Herbs Our Ancestors Used to Survive Winter- and How We Can Still Use Them Today

Winter has always been a season that asks more of us. Shorter days, colder nights, and the pull inward means our bodies and spirits crave warmth, resilience, and rest. Long before modern medicine, families turned to plants to carry them through the darkest months. These herbs weren't luxuries, they were vital for sleep, strength, and protection from illness.

Today, much of that old wisdom still applies. Science now confirms what generations before us knew instinctively: certain herbs strengthen immunity, help the body adapt to stress, and support deep restorative sleep. Here are some of the most time-honored winter plants, and how we can bring them into our lives now.

🍄Valerian & Reishi: Guardians of Restful Sleep

In the stillness of winter nights, sleep was survival. Rest meant energy for chopping wood, preparing food, and caring for family.

• Valerian root has been used for centuries across Europe and Asia as a gentle sedative and sleep support. Modern research backs this up, showing its ability to calm the nervous system and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep.
• Reishi mushroom, sometimes called the "mushroom of immortality" in Chinese medicine, was treasured for its ability to nourish the spirit, strengthen immunity, and support restorative sleep.

Together, these two herbs form the foundation of Deep Sleep Tincture, a remedy to help quiet the ming, ease tension, and prepare the body for truly restful nights.

Ritual idea:  Sip on some Chamomile tea while journaling one thing you're releasing from the day and one thing you're grateful for. Then take a few drops of Deep Sleep Tincture in warm water before bed, it's a modern way to honor the old practice of letting herbs guard your rest.

🌾Astragalus & Eleuthero: Winter Strength and Immunity

The cold season is also the season of colds- and herbs for endurance and immune strength were staples in traditional households.

• Astragalus root used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, was dried and simmered into broths to strengthen the body's defenses. Science now recognizes it as an immune modulator, heling balance and support resilience against seasonal illness.
• Eleuthero root (sometimes called Siberian ginseng) became a household staple in Northern Asia for stamina and endurance through harsh winters. It's what modern herbalists call an "adaptogen," supporting the body in times of physical and emotional stress. 
  

Both herbs are found in our Sacred Defense Tonic, designed to support the immune system before and during seasonal challenges and times of stress.

Ritual idea: Add a daily dose of Sacred Defense to your morning tea or water as part of your winter rhythm. Pair it with a gratitude practice, list three small joys that ground you, for a daily ritual of both strength and spirit. 

🌼Chamomile: Gentle Care for Winter's Tension

Chamomile might seem simple, but it has been one of the most widely trusted herbs across cultures. During long winters, it was often given to children for tummy aches, restlessness, or fevers- and to adults for calming nerves and aiding digestion after heavy meals.

Our Sleep Easy Tea highlights Chamomile alongside other soothing herbs to help the whole family wind down when days feel overstimulating and nights feel restless.

Ritual idea: Brew a pot of Sleep Easy Tea in the evening, letting its honeyed aroma fill your kitchen. Share a cup with loved ones as part of your evening gathering, a small, grounding act that weaves calm into the winter household.

Bringing Old Wisdom Into Modern Homes

What's remarkable is how little has changed. The plants that once supported survival still nourish us today, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. They reminded us to slow down, to rest deeply, to fortify our bodies, and to honor the cycles of the season. 

This winter, you don't have to live in a cabin in the snow to bring these traditions to life. Instead, try weaving them into modern rituals:

• Take Sacred Defense daily as your "shield" during holiday gatherings (stop taking at the first sign of illness and switch to Elderberry Cold & Flu).
• Prepare Deep Sleep Tincture before bed as a signal to your body that it's time to rest.
• Share Sleep Easy Tea after dinner, just as generations before us have gathered around the hearth to sip, rest, and restore.

Closing Thoughts

The plants that sustained our lineages through centuries of winters still wait for us today. Herbs like Valerian, Reishi, Astragalus, Eleuthero, and Chamomile are not just remedies, they're reminders of resilience, comfort, and continuity.

By bringing them into our homes, we're not only supporting our immunity, sleep, and stress levels, we're continuing a thread of wisdom that has carried countless families through the darkest months.

❄️May this winter be one of nourishment, rest, and renewed connection, to the season, to the plants, and to the practices that keep us well.

💌Stay connected, join our Root to Bone Herbal Circle