Blood Moving Herbs

Blood that is stagnant can be moved with the aid of herbs. This means that herbs can help improve blood circulation (increase circulation) and this post is dedicated to these particular herbs.

I have made a lotion for knee pain that used some of these herbs by the way, have a look here (you need to know a little about formulating with emulsions to be able to make this lotion).

Difference Between Herbs that Move Stagnant Blood and Herbs that Bring on Delayed Menses

I learned through Rosalee La Foret that the term ‘blood movers’ are more of a traditional Chinese medicine term while Emnenagogues or herbs that bring on delayed menses is more of a Western herbalism term.

When we talk about blood stagnation we are trying to cover bruises, sprains and strains, stagnation, clots, delayed menses, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, etc. Then there’s swelling and fixed or sharp pain.

Beware if you’re pregnant, use prescription blood thinners, take medicine for your heart, or if you’re bleeding.

Blood Moving Herbs

Top of the list:

  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Hot herbs:

  • Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
  • Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)
  • Arnica (Arnica spp.)
  • Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) **careful, should not be used since it has been overharvested!
  • Cayenne (Capsicuum anuum)
  • Safllower (Carthamus tinctorius)
  • Corydalis (Corydalis formosa)

Cool herbs:

  • Red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza)
  • Saffron (Crocus sativus)
  • Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
  • Red Peony (Paeonia abovata)
  • Peach (seed) (Prunus persica) – I use peach seed oil for my day moisturiser

At some point in the future I would like to add recipes below that can help you build your home apothecary. For now I just leave the information above so you can at least understand the very basics when it comes to blood moving herbs.

If you’d like to learn more about herbal medicine I very much recommend Rosalee La Foret’s course “Taste of Herbs”.

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