Terra Artemisia

In my first year as an herbalist, I’ve been improving my connection to nature and trying to incorporate herbal remedies and earth-friendly actions into my everyday life. As someone who loves traveling, I feel I had gotten the travel routine down pretty well, but oftentimes I would end up throwing out more garbage and using an uncomfortable amount of single-use items when out and about.

When my next opportunity to travel came up, I decided to make a few changes that would make my trip more eco-friendly. The plan: a personal retreat to the beautiful Monastère des Augustines in Quebec City, a cultural heritage site still housing a small number of Augustinian nuns (a calling that is dying out and yet worth preserving). The facilities have been split, the Augustinians residing in their wing of the building, and one wing, previously housing nuns when the monastery was still bustling and active, now operating as a hotel and wellness retreat. There are religious services daily, creating an interesting contrast between vocation and recreation.

This is a lovely place to go for herbalists and wellness enthusiasts. They have a vegetarian and vegan breakfast buffet in a silent and contemplative cafeteria setting each morning, a lovely boutique with in-house and local products, and a take-out counter with gourmet treats on display. Meditation walks and yoga classes are offered, as well as massage services. The inner courtyard has a humble but active medicinal herb garden, a lovely and quiet area for studying in the sun.

The museum is delightfully touching, providing a glimpse at the tender vocation of the Augustinian nuns and their commitment to caring for the sick. Learning about their spirited, intentional and humble lives was one of the most profound inspirations for my herbal practice. “Jesus is my boyfriend”, said one of the nuns, smiling and laughing in her interview in the museum’s DVD documentary. A tear slipped from my eye, this is far from what I always assumed monastic life was always like, and the exposition really highlights the Sisters’ feminine strength, character and ingenuity.

I spent my time here walking around the grounds, meditating, studying, doing assignments, and thinking about what I wanted for myself and my business this year. With all the chaos of starting a new e-commerce business, it was very helpful to get away for a moment and brainstorm in a peaceful setting, where my ideas could run freely.

HERBAL TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

-Myrrh Tincture – I love myrrh tincture because it can be diluted with water and used as a mouthwash, and it can be gargled and used in small quantities internally (typically 10-20 drops of tincture diluted in water 2-3x a day) to prevent and reduce the intensity and duration of any unexpected travel viruses. It soothes suspiciously scratchy throats. One caveat though, is myrrh does have contraindications. It is to be avoided ENTIRELY during pregnancy and if pregnancy is a foreseeable possibility, due to risks of miscarriage. It is also not recommended for people who have heart conditions as it can raise the heart rate in high doses and can cause mild skin and digestive upset in super-sensitive folks. As a fair warning, the taste is not particularly great, but it does the job well! I use myrrh for its antiviral properties and pair it with immune-boosting echinacea with excellent results. I use Harmonic Arts’ myrrh tincture and it is fantastic, like all of their products.

-California Poppy Tincture- This can be a saviour for travel anxiety and those nights when you just can’t relax when away from home. This poppy does not contain opium, but instead, gentle alkaloids that may relax and provide minor pain relief. It may be good to gauge the dose that works best for you beforehand, so you do not feel groggy the next day. A lot of hotels offer hot water in-room or on-site, so a few bags of tea never hurts to bring, but I find tinctures great for travel as they are no-fuss and fairly simple to take. I make my own California Poppy tincture but many herbal stores stock this!

-Ginger (+ Peppermint) Candies or Tincture- This one can go a long way for those who experience nausea when traveling. It also helps for those days you wake up feeling off after an indulgent meal or a drink too many. The Ginger People’s Gin Gin chews are a good example of ginger candies that are easy to bring around and available at many health food stores.

-Laundry Strips – I used TruEarth. These are a lightweight solution for laundry on the go, you can bring these to laundromats and they weigh very little. The instructions may vary by brand, but often ripping them before adding them can prevent any accidental sticking or incomplete dissolution of the strips.

-Utensil Set and Handkerchief- In this day of reducing single-use products, it isn’t uncommon to find food packaged without utensils. To avoid being stuck without utensils, a reusable utensil case is a great tip! If your set has bamboo utensils, you can replace them with utensils you already have at home if they ever start to look worn or stained.

–Reusable bag- This is brilliant for sectioning off dirty laundry in your luggage so prevent mixing clean and dirty clothes. It’s also helpful for trips to a laundromat or if you need an extra bag to bring for any other reason.

-All Purpose Cleaning Bars- I use Sea Witch Botanicals – Canary Clean. This is a great way to make sure your reusable utensils stay fresh and to clean up any unfortunate messes. Solid cleaning bars are particularly good for extended stays, or hotels where housekeeping isn’t offered daily, and are easy to add to a suitcase due to their size and light weight. You can either moisten them or cut a piece off and dilute in warm water and then put in a spray bottle or cleaning bucket.

-Solid Shampoo & Conditioner- This is an awesome and light-weight way to bring these travel essentials. I tend to just bring a shampoo bar as I have thin hair, and then I will use some leave-in conditioner. I’m now on the hunt for a conditioner bar that won’t weigh down my abundant but thin hair.

-Black Facecloths for Makeup Removal- Although hotel towels are eco-friendly, stained towels at hotels may get discarded by staff. Bringing a few facecloths from home that are strictly for makeup removal can ensure this doesn’t happen!

-BONUS: Herbal Cigarettes- This one is not for everyone, but for those who can’t help but crave a cigarette after a drink, or have quit but end up picking up a pack of smokes when traveling, herbal cigarettes can offer a lighter alternative to tobacco. I’ve been smoking Brown Bear Herbs ciggies for some time, and they are the reason I quit smoking tobacco. At this point I reach for a BBH smoke every two weeks or so, as a treat. Since I really enjoy the act of smoking, more so than the nicotine addiction itself, this was the thing I personally needed to finally quit my nicotine habit. I don’t buy packs of cigarettes anymore, and I owe that to the clever, smooth and thought out blends of Brown Bear Herbs. They carry traditional filtered cigarettes, and ones with rolled filters that contain unique messages, like a little fortune at the end of every smoke. You can see an example of this in this post’s featured picture! The owner is awesome too so check them out! www.brownbearherbs.com

Ahh, country driving…

More information about Le Monastère des Augustines and their booking packages can be found at: https://monastere.ca/en/

Being back at home and reminiscing on my lovely trip, I am happy to say I managed to reduce my waste and have an energizing and practical retreat at the same time. Will you consider these eco-friendly ideas when traveling next? Feel free to share any of your tricks in the comments as well!

-Ophelia