THE COMFORT OF NERVINES: HERBAL PATHWAYS TO CALM (Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 of the Herbal Pathways to Calm series: The Comfort of Nervines. In Part 1, we explored your nervous system — how it works and how life’s pressures shape the way you feel. This time we’re learning how to befriend that system – how to find comfort in the small, steady, living things that have been calming women’s minds and spirits for centuries: the nervines.
I like to think of nervines as companions — plants that sit quietly beside you when your thoughts are spinning, when your chest feels tight, when you want to rest but can’t quite cross the bridge into sleep. These herbs that hold the nervous system like a mother’s hand on the back, whispering, breathe, darling, you’re safe here.
What are nervines?
Nervines are herbs that nourish, strengthen, and gently soothe the nervous system. Some calm the mind and promote sleep; others ease tension or lift mood. They’re not sedatives in the pharmaceutical sense — they don’t “knock you out.” Instead, they help your body remember how to downshift on its own.
From a scientific perspective, nervines often work by modulating neurotransmitters like GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and serotonin — the same calming messengers your brain produces when you feel safe and peaceful.
But long before modern neuroscience, women healers simply knew. They noticed which flowers, plants and teas eased a racing heart, soothed crying babies, and brought rest to exhausted mothers. Their knowledge was rooted in observation, community, and trust in nature’s patterns and rhythms.
Why nervines matter now
Our world is overstimulated — endless news feeds, constant noise, glowing screens. For women over 40, that over-stimulation often collides with hormonal shifts, lighter sleep, and the invisible labor of caring for others.
Nervines offer a gentle antidote: stillness, ritual, and nourishment. Used regularly — as teas, tinctures, or even baths — they help the body relearn what calm feels like.
Try one nervine this week - your nervous system learns through repetition.
A word about adding honey to tea
Honey is a soothing, nourishing addition to tea, offering both sweetness and medicinal benefits – but timing matters. When honey is added to boiling or very hot tea, its natural enzymes, antioxidants, and antimicrobial properties begin to degrade. Heat about roughly 104 degrees Farenheit can destroy many of the beneficial compounds that make raw honey such a healing food.
To preserve its medicinal qualities – such as its ability to calm sore throats, ease coughs, and support digestion – allow your tea to cool slightly before stirring in honey. A good rule of thumb is to wait until the tea is warm but comfortable to sip. This way, you retain both the flavor and the wellness benefits that raw honey provides.
The four nervines I recommend and use most often
1. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
A bright, lemon-scented member of the mint family, lemon balm uplifts mood and eases tension. Research shows that lemon balm extract increases levels of GABA which helps quiet mental overstimulation, ease digestive upset that often accompanies nervousness, and encourage rest.
Though native to the Mediterranean, lemon balm was embraced by African-American herbalists and root workers throughout the South during the 18th and 19th centuries as a “comforting” herb. Women used it to soothe frazzled nerves, calm children, and lift the heaviness of grief — often blending it with mint or lemongrass in “summer cooling teas.” It also appeared in “Sunday garden” medicine, where women grew small plots of herbs behind their homes. Among Indigenous healers, lemon balm’s cousin species in the mint family were similarly valued as mood-lighteners and digestive soothers; they were burned or steeped in teas during community gatherings to help restore harmony to the spirit after emotional unrest.
In terms of precautions, lemon balm is generally well tolerated, but it is worth noting a few cautions: People with thyroid conditions should use it with care because lemon balm may influence thyroid hormone activity. Also, while it is safe as a tea for most healthy adults, higher‐dose extracts have less long‐term safety data. As with any herb that modulates GABA or nervous system tone, if you are on sedative or sleep-medication drugs, or have a major anxiety disorder, please consult with your healthcare provider.
How to use:
Steep 1–2 teaspoons of dried leaf in hot water for 10 minutes. Drink warm, especially in the evening or mid-afternoon slump. Lemon balm is a gentle daily “quieting” herb — ideal for winding down, evening tea rituals, or easing the transition into sleep.
2. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile is perhaps one of the most familiar calming herbs and is often used in tea form to soothe both mind and body. From a nervine standpoint, chamomile’s flavonoid constituent apigenin binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain (albeit mildly) and can support a reduction in nervous tension and help ease into restfulness. It supports the nervous system by quieting the chatter of the mind, easing the muscle and gut tension that often accompany stress (for example in irritable bowel patterns) and gently promoting a state of “safe” rest.
Chamomile entered African-American herbal practice through both European and Indigenous exchanges. Enslaved and free Black midwives in the South commonly used chamomile to settle anxiety, menstrual cramps, and sleeplessness in women — especially during pregnancy and postpartum. They referred to it as a “mother’s flower” for its ability to bring warmth and calm.
Many Southeastern and Plains Indigenous communities also valued wild chamomile (sometimes called pineapple weed) as a tea for soothing the spirit, easing fevers, and preparing for sleep. For Indigenous women, chamomile represented peace and restoration; its aromatic flowers were placed in bedding or sachets to encourage dreams of clarity and guidance.
As for safety, chamomile is generally safe when consumed as a tea, but cautions apply: if you are allergic to plants in the daisy/aster family (ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds) you may have cross-sensitivity to chamomile Also, because it may act mildly like estrogen and can interact with blood-thinners (due to coumarin‐like compounds) it should be used with caution in people with hormone‐sensitive conditions or on anticoagulants. Chamomile is a gentle nightly ritual herb, excellent for daily use, but not a substitute for professional care in chronic anxiety or heavy sleep disorders.
How to use:
Drink as a tea before bed or add to a warm bath with Epsom salts. Marguerite’s Tip: The water should be boiled and then cooled and 10 minutes after boiling you can drink it. After 10 minutes, feel free to add a little honey. If brewed chamomile stands for too long, it will become bitter.
3. Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Skullcap (specifically the American variety, Scutellaria lateriflora) is a classic nervine used in herbalism to ease nervous tension, particularly where there is “wired but tired” or jittery nervous system activity. Herbalists describe it as a nerve tonic, helping to calm perseverative thoughts and ease muscle tension, thereby supporting the nervous system’s ability to self-regulate rather than remain in a chronic fight/flight state. In the context of mind calming, skullcap supports quieting the hyperactive neural circuits, reducing the “racing mind” and helping the relative nervous system ease into a more restful baseline.
Native to North America, skullcap has long been a nervine of the Indigenous peoples of the eastern woodlands. Cherokee and Iroquois women brewed skullcap tea to soothe nervous agitation, restlessness, or grief after loss. It was considered a sacred “cooling” herb, restoring balance when the mind or body was overheated with worry or emotion.
African-American midwives and healers adopted skullcap into their pharmacopeia as a “settling” herb for nervousness and insomnia. In the early 1900s, Black folk healers in Appalachia used skullcap tincture to help women manage post-partum restlessness or emotional exhaustion, blending it with valerian or hops for stronger effect. It became a symbol of reclaiming rest and dignity amid relentless labor and stress.
There are important precautions related to skullcap. There have been rare but documented instances of liver injury when skullcap (often in combinations) was used long‐term or in unreliable preparations. Also, as noted, supplement quality is variable (some skullcap products have been adulterated) and pregnant or breastfeeding people, or those with liver disease, should avoid or proceed only under supervision. Skullcap is a good next-step nervine for women already using ritual herbs (like chamomile/lemon balm) but who still experience underlying nervous system arousal (e.g., menopausal hot flashes, mind-chatter, rebound anxiety) Sourcing from trusted organic suppliers is key.
How to use:
Steep 1 teaspoon dried leaf in hot water for 10–15 minutes or take as tincture drops before bed. Marguerite’s tip: I will often brew skullcap in the morning, let it steep during the day and then drink it after dinner.
4. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Passionflower is a nervine with a more markedly sedative nature (versus purely tonic) and is particularly useful when the nervous system is over‐stimulated and the mind is caught in a loop of worry, restlessness, or difficulty settling down. How it affects the nervous system? Passionflower has been shown to increase GABA levels and thereby reduce anxiety and support restful sleep. I like to think of passionflower as a “calm into rest” herb supporting the nervous system and mind to transition from active mode into restorative mode.
A vine native to the southeastern U.S., passionflower was used for centuries by Indigenous peoples such as the Cherokee, Houma, and Seminole tribes. Women steeped the leaves and flowers in teas to calm the nerves, relieve muscle tension, and quiet the heart especially during childbirth recovery or times of communal mourning. The plant was seen as a bridge between worlds, its intricate flower symbolizing peace after chaos.
African-American healers later integrated passionflower into “sleep and dream” blends, especially in the Gulf and Carolinas, where the vine grew wild. It was used to quiet spiritual agitation and bring restful dreams, reflecting both the physical and emotional layers of nervous-system care. Many Black herbal traditions still view passionflower as a plant ally that restores balance after long periods of strain or emotional burden.
On the precaution side, though generally well tolerated, passionflower may have sedative effects and so should not be combined with heavy sedative medications or alcohol without supervision. Also, standard dosing and long‐term studies are limited, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should use only under professional guidance. I would highly recommend using passionflower in the evening or as part of a sleep-support formula (in combination with lemon balm or skullcap) rather than as a daytime pick.
How to use:
Tea or tincture 30 minutes before bed. Its taste is earthy and grounding — perfect for ending the day.
Listening for what works for you
Just as we discussed in Part 1, bio-individuality applies here too. Try one herb at a time for a week or two, observe how you feel, and only then decide whether to combine or change it. Nervines are safe, but gentleness means patience: their effects accumulate through consistency, not intensity.
A simple practice: write down how you feel before drinking your tea — physically and emotionally — and again 30 minutes later. You’ll start noticing which plants seem to whisper most directly to your body.
The ancestral thread
Whenever I brew herbs for tea, I always see the women who came before us, those who brewed teas over open fires or tin kettles, who rubbed oil into tired hands, who sang to babies so they’d sleep through thunder. Their knowledge wasn’t written in textbooks. It was transmitted through touch, story, and presence.
African American midwives, known as “granny healers,” often carried small bundles of lemon balm, chamomile, and motherwort. They were tending not just to physical pain, but to the collective nervous system of entire communities living under trauma.
We honor them each time we slow down, prepare a cup of tea with intention, and let ourselves be nourished.
How nervines complement modern life
These herbs are not replacements for therapy, medication, or medical care. They’re partners. They give your body the nutrients, relaxation, and sensory cues it needs to access calm.
Combine herbal support with:
Breathwork — long exhalations to activate the vagus nerve.
Grounding — bare feet in grass, or simply leaning against a tree.
Boundaries — saying “not tonight” or “not right now.”
Healing is cumulative - one cup, one breath, one decision at a time.
Reflection / Journaling Invitation
After your next herbal tea or quiet moment, write:
What does “calm” feel like in my body - not in theory, but as sensation?
Where do I notice it first?
How can I invite more of that feeling into my days?
Try This Week
The Evening Herbal Pause (10 minutes)
Each evening, choose one nervine - lemon balm, chamomile, skullcap, or passionflower. Brew a cup. While it steeps, turn off your phone, dim the lights, and simply breathe. No multitasking, no “shoulds.”
As you drink, say quietly: “Peace is my practice.”
Do this for three nights. Notice your sleep, your mornings, your tone with others. Small shifts accumulate over time.
References
Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism. Healing Arts Press.
Cases et al. “Lemon balm and stress reduction,” Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2011.
Amsterdam, JD et al. “Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) extract for generalized anxiety disorder,” J Clin Psychopharmacol, 2009.
Winston, David & Maimes, Steven. Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press, 2019.
Ngan A, & Conduit, R. “Passiflora incarnata and sleep quality,” Phytotherapy Research, 2011.
Bird, Stephanie Rose. A Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies and Rituals for the Body and Spirit, 2009.