I can’t recall the first time I met Yarrow.
What I do remember vividly is the turning point in our relationship. I was leading a medicine-plant walk, giving my usual spiel about Yarrow as a one-stop-herbal-shop. The many names bestowed upon this plant relation speak of Yarrow’s generosity: Tao-pi pezu’ta (Teton Dakota, medicine for the wounded), Achillia millifolium (Latin for the war-hero and healer, Achilles and his close association with the many-leaved Yarrow), Nosebleed Plant, Carpenter’s Weed, Soldier’s Woundwart, Old Man’s Pepper, Thousand-leaf, Thousand-seal, Plumajillo (Spanish for little feather), and Field Hop (a reference to Yarrow’s use in making beer).
My favourite is Adijimoo: Ojibway for squirrel’s tail. 
On that walk, I emphasized Yarrow as a great plant for outdoor enthusiasts to know in case of an injury because the plant’s leaves hold chemicals that can stop bleeding and heal wounds. I pointed out that Yarrow can be found growing wild in both urban and wilderness areas in North America, Europe and Asia. Folks were amazed to learn that archeologists discovered Yarrow in a buried person’s medicine pouch dating back over 60,000 years. Take a moment to consider the importance of our ancestors befriending a plant that supports cardiovascular functions, aids digestion, alleviates fevers, heals wounds, aids the female reproductive system, calms the nervous system, and benefits the muscular and skeletal system! It’s no wonder Yarrow earned a place in the medicine pouches of ancient people and continues to be revered by modern day herbalists.
Over the past three decades, I’d led many guided talks on wild plants, with Yarrow often taking a star-role. I admired Yarrow and passionately shared this plant’s virtues. Yet this guided walk was different. This time I experienced a life-changing event. My consciousness split in two: witnessing myself talking while simultaneously, a broader wisdom broke in, shaking me to the core.
I felt Yarrow demanding my attention: “There is way more to me to than this! Don’t you want to know my truth?” Weird! What was that all about? I felt embarrassed, as if I had introduced a dear friend in a superficial way. I shook off this unsettling experience. The guided walk was over and a busy day ahead pulled my thoughts elsewhere. I dashed back to my hectic academic life, leaving Yarrow’s provocation in the dust.
Not long after leading that plant walk, I crashed. BAM! I had a major mental breakdown, and life as I knew it screeched to a halt.
Fast forward seven years . . .
I was sitting with Yarrow in my Sit-Spot, grateful for knowing this plant, when out of the blue the memory of that unsettling incident resurfaced. Well Miss Willow, have you figured out the “something more” yet?
No, I started to say–but wait, now my life is radically different! Now I intentionally and regularly practice listening to the land with my full presence of heart and mind. I know this kind of listening requires spaciousness. And patience. And a good dose of humor and humility as well! This time, I promised Yarrow, I won’t ignore your question! I want to know your truth!
And so, I held the question ever-so-lightly, letting wisdom wander gently over a landscape of possibilities. I knew the “something more” Yarrow spoke of was somehow linked to the plant’s ability to stop bleeding. Yet, what does bleeding have to do with me? Then, just at that moment, I noticed a large rock partially submerged in the water. The rock held concentric layers of geological history, the oldest being the darkest, central core. I felt into the significance of this rock’s timely appearance. With quiet contemplation, I realized the rock shared a near-identical pattern to a tiny stone found during a mentoring session several months earlier. My student sought guidance on how to care for her family’s property. Asking the land directly for input, we found a stone with concentric rings. The pattern held in stone seemed to ask, What are your core values?
Now, here before my eyes, appeared the very same rock pattern, only magnified as if to shout out: Think about your core values! Aha — another piece of the puzzle! Bleeding and core values. With loss of blood comes loss of vitality. With continued quiet contemplation at my Sit-Spot, I realized that Yarrow spoke of another kind of bleeding: the undisciplined leakage of psychological, emotional and physical energy via my chaotic living choices. A type of bleeding that plagues western society. We might dub it “The Yes Syndrome”: saying yes to this, yes to that, and even creating unnecessary “yeses” as a way to avoid being fully present with difficult emotions.
The Yes Syndrome certainly applied to my life when Yarrow shook my world. I had spent years saying yes. Like a proverbial doormat, I rushed around, multi-tasking, trying to be everywhere at once, trying to be everything to everyone, trying to fix other people’s “problems” ~ even when they didn’t ask for help! Saying yes too many times led to life-draining consequences:
- Eating healthy? Who has time for that?
- Deep immersion with the land? Hah—my computer has other plans for me!
- Family vacation? Sure, as long as I can combine it with work?!
- Creative playtime? Sorry. I don’t quite understand the concept!
Back in my Sit-Spot, I sat riveted, replaying scenes of that chaotic lifestyle, painfully aware of its devastating cause-and-effect spiral. To avoid the pain of past traumas, I had kept myself busy, workaholic busy. I had been energetically bleeding for many decades.
Thankfully, with ample compassion and wisdom from family, friends, the land, and trained professionals, my breakdown led to a beautiful breakthrough of clarity. I needed to understand: Who am I? What do I stand for? What is my sacred contribution to this world? With greater self-awareness and compassion came integration of the broken pieces, each time I remembered to take pause and align a choice with my core values.
Today, I diligently protect my sacred energy by only saying yes to what brings peace. Only saying yesto what nurtures me may seem selfish. Yet through ever-increasing awareness of what is aligned with my highest self, I role-model commitment to living with integrity. And ironically, I discovered when I create clear, life-sustaining boundaries, I have so much more to give!
Was Yarrow trying to wake me up all those years ago during that guided walk? Perhaps. Not only have I changed my life choices. I now see this plant relation with new eyes. I sense core-strength in Yarrow’s sturdy, triangular stem, giving this plant upright gracefulness. As I lightly bounce fingers on her white crown of minute flowers, I am surprised by their push-back. And the seemingly nonchalant feathery leaves pack a pungent aroma sure to bring you back to the present moment with a POW!
Our friend Yarrow embodies the paradox of lightness with firmness, yielding with the flow of life while staying true to one’s core values. Thank you, Yarrow!
May your daily choices honour your precious vitality.
With love and light,
Willow