My right shoulder is throbbing today, fallout from many years of overtraining in boxing when I thought I had to go the extra mile to prove myself as a woman in a man’s sport. St. John’s Wort, the flower pictured below, is helping.
St. John’s wort is a healing ally for those who have fought too hard and too long and are mentally, physically, or emotionally bruised. John Gerard, author of The Herball, or Generall historie of plantes, wrote in 1597 that St. John’s wort is “a most precious remedy for deep wounds,” as the plant’s antimicrobial properties help to disinfect wounds, reduce inflammation, and heal from the deepest part and out toward the periphery. This usage led to the English nickname “balm of the warrior’s wound.”
St. John’s wort works to restore and repair overstimulated and burnt- out nervous systems. The infused oil (the red oil in the background of this collage) alleviates pain and can be rubbed into the skin to ease conditions ranging from sore muscles, pinched nerves like sciatica to overall damage to the nervous system, whether through injury or viral infection.
The bright yellow flowers bloom at the peak of summer when the days are longest, and as treatment for seasonal affective disorder and depression, this plant literally lets more sunshine in. If we were to take one of the plant’s leaves and hold it up to the sunlight, we could see small window- like holes that let light shine through, and if we were to crush a blossom between our fingers, the yellow flower would exude a bloodred stain.
At first, boxing was incredibly cathartic, I blossomed and healed, pushing beyond perceived limitations of my body. I was building confidence, revising my long-standing narrative of the physically deficient asthmatic kid and disproving all the mean things I’d said to myself over the years. Like herbalism, boxing felt like a deep remembering. Something I already knew, that needed to be awakened. Martial arts, like yoga, were originally a holistic practice of self-development. And though it’s generally perceived as man’s domain, women are natural warriors and have been for eons.
After a day of training, I was soaked in the bittersweet sweat of anger and fear that I hadn’t even known was lodged inside my body. It was as though I had just swum, fully clothed, in the ocean and every time I peeled those sopping clothes off and carried my heavy, waterlogged bag home on the subway, I felt a little more free. Something in me was being wrung out and revealed, and I couldn’t stop. I was getting good so in the year 2000, living in NYC, I decided to take the sport seriously and train as an amateur fighter and soon, a professional one.
I developed a trick that I learned from one of the many sports psychology books I read: no matter how tired I was, how much was going on in my mind, as I walked up each stair of the two flights into Gleason’s, I left behind each worry, each ounce of exhaustion, each ounce of pain and self-doubt. Once I walked through the door of the gym, I was present and ready to train. This trick was great for the first few years of training as I pushed beyond my insecurities and comfort zones, but I became too good at leaving my feelings — my connection to my body’s signals— behind and I was now ignoring the screams and pleas of my body. By then, I had already tried training southpaw (left-handed) so I could ease the pain on the right side of my body from repetitive movement and hitting the bags too hard, and finally the pain began to affect my performance — meaning that I could be in danger in a fight. What had been healing was starting to become harmful. My body needed a break but my ego wouldn’t let go. The longer I trained, the less my body trusted me.
Today, after many breakups and makeups with boxing, I am slowly getting back into training. Just for fun. But my shoulder isn’t very happy about it. Right now, my shoulder is resting, slathered in John’s Wort oil.
Here’s how to make your own St John’s Wort oil. It’s easy:
• Place dried (or partially dried, fresh herbs) herbs in a dry glass jar. It's important to break up the plant material first as it exposes more of the plant to the oil, making for a better infusion. Flowers can be put in whole. If using dried herbs, it's helpful to warm the oil a bit first. I usually fill the jar 3/4 of the way with fresh herbs and 1/2 with dried.
• Fill the jar almost to the brim with oil (I like to use organic olive oil) as an air gap will promote oxidation and spoilage. Stir the contents (wooden chopsticks are good) until all bubbles have dispersed and cap. This works well for fresh plant material as it allows moisture to escape.
• Infuse on a bright sunny windowsill or in a nice warm spot. Shake and swirl around as much as possible as it’s steeping, particularly during the first couple of weeks, then leave to infuse for another 4-6 weeks.
If you’d like to buy some today, Herb Pharm is a great,reputable resource. You may also want to check with herbalists in your area. St. John’s wort oil tends to be a staple in any apothecary.
Have you worked with St. John’s wort oil? If so, would love to hear your experience. Feel free to share in the comments.