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Harmonious Podcast: Valerian Root & Blue Lace Agate

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book” ~ Irish Proverb

Hello beloved ones! This is Meline, and you are listening to episode 13 of Harmonious, where we explore the synergy of Crystals and Herbs. Today we are going to talk about sleep and how important it is for our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We are also going to explore the herb Valerian and the crystal Blue Lace Agate and how we can incorporate these two beautiful allies into our sleep hygiene.


But before we move on, I need to mention that everything you learn in this podcast is for educational purposes only. Please do not start or discontinue any treatment or medication based on what you learn in this podcast. It is essential that you consult a medical doctor before initiating or discontinuing or changing any medications or treatments for your physical, emotional, or mental health. And please make sure that you are not allergic to any of the herbs that you wish to experiment with.

So, how did you sleep last night? Did you have any good dreams? Or maybe nightmares? How did you feel in the morning when you woke up? Were you refreshed? Or did you feel like going right back to bed?

These are all important questions to evaluate our sleep quality. Sleep is one of the most important determinants of health. But did you know the important effect sleep has on our brain? Our brain cells, just like any other cell in our body work, metabolize, and create waste materials. If these waste materials are not removed, they can become toxic and have a negative effect on the way our brain works. The fascinating part is that our brain cells can only remove their waste when we are asleep. It’s like they take out the trash at night when we sleep, and if we don’t sleep enough, well, our brain cells are basically working in a nasty environment. So, do your brain cells a favor, and try to have a better sleep hygiene.

So, what is this sleep hygiene that I keep talking about? It is the sum of all the practices and routines that one does to have a better sleep quality. How long we sleep, how deep we sleep, how often we wake up during sleep, and what kind of dreams we have while we sleep are all factors that make up the quality of our sleep.

There isn’t a set number of hours that a person needs to sleep to be healthy. It all depends on the person. On average, human beings function best if they sleep about 6-8 hours of sleep per night. You may need less or more hours and that is perfectly fine as long as you feel rested, energized, and rejuvenated by that many hours of sleep. So, pay attention and find out that sweet spot of how many hours of sleep feels the best for you.

Another important part of the sleep hygiene is to give yourself at least an hour before you go to bed to wind down. During this one hour before bed, try to avoid looking at your phone, computer, or TV screen because the blue light in these devices may disrupt our sleep. Instead, I suggest taking a shower, meditating, or reading a book, an actual physical book, not an electronic book. Another suggestion is drinking sleepy time tea and now we are going to talk about Valerian, one of the most effective herbs commonly used in sleepy time teas.

Did you know that cats love Valerian? It is well known that cats go crazy over Catnip, but it’s less well known that cats, and strangely enough, rats love Valerian! Known by its scientific name, Valeriana officinalis, and its folk names All-Heal, Cat’s Valerian, Fragrant Valerian, Garden Heliotrope, St. George’s Herb, and Vandal Root, Valerian has been valued greatly as a medicinal plant. Most people, however, find the smell of the Valerian root unpleasant. Valerian has small pink flowers which in fact smell quite nice! Its offensive smelling root, though, has been used in folk practices to help with sleep, to induce romance, and to ward off evil. Valerian’s energy is feminine, it is associated with the planet Venus, and its element is water. Ancient Greeks valued Valerian root to cure a variety of illnesses, including insomnia. Even thousands of years later, Valerian Root is still one of the most effective sleep-inducing botanical remedies in the modern herbalist’s medicine cabinet.

It is worth mentioning that one should never drive or operate machinery after taking Valerian root due to its sleep-inducing properties. Valerian is used to help with conditions such as nervousness, insomnia, and anxiety.

Valerian is categorized under mild stabilizing and sedative herbs. It has spicy, bitter, and warming qualities and affects mostly the liver and the heart.

Alright! Now let us explore the gentle and beautiful crystal Blue Lace Agate. There are a number of crystals that are well known to help with sleep, such as Amethyst, Selenite, Celestite, Angelite, Howlite, Blue Lace Agate and Rose Quartz. Personally, I have tried a lot of crystals to experience their effect on my sleep and I have found that Blue Lace Agate works the best for me. I encourage you to experiment with different stones. Simply place them by your bed and see how you sleep that night.

Whenever I hold a piece of Blue Lace Agate, I immediately feel calm and peaceful. This gorgeous stone has a soft blue color with white or darker blue lines or layers. Watching its calming blue and white layers reminds me of calm waves of the ocean and it peacefully leads me to a deep sleep. Its soft blue color is also very healing for the throat chakra and blocked self-expression, allowing our thoughts and feelings to express in a gentle way which leads to having pleasant dreams. This remarkable stone of calmness promotes inner stability, composure, and maturity. It promotes security and self-confidence. Blue Lace Agate helps dissolve old, blocked energies allowing new methods of self-expression grow.

So, how can we incorporate the calming Valerian Root and the gentle Blue Lace Agate into our sleep hygiene?

- One of my favorite ways is to wear a Blue Lace Agate crystal pendent when I go to sleep. Since this crystal is helpful for unblocking our throat chakra, it is a good idea to make a necklace using Blue Lace Agate beads; this way, the energy of the crystal is gently surrounding the throat chakra, healing it from every direction. To combine the healing power of the Blue Lace Agate with the gentle sleep-inducing Valerian Root, simply sip a warm cup of valerian tea before bed while you read your favorite book.

- Another method is to make a Valerian root and Blue Lace Agate infused massage oil. If you don’t have dried Valerian Root handy, simply open a sleepy time tea bag that has Valerian root in it and use this blend. Add your dried herb and a piece of Blue Lace Agate Crystal to a small bottle of olive oil and let it stay for a week. Then, strain the herbs and the crystal, and your massage oil is ready to use. Personally, I love leaving the herbs and the crystal in the oil, so if you don’t mind it, leave them in the oil. You can massage some of this oil on your throat chakra before bed. You may also use this oil on any tense muscles and gently massage them until you feel better.

- Another method is to meditate and to connect with the energy of the Valerian plant and the Blue Lace Agate. If you don’t have Valerian Root, or Blue Lace Agate crystal, that doesn’t mean that you cannot benefit from their soothing energies. Before bed, meditate, and visualize the Valerian plant, and try to imagine how it smells, how the little pink flowers feel to your touch. Visualize the pale blue color of the Blue Lace Agate, with its white or darker blue layers. Imagine placing Blue Lace Agate crystals on the floor, right below the Valerian plant that you visualized. Feel the cool and smooth surface of the crystals. Thank the Valerian plant and the Blue Lace Agate for helping you experience this peaceful moment, and drift to a calm and relaxing sleep.



I hope you enjoyed today’s episode. Please share this podcast with your friends and family. Feel free to email me at mindfulmanifest2@gmail.com should you have any questions or comments or to just say hi.

My name is Meline and this was the Harmonious, where we explore the synergy of crystals and herbs.

Until next time, stay happy and healthy.



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