March // The Calm Issue

i: Editorial

Make calm, and carry on - Kyra Pollitt

Some people have found joy in the pandemic’s pausing of all we had taken as normal— polluted commutes now exchanged for leisurely walks in local nature; constant striving supplanted by a deepening sense of gratitude and place; passing chats at the office water cooler replaced by time spent connecting with kith and kin. For others, restrictions on travel and socialising have increased loneliness, despair and anxiety; home schooling and domestic confinement have taken their toll; loss and bereavement have worn many guises. All of us are more aware of our vulnerability. For all of us, these times are tumultuous and turbulent. As we face ‘re-entry’, the fortunes of both camps are likely to be reversed— gains risk becoming losses as some of what has been lost is regained. At a low ebb, doing the washing up, a Radio 4 expert tells me that, to maintain my mental health, each day I should spent at least twenty minutes outdoors, twenty minutes exercising, and twenty minutes doing something new, explorative and creative. I am grateful for Herbology News. There is much in these pages to learn, make and do; much to take us outdoors, keep us uplifted, creative, calm and engaged.

In this issue, we take a look at the brain— what it is and a little of how it works (Anthroposophical Views) —and we explore the sensation of calm. Our Herb of the Month is the wonderfully uplifting yet calming Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Joseph Nolan tells us how to combine it with other herbs to alleviate domestic stresses (Of Weeds and Weans), Anne Dalziel suggests prescriptions from Dr. Bach (Flower Remedies), while Ann King shares an ancient calming recipe from the monasteries (Notes from the Brew Room). We interview yoga teacher, reflexologist, astrologer and writer Mel Skinner, who specialises in restorative yoga and Yoga Nidra, and whose life work has focussed on rest— what it really means, and how to do it. She shares some tips (How to Rest), as well as an exclusive discount on her book Rest is Radical. You can curl up with a poem from A.C. Clarke (StAnza presents…) and a tale from Amanda Edmiston (Botanica Fabula), read a review from Marianne Hughes (Book Club), or go armchair Foraging through Folklore with Ella Leith. Or you can head outdoors with Ruth Crighton-Ward (Garden Gems) and Marissa Stoffer (Foraging for Colour), who offers us yet another creative project— making ink from Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus). Artist of the Month, Anne Gilchrist shows us outdoor, cryptic pieces that puzzle, prolong and engage. And engagement is the focus of our new column by Patrick Dunne, who encourages us not to lose sight of the bigger picture (The Climate Column).

So, this month we encourage you to make calm, herbal friends. Make calm and carry on!

Executive Editor- Catherine Conway Payne

Editor- Kyra Pollitt

Artistic Director- Maddy Mould

Illustrators- Maddy Mould, Hazel Brady

Treasurer- Marianne Hughes