When the body has been under stress for a long time, it doesn’t immediately relax just because the stressor is gone. Cortisol rhythms can remain disrupted, keeping the nervous system in a low-grade state of alert. This is where gentle, consistent signals of safety matter. Tulsi (holy basil) tea is one of those signals. Tulsi has been revered across cultures for centuries, not only as a medicinal herb but as a plant associated with protection, balance, and daily nourishment. Traditionally grown close to the home and prepared as teas or simple extracts, tulsi was used to support resilience—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This long history of everyday use reflects what modern research now confirms, tulsi gently supports the body’s ability to adapt to stress.

A warm cup of herbal tea in the evening gently tells your nervous system that the day is complete. Heat, aroma, and familiar flavors activate the parasympathetic response, helping cortisol fall and melatonin rise naturally. Unlike sleep aids that push the body into sedation, calming herbs work by lowering neural noise and restoring a sense of safety. When the nervous system is supported, sleep can emerge organically. This sleepytime herbal blend brings together traditional nervines and calming botanicals that help the body soften, the mind slow, and the stress response unwind. Below, you’ll learn how each herb in this blend gently guides the body toward rest.

Nettles are one of the first wild foods to emerge in the spring, and, undoubtedly, one of the most nutrient-dense wild plants! They thrive in rich, moist soil, and in sunny locations. You may find them blanketing a deciduous forest floor in early spring before the tree canopy emerges, or in an open, mowed field. The fallen leaves from autumn create a fertile environment for nettles to emerge from in early spring. After the dense, cold winter months, nettles arrive and remind us to lighten our loads, to cleanse, and to restore.

Nettles, you say? You mean those pesky weeds that grow like wildfire and sting if you brush up against them? Yes—those! What many people don’t realize is that nettles are actually a powerhouse of nutrients. Once they’re cooked, blended, or dehydrated, they completely lose their “sting” and become a delicious, mineral-rich green. Nettle season varies depending on the year and climate. Here in the Pacific Northwest, with our unusually warm and sunny winter, the first tender shoots are already here! Perfect timing for gathering and enjoying them in the kitchen. My oldest daughter, Lily, even helped me put together the photo tutorial below to show you how simple it can be to harvest and prepare these wild greens.