

I’m thinking mugwort, blue lotus, skullcap or wild dagga.

Book early as some treatments may require more than one appointment. Phone (01579) 344090 to arrange a call back for a FREE initial practitioner phoneback to give you more information.

T H E H E D G E R O W H A R V E S T

There is a particular abundance to autumn that seems to belong not to shops, but to the hedgerows themselves.

Down ancient lanes, where brambles lean into the path and hawthorn berries glow like little beads of red, we walk the same ground our ancestors once walked. Beneath our feet are the worn tracks of countless seasons: cartwheels, boots, bare feet, hooves. The land remembers, even when we have forgotten.

The hedgerow is heavy now with its offerings. Rosehips hang among fading leaves; blackberries stain the fingers purple; elderberries cluster darkly beneath the branches. The last nettles and herbs hold their green a little longer before winter claims them. Nothing is hurried. Autumn gives generously, but asks us to pay attention.

So we gather.

Gratefully. A handful here, a few branches there, leaving enough for birds and foxes, insects and the countless small creatures who share this abundance with us. The old knowledge passed to me by Aunt Jess was never simply about taking from the land. It was about knowing when to gather, what to leave, what could be preserved, and how much would carry a household through the darker months.

For Aunt Jess, back home, baskets become bowls and tables became workbenches. Rosehips were cleaned and simmered. Berries were steeped, bottled, dried and made into preserves. Herbs were hung in small bunches beneath the rafters, their fragrance filling her farmhouse kitchen as summer slowly receded. Roots were washed, leaves sorted, seeds saved.

And now for me, gradually, the wild harvest becomes my winter sustenance.

A jar on a shelf.
A bundle of dried herbs.
A cordial tucked away for cold evenings.
A pot shared between neighbours.
A remedy prepared from Aunt Jess' recipe, who learned it from her Mother.

There is something deeply grounding in my work as a herbal physician. To gather food with your own hands is to rediscover a relationship with place. You begin to notice which hedge holds on to its fruits, where the elder grows thickest, which lane catches the morning sun. You learn the seasons not from a calendar but from the colour of berries, the falling of leaves, the changing scent of earth.

And perhaps this is what we inherit most meaningfully from those who walked these lanes before us: not possessions, but knowledge of belonging.

They knew that winter could be endured because autumn had been generous. They knew that nourishment could be found close to home, and that preserving the harvest was an act of care—not only for oneself, but for family, neighbours and the wider community.

There is wisdom in that rhythm still.

To gather when the land gives.
To preserve for the days when it does not.
To share what there is.
To leave something behind.

As dusk gathers over the old lane and the hedgerows darken into shadow, we carry our baskets home. The scent of crushed leaves follows us. Somewhere in the hedge, a blackbird searches for the last fallen berry.

The season is turning, but slowly here in the East, it still feels like summer.

But when the weather does eventually move to orange the harvest will remain—in jars and bundles, in stories and remembered recipes, in the warmth of a shared cup, and in the quiet knowledge that for a little while we have walked gently upon the same earth, gathered from the same hedges, and kept faith with the old rhythm of the year.

Words and image; www.theenglishherbalist.co.uk

I’m taking a little break to recharge my own batteries 🍂 It’s a reminder that we all need time to slow down, breathe and look after ourselves.

If you’ve been feeling stressed or carrying tension, a massage can help you unwind and soothe tired muscles. I’d love to welcome you back for a little time that’s just for you. 💚

Appointments available from 12th October: 📍 Liskeard — Mondays and Wednesdays 📍 Tavistock — the rest of the week
Treatment tailored for you, from £45.
Message me to book your autumn reset.
Melissa x

🌿 Massage appointments available 🌿

Spaces available on Friday 25th and Tuesday 29th September at the Tavistock Enterprise Hub.

Treatments include sports massage, holistic massage, back, neck and shoulder massage, targeted pain relief and manual lymphatic drainage (MLD).

Treatments from £45.

📞 Call or message Melissa Cole on 07957 213283 to book.

Relaxed Recovery

🌿✨ THE OIL I NEVER STOP RAVING ABOUT… ✨🌿

If you’ve been to one of my skincare workshops, you’ll probably have heard me talk about this one before! 😂💚

**Black Cumin Seed Oil — also known as Black Seed Oil (*Nigella sativa*) — is one of those wonderfully unassuming oils that deserves far more attention.**

And now there’s a lovely new research review giving us even more reason to be interested in it. 🔬🌿

A comprehensive review published in the *Journal of Medicinal Food* looked at the research surrounding Black Cumin Seed Oil and one of its key bioactive compounds, **thymoquinone**.

And this little seed oil has quite the scientific CV…

✨ **Anti-inflammatory properties**
✨ **Antioxidant activity**
✨ **Antimicrobial effects**
✨ Potential **analgesic (pain-relieving)** activity
✨ **Immunomodulatory** effects
✨ Research into its potential role in supporting various skin conditions, including **eczema**

One of the fascinating things about Black Cumin Seed Oil is its thymoquinone content. This naturally occurring compound has been the subject of considerable research and appears to contribute to many of the biological effects associated with the oil. 🌿

And this is precisely why I love talking about **carrier oils** in my skincare workshops.

We often focus so much attention on essential oils that we forget the beautiful plant oils we're using to dilute and deliver them can have their own fascinating properties.

💚 **Your carrier oil isn't just “the stuff you dilute your essential oils in.”**

It can be an active and purposeful part of your skincare formulation.

Black Cumin Seed Oil is a brilliant example of this.

That said, a little scientific caution is important too…

This paper is a **review of the existing research**, rather than a single clinical trial proving that Black Cumin Seed Oil treats a particular condition.

The evidence includes laboratory, animal and human research, and the strength of evidence varies depending on the particular use being investigated.

So I’m not suggesting that Black Cumin Seed Oil is a miracle cure for everything!

Rather, I’m saying:

🌿 **This is a fascinating medicinal plant oil with a growing body of research behind it—and one that deserves a place in the conversation about evidence-informed natural skincare.**

And if you've been to one of my skincare workshops and remember me enthusiastically going on about Black Cumin Seed Oil…

😂 **NOW YOU KNOW WHY!**

I promise I don't rave about oils without a reason. 😉

**Research Reference:**

Chatterjee G, Saha AK, Khurshid S, Saha A. *A Comprehensive Review of the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Therapeutic Efficacies of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.) Seed Oil and Its Thymoquinone.* J Med Food. 2025;28(4):325–339. doi:10.1089/jmf.2024.k.0149. PMID: 39807848.

🌿✨ Science makes me love my oils even more. ✨🌿

🌿 Massage Therapy in the Heart of Tavistock 🌿

Relaxed Recovery is now welcoming clients at Tavistock Enterprise Hub, with appointments available Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Whether you're dealing with aches and pains, recovering from injury, feeling stiff and tense, or simply need some time to relax, treatments are tailored to you and your individual needs.

💪 Sports Massage & MET
🌿 Holistic Massage
💧 Manual Lymphatic Drainage
💆 Back, Neck & Shoulders
✨ Natural Lift Facial Massage

Fully qualified & insured | FHT Member

📍 Central Tavistock
📞 07957 213283

Please note: The treatment room is upstairs. If you require step-free access, please ask about appointments at my alternative clinic.
💚 Your wellbeing, my priority.

Eat This When You’re Sick 🤒