Damiana as Defined by Balch

Stimulates muscular contractions of the intestinal tract and delivery of oxygen to the genital area.  Used as an energy tonic and aphrodisiac, and to remedy sexual and hormonal problems.  A "sexuality tonic" for women.

Phytochemicals:  Alpha-pinene, beta-carotene,  beta-pinene, beta-sisterol, 1,8-cineole, tannins, thymol. 

Nutrients:  Calcium, Iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, vitamins, B1, B2, B3, and C.

Caution:  Interferes with iron absorbtion when taken internally

Prescription for Nutritional Healing

Phyllis A. Balch CNC/James F. Balch, M.D.
c: 2000

How to Make Damiana Tea

Damiana tea has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments, most notably mild cases of constipation and to boost libido. Damiana is a gentle herb that is most frequently administered in the form of a tea or infusion. The dried leaves used to make damiana tea can be purchased at natural health stores, or ordered online. This recipe yields approximately one cup of damiana tea.

• Measure 1-2 heaping teaspoons of dried damiana leaves, and place them into a clean coffee mug, or other heat proof drinking container
• Boil one cup of water in small saucepan or tea kettle on the stove top. Remove from heat and pour the boiling water into the mug, over the dried damiana leaves
• Allow the damiana tea to steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea into a clean coffee mug, or another heat proof drinking container. Discard the spent damiana leaves in the compost pile or garbage can.
• Add a teaspoon of pure, raw honey to sweeten the damiana tea, if desired, but do not use granulated or refined sugar, as this can damage the healing properties of the tea.
• Garnish the damiana tea with a lemon wedge for additional flavor, if desired, and drink immediately. Optionally, you can add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice.
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Maria Sabina

Mazatec medicine woman who lived her whole life in a modest dwelling in the Sierra Mazateca in Oaxaca. Her practice was based on the use of the various species of native psilocybe mushrooms. Sabina was the first contemporary Mexican curandera, defined in New Age parlance as a native shaman.

It is rumored, without validation, that many important 60s celebrities visited María Sabina, including rock stars such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon.

Herbs and Sexuality

Herbalists have long known that there are many herbs that enhance sexual desire and performance in both men and women. One of the best known and studied sexual tonics, Ginseng has been used by the Chinese to stimulate desire and stamina for at least two thousand years. In ayuverdic medicine, the people of India use ashwaganda, often called "Indian Ginseng" because of its tonic effect on sexual potency. In the Americas, the Aztec Indians used damiana to heighten sexual experience, while in Brazil, muira puama has been known as "the herb of love".

Circulation
Much of American medicine has been too tightly focused on symptoms and diseases rather than causes. When it comes to sex, the most high-profile instance is the immediate and widespread appeal of Viagra. This expensive and temporary drug does not address poor circulation, which is the underlying cause of erectile dysfunction, in a long term way. Many herbs such as ginkgo biloba that improve circulation to the whole body, including the pelvic region help cure erectile dysfunction. Herbal aphrodisiacs not only improve your sex life but nourish your overall health, and enhance your sense of well-being.

Chemistry
For both men and women, the sex drive is fueled by testosterone, but sexual responsiveness takes more than that. Healthy adrenal glands release chemicals that trigger the special scent that researchers believe we all have. Both partners feel relaxed and comfortable with themselves and each other. They have both the physical and emotional energy to pursue what body chemistry has set in motion, and the healthy heart and arteries to pump blood and deliver hormonal messages where they need to go.

Testosterone
Testosterone not only fuels the sexual drive, but acts as mild anti-depressant. Abnormally low levels of testosterone will have a marked effect on a man's mental outlook and sex drive, depressing both their mood and libido. Women too get their sex drive from the male hormone testosterone, but estrogen also plays an important role. Low levels can cause vaginal dryness and thinning of the vagina walls, making sex uncomfortable instead of pleasure able. Herbs such as ginseng and supplements like Arginine in of themselves do not contain human hormones, but act as tonics that encourage the body to produce normal levels.

Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands have a big impact on our health because of the their role in producing a variety of hormone that regulate many physical responses, not just gender-oriented ones. Most people are familiar with adrenaline and the "fight or flight" response. This survival mechanism that served us well in the caveman days is now days triggered by traffic jams, stressful pressures of the office workday and other travails of modern life. The adrenaline rush caused the arteries to constrict, keeping blood from the extremities so it is available to the brain and internal organs. Even after you think you have calmed down, your body is still reeling from the hormones that flooded your system. The result is not a such a good thing for that all important "extremity" when you hit the door after a stressful day and your partner wants to hit the hay. Tonic herbs such as ashwaganda and ginseng balance the system if it is stressed, and energize it when it is fatigued, both of which result from too many adrenaline hits. Adrenal health is also supported by vitamin C, and pantothenic acid (B5),so make sure and include a good multivitamin in your sexual health routine, especially if you are not getting enough from fresh fruits, vegetable and nuts.

DHEA Another chemical produced by the adrenal glands that has received a lot of attention is DHEA. Often billed as a "anti-aging" hormone, it is the basic ingredient of other sex-related hormones such as progesterone. Sufficient DHEA levels have been implicated in pheromone production, however scientists are split on whether humans still retain this "sexy smell" ability or whether it is just a marketers wet dream. They do agree that DHEA is one of the prevalent chemical building blocks in our bodies.

Alertness
The brain is the body's biggest sex organ, the limbic system of the brain rules desire and emotion. While men may scoff at what women know as a fact, without the brain triggering the chemical reaction that signals the release of hormones, nothing exciting is going to happen

Relaxation Stress can be the death of your sex drive. When hormone levels are too unbalanced to easily restore it can result in chronic fatigue, healthy blood circulation is diminished. Chronic stress conditions not only kill the mood, but will kill you if left untreated. According to three new research studies, men with erectile dysfunction (ED) are more likely to have heart disease than their counterparts. (1)Taking drugs can relax your inhibitions, but they also numb the senses. It is no wonder that people are turning to traditional herbal medicine as an alternative approach to sexual and overall health.

Introduction to the Spirituality of the Native North Americans

by Janette Peel

The native people of North America have maintained their healing system for many centuries, base on a strong connection to the land.

Before the arrival of European settlers, the native people of North America lived in more 600 tribes comprising of 10 million people. These tribal groups developed healing practices ranging from herbalism to shamanism, based on a deep spiritual connection to the land.

The Native Americans did not view their health as a purely physical expression. In their spiritual beliefs they sought harmony with their environment and the world. Today, many existing tribes maintain their traditions, including the system of health care that allowed them to thrive before the land was colonized.

Native American healing relies on herbs, simple nourishing food, fresh air, exercise and heat or water treatment. Their culture is deeply spiritual and the medicine man is often the shaman of the tribe who looks after each person's well-being.

The medicine man is widely revered by Native American tribes, with often little distinction from the shaman, priest or sorcerer. He is responsible for the health of the tribe and is a fountain of knowledge about herbs and their uses.

Medicine men who see into the spirit world can perceive plants and match a person's aura to the color of the plant. A key figure in all tribes, the medicine man often goes on vision quests into the spirit world for answers to his patients' emotional and physical problems. The quest is accompanied by much ceremony, and often the medicine man smokes a pipe of sacred herbs and may wear an animal costume.

Native Americans hold many ceremonies, places and a variety of objects such as pipes and feathers sacred. Sacred herbs include tobacco, sage, sweetgrass and cedar. Some are burned to purify the air after sickness and in various tribal ceremonies and rites, such as vision quests or sweat lodges.

Most members of the tribe carry their own cherished medicine bags made from skin or cloth, which are usually ornately and personally decorated. They may be blessed with sacred herbs and invested with prayers and healing energies and often contain crystals, seeds, feathers and other treasured items.

Sweat lodges may be made of earth, saplings or willow poles covered with blankets, canvas or hides, or in Eskimo tribes the igloo is used. The sweat lodge ceremony begins with the medicine man or shaman offering prayers and chants and passing around the sacred pipe. Insects are driven from the lodge by the smoke, known as smudging, and then steam is created to open up the skin pores by pouring herbally infused water onto specially heated stones.

The sweat lodge has deep spiritual meaning bringing balance and health to mind body and spirit, and is a purification ritual almost always used before ceremonies such as the vision quest.

Native Americans learned that certain wild plants and curative properties. They discovered which were safe for human use by observing which plants animals chose to eat when they were sick.

By observing the natural world Native Americans acquired knowledge of herbalism. The roots, leaves, seeds, resin and bark of many plants were used to make drinks or powder and were sometimes chewed or rubbed onto the skin.

Echinacea-this prairie herb was often used to treat infections and snake bites. Damiana-a herb used largely by the Aztec and Mayan Indians as a potent aphrodisiac, Goldenseal-this was used by Cherokee Indians to calm digestive problems. Saw Palmetto Berries-these berries were widely used in the Florida area to help sufferers of chronic congestion.

The shaman of the tribe is usually the medicine man, who is able to go into the spirit world in order to commune with spirit guides and bring back messages for his people. A shaman embarking on a vision quest will often begin by dressing in an animal costume, and amid much drumming and dancing will go into a trance-like state in which he has the ability to travel to other worlds.

In the spirit world, the shaman retrieves lost or disintegrated souls and finds out the source of the disease affecting them. The shaman is also responsible for ensuring there are plenty of animals to hunt for food. Shamanic traditions are known thought the world and are once more gaining in popularity.

Learn more about this author, Janette Peel http://www.helium.com/user/show/218405

Damiana Facts

Damiana Facts
Damiana is found in hot and humid climates including parts of Texas and Mexico. Damiana is one of the most popular and safest herbs to restore natural sexual capacities and functions and has been used as an aphrodisiac, going back to ancient Mayan times. This potent aphrodisiac is a wonderful sexual rejuvenator and stimulator known for its help with impotence and as a general tonic to improve all body functions.

How Damiana Works
Damiana contains substances called terpenes, beta-sitoserol, arbutin, alkaloids and various aromatic oils that have a stimulant effect on the sexual apparatus and help to build sexual health and reproductivity. These nutrients work to restore and enhance sexual functions by increasing blood flow to the organs and for overall health of the sexual reproductive system. Damiana also works as a tonic for nervous or sexual debility.

Possible Benefits

•Potent aphrodisiac and sexual stimulant
•Improves sexual desire and sexual performance
•Increases blood circulation to the organs
•Increases sperm count in males and strengthens eggs in females
•Alleviates anxiety and promotes sense of well-being
•Promotes energy and helps with weakness and exhaustion
•Helps balance female hormones and alleviate menopause symptoms
•Helps relieve constipation
•Helps with bronchitis and asthma

Usage Guidelines
Damiana is most effective when combined with similar herbs to complement its activity, especially saw palmetto berry. High dosages may induce a mild sense of euphoria.

http://www.nutriherb.net/damiana.html

Wikipedia on Damiana

Turnera diffusa, known as damiana, is a shrub native to Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Turneraceae.

Damiana is a relatively small shrub that produces small, aromatic flowers. It blossoms in early to late summer and is followed by fruits that taste similar to figs. The shrub is said to have an odor somewhat like chamomile, due to an oil present in the plant. The leaves have traditionally been made into a tea which was used by native people of Central and South America for its aphrodisiac effects. Spanish missionaries first recorded that the Mexican Indians drank Damiana tea mixed with sugar for its ability to enhance lovemaking.

Herbal Medicine
Damiana today is conventionally made into a tea. In herbal medicine, damiana is used to treat conditions ranging from coughs to constipation to depression. The herbal supplement is reputed to help with Fibromyalgia, energy, emphysema, low estrogen, frigidity, hot flashes, impotency, infertility, menopause, Parkinson's disease, PMS, inflammation of prostate, Lou Gehrig's disease, and more dealing with reproductive organs in both males and females

Recreational
Damiana is an ingredient in a traditional Mexican liqueur, which is sometimes used in lieu of Triple Sec in margaritas. Mexican folklore claims that it was used in the "original" margarita. The damiana margarita is popular in the Los Cabos region of Mexico.[2][3]

Damiana can also be smoked, whereby the effects have been reported as somewhat similar to Cannabis sativa although milder and more relaxing. Smoking 0.5 to 1gram at a time can result in strong introspective and hallucinogenic experiences many find unpleasant due to the lack of euphoria and severe hangover headaches. In some places in Australia, Damiana is used as an alternative to tobacco when smoked with Marijuana. Damiana supposedly has a synergistic effect with Passionflower which when smoked in a combination has been said to be extremely relaxing and promotes lucid dreaming.[4] Damiana has been included as an ingredient in herbal cigarettes.

Damiana has been used by Agent Provocateur in their Beauty Range products for its aphrodisiacal qualities. It has been combined in their Poudre D'Amour with Purple Orchid, Passionflower and Cocoa.

While scientists have not yet found any conclusive data on Damiana's psychoactive effects, it has recently been shown that a chemical essential to the plant's structure, damianin, has certain effects on the central nervous system. This chemical may therefore account, in part, for the reports of psychoactive effects, however the research involved is limited at this point