So, all of these herbs are sounding pretty good, right? Skullcap, nettle, dandelion, milky oats, rose petals, etc, etc! There are just hundreds of herbs out there that are so wonderful and awesome to include in your life! But...how to actually do that. Perhaps you have read on this blog or read somewhere else about an herb that sounds like it might be good for you. Here is a basic guide for different ways to take an herb.
Herbal Teas: Infusion and Decoction
I love taking herbs as a tea! Who doesn't love drinking a nice mug of hot tea? Taking herbs as 
a tea allows your body to slowly absorb the medicine from the herb. If you are preparing a tea from herbs you will either prepare an infusion or decoction, or some combination of both. If you are preparing a tea using leaves or flowers, than you would make an infusion by pouring gently boiling water over the herb material. I typically prepare a quart of herbal tea in a quart Ball jar, so I cover the bottom of the jar with about a 1/4” on herb material. If I were making a mug of tea then I use about 1 tsp – 1 t of herb material. I then place something on top, perhaps a lid or plate (if I use the jar lid I don't screw it on or else it will seal and be somewhat difficult to remove) and let it sit for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. Placing a lid or plate on top keeps the essential oils of the herbs in the tea.
If you are making a tea that is using bark, roots, or tough berries or seeds then you would make a decoction by placing the herbal material in a pot, pouring room temperature water over the material, slowly bringing the pot to a boil and then allow to slowly simmer for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours (depending on how much water you have added). Simmering the herbal material will ensure that the woody material will be broken down to release the medicinal qualities of the herb.
At a workshop with Phyllis Light, an awesome Southern Appalachian folk herbalist, I learned that a folk way of preparing any herbal tea is to simmer the herbal material on the stove with the lid off, using about 1 tsp – 1 t of herbal material per quart of tea. In the folk tradition you would do this even if you are preparing a leaf or flower tea. When I first began dabbling in herbalism, this is how I prepared all of my herbal teas, mostly because I hadn't read the typical way to prepare an infusion, but also I think that is what my intuition led me to do. When I learned about how to make an infusion, I began preparing herbal teas that were leaves or flowers in that manner. Since my workshop with Phyllis Light I have gone back to simmering all of my herbal teas. I do this partially because this is what I had the hunch to do when I first began making herbal teas. I feel compelled to follow my initial intuition. Also, simmering the herbal material will make the tea rich in all of the minerals within the plant. I feel as though this preparation of an herbal tea creates a deeper, more complex medicine.
I encourage you to experiment and see what you prefer. The only thing I would recommend sticking by is to be sure to decoct roots and woody material. There is a definite different in allowing the roots to simmer on the stove than than just steep.
Tincture
A tincture is another way to take in the deep medicine from an herb. A tincture is 
a very concentrated extraction of an herb typically using alcohol (though vinegar and glycerin are also used at times), often vodka, brandy, or grain alcohol. Though some herbalists say grain alcohol is the best at extracting the medicinal properties of the plant, I find grain alcohol tinctures too harsh. I prefer using vodka. At times I use 100 proof vodka, at other times I use 80 proof. For herbs that I feel act subtly I use brandy (some adaptogens and rose come to mind). The alcohol extracts the medicinal properties of the plant in a very concentrated and powerful form. When you take a tincture you often only take a few drops of the medicine. Because it is alcohol the medicine goes right into your bloodstream, so it is very fast acting. However, it does not travel through your whole digestive system, so if you want to take an herb for digestive or kidney issues, you want the medicine to travel slower through your system so a tea or capsule would be better. Tinctures are however really great for when you are on the go since they are so convenient. It is also great if you have an issue that has flare ups, such as panic attacks, sudden pain, etc, since alcohol tinctures are so fast acting
At times a tincture is made using raw apple cider vinegar or glycerin. Unlike alcohol tinctures, vinegar extractions are really great at deriving the minerals from an herb. For example, making a vinegar extraction of yellow dock and nettle is an amazing way to raise iron levels. Also, since raw apple cider vinegar can be so beneficial to the digestive system, adding some dandelion, burdock, and yellow dock infused raw apple cider vinegar to water can be a wonderful digestive aid. Glycerin tinctures can be a nice alternative for someone who is really cautious with alcohol and wants to avoid it entirely. It is good to know that the amount of alcohol you get from a few drops of alcohol tincture is about equivalent to the amount of alcoholic fermentation in a ripe banana. I personally find the sweetness of a glycerin tincture to be a little overwhelming and takes away from the taste of the herb. However, glycerin is a great option for children since the taste is so much more appealing that an alcohol tincture.
Capsule
Capsules are very convenient since a powder form of the herb is encapsulated in an easy 
to swallow capsule. It can be harder to control quantity and formulation with a capsule. Also, if you have any lower digestive issues (which many people who eat typical American diets do) than taking a capsule is not the best option since it will be challenging for your system to break it down enough to get the benefit of the medicine. However some herbs, such as slippery elm, are a nice herb to take in capsule form if you don't have time to prepare the tea since slippery elm will be able to get to the belly and provide soothing and balance to the stomach. I personally rarely using encapsulated herbs, but it is a nice option to have if time is an issue.
Oil/Salve
If you are struggling with a site specific injury, bite, sprain, broken bone, etc. then having an herbal infused oil or salve is helpful to apply topically. Some great herbal infused oils to use for injuries are St. John's Wort, yarrow, solomon's seal, and comfrey root. An herbal oil can easily be rubbed into the afflicted area. A salve is simply an herbal infused oil that has had beeswax added to it to create a more lotion-like texture which can be a little more user-friendly than oil.
There are so many ways to include herbs in your life! Later I plan on doing a post about incorporating herbs into your food and daily diet, so that you can easily create healing foods. Stay tuned and feel free to email me with any questions about herbs at underroothealing@gmail.com! :)
Namaste
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