this blend is made with reishi mushrooms, wild foraged wild lettuce + wild foraged mullein. optional: add slippery elm bark for deep moisture + mineral support

this is a core formula in my practice. it is a best seller and i have trouble keeping it in stock. it is specific for people who need deep sleep support and deep pain relief. it is also a deep nutrition + immune tonic. it is a bit bitter and earthy tasting. adding honey is no problem. 

i have used ‘the hermit’ reliably for people with chronic insomnia who have tried everything to get back into normal sleep cycles. it is specifically excellent for people with chronic pain and back troubles who do not sleep well at night. it is also extremely useful for those recovering from an injury, surgery, addiction/dependency issues and emotional trauma. i have also used it for chronic insomniacs that need detox support and a strong sleep tea to iron out and reharmonize this longstanding issue. i’ll write about all 3 of these patterns more extensively at the end, including companion remedies for you to consider. 


INGREDIENTS:

REISHI is a medicinal mushroom that works to rebuild the 'vital essence' of the body. it's an excellent kidney + adrenal support, which is related also to bone and dental health. it’s also particularly good for your heart and liver. some people report having healing dreams that gave them a nudge in the right direction. i do think reishi is a very ‘living’ remedy that can support your intuition for changes that would benefit you. 

sometimes the body wants to rebuild but doesn't have the extra reserves on hand, or the know-how to manifest deeper healing. reishi is about ‘unlocking’ deeper potential, physically-emotionally-spiritually. it was a main ingredient in taoist immortality elixirs of the distant past. medicinal mushrooms are incredible deep nutritive tonics. they fuel deeper and more pragmatic activity in the immune system and bring balance to the body’s deeper inflammatory responses. a bit of personal gnosis: i have had a number of clients who were under a doctor’s care for safely weening off of certain medications or substances, but needed more support to be successful. i absolutely love using reishi to ‘prime the liver’ for starting to make this separation. it also stabilizes and supports the body through this often difficult process. reishi is considered an ‘adaptogen’  or a remedy that physiologically helps us to respond to stress more appropriately. 

along the same vein, i also use reishi  to catalyze a promptly start ‘turning around’ difficult situations. prioritizing consistent, deep sleep is a foundational priority in pursuing balance. we can’t make big, positive changes without getting ample, quality rest. 

reishi is commonly used abroad as a supplemental support for people in conventional cancer treatments, as it has been shown to increase and balance immune factors from multiple vantage points. for all of these reasons, i have a number of reishi based teas. see also: deep immune support 2 variations of tea/1 tincture, ‘the star’ rejuvenating tea blend, STRENGTH tea/tincture. 

i want to quickly mention a 4th pattern of insomnia that shows up somewhat commonly. some people get to sleep ok but then wake up feeling gaspy and odd several times in the night. they often report fluttering sensations in their heart and generally odd, tingly feelings. this is pretty textbook ‘heart blood deficiency’ in TCM. i know that sounds serious, but it’s not usually a sign of anything sinister going on. it seems like more of a circulation imbalance. it is a common symptom of anemia and/or sometimes there’s an emotional imbalance looking for some attention. the hermit alone, or reishi alone, takes care of this nicely. a lot of the time these clients get to sleep fine and are more interested in a day time energy support more than a sleep tea. in which case they use ‘the star’ rejuvenating blend (also reishi based) during the day, which still benefits their fluttery feelings at night. dealer’s choice. 


WILD LETTUCE is very good pain relief. it is considered sedative and can potentially make you very tired very quickly- herbs affect everyone a little differently. i like to use it specifically for night time pain relief + restoration because it brings you into a deep, constructive rest. that deep constructive rest is the time and space your system to rewire + rebuild itself. i do sell a lot of tincture. low doses as needed are often nice for day time use. wild lettuce cleans the liver and detoxes old stuck hormones, among other toxins, which benefits tendon + sinew health specifically, but creates an overall better internal environment to reduce pain and heal troubled spaces. wild lettuce is our main sleep support in ‘the hermit’. i both wild forage and home grow wild lettuce to have the best possible quality dried herb for this tea blend. top quality is necessary for full properties! 

MULLEIN LEAF improves the lubrication of connective tissues in the spine + joints. it supports + cartilage, nerve and bone health. it is a strong ally for complex fractures and injuries to nerve rich areas (see also st johns wort + boneset). mullein leaf is also outstanding lung support. it cleans and moves phlegm + toxins from the system at large. you might find yourself coughing up old phlegm or noticing that wastes look dirtier than usual. both my pain blend tincture (st johnswort-mullein-burdock) and joint support tincture (solomon’s seal, mullein + nettle) would pair beautifully with the hermit. mullein is often pigeonholed into being a lung remedy, but is of excellent utility for pain and injury. matthew wood tells a great story about a chiropractor using mullein to reset broken ribs (which cannot be manually reset). i do have some mullein root tinctured in limited supply as well. some people like to use it for spinal support. 


optional add in:

SLIPPERY ELM BARK- as of 2025 i started noticing during consultations that some clients who definitely needed the hermit, seemed to also need slippery elm bark. slippery elm bark is an incredible specific for cramping and creakiness, working very well, very promptly. i have also used it in regimens for calcification issues with great success. it is a strong mucilage and is very rich in complex minerals. it deeply moisturizes and cleanses the body. we do not think of marshmallow root or slippery elm as ‘detox remedies’, but mucilage cleanses by moving through all spaces of the body, rinsing and flushing cellular debris, toxicity and excess water. they’re more penetrating and thorough than many detox remedies and are excelled ‘guide herbs’ for rounding out harsher remedies. slippery elm particularly seems to act on ‘restriking mineral balances’ that have gone awry- something i didn’t understand until deeply working with slippery elm bark as a tea. it pairs beautifully with the hermit. i’ve also been using it in low thyroid and migraine regimens as of 2025. it’s a famous remedy for convalescence and seems to be a different kind of niche ‘deep nutrition’ than what reishi and other medicinal mushrooms provide. its bioavailability is very apparent and i’ve seen it stop serious and chronic cramping almost immediately. it is safe and definitely underused! slippery elm is the kind of remedy that could seriously simplify your supplement regimen. 


IN A STANDARD BAG:

this bag is enough to have 1 cup per night for a month or so. you might be able to sneak a few double cup nights in there.  it's best prepped once a week because reishi mushrooms require at least 1 hour of long slow boiling to extract their deep healing properties. i find it best to boil for an hour, lid tightly and let it steep overnight. (it's ok to take a cup or two for yourself from the newly steeped tea before bed.) 

instructions are on the back of the bag. i recommend drinking 1-2 cups a night for the full month. there are many safe, natural ways to manage pain and facilitate deeper healing. i love integrated medicine and would be so glad to help. this regimen is a great jump start to systematically take down inflammation and get things moving in the right direction. i have other pain management + healing products that can help meet you where you are.

MORE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR THE 3 PRIMARY PATTERNS THAT ‘THE HERMIT’ SUPPORTS:

chronic anxiety and trauma recovery

chronic pain support or injury support

chronic insomnia and detox support

1. CHRONIC ANXIETY AND TRAUMA RECOVERY

if you have chronic anxiety or are recovering from serious trauma/PTSD, we pair the hermit with an anxiety tincture that fits their anxiety profile. both aspects are necessary for normalizing stress responses and cleaning stress chemicals out of the blood, which hold you in fight or flight mode.  

a few honorable mentions for companion tinctures: 

-skull cap- for anxiety that is felt very physically. it’s also excellent for spasms, shakiness, feeling sick to your stomach from stress, restless legs, mast cell issues, feeling overstimulated etc. this is my all time favorite anxiety remedy. it’s also the main ingredient in my other sleep tea ‘KO’d’

-passion flower- for anxiety that is felt very mentally, or is thought based. passion flower is excellent for quieting or turning off thoughts, depending on dose. it is also quietly an MAOI, showing it brings deeper support and balance on the neuro-endocrine level

-lemon balm- great for stress that is felt very physically, especially when it’s related to ‘hyper’ or excess conditions. hyper-adrenalism, ADHD, hyper-thyroidism (clinically proven alongside bugleweed for reducing thyroid output)

-bugleweed is specific for people who feel ‘hunted’. it is strong and excellent for all the same indications as lemon balm. it is also specific for feeling your anxiety primarily in your heart and for people who have a strong ‘flight’ response. in old books, it was infamous for night terrors and sleep paralysis- then known as being specific to alcoholics. bugleweed is a mint family member (like skull cap and lemon balm) and is thus excellent for nightmares (commonly a liver-heat derangement). it benefits the liver and is deeply relaxing.

ashwagandha- for people who are exhausted and dysregulated but also very anxious. i consider it specific for people who are metabolically frail and are easily, badly thrown off kilter by stress. it benefits people who have lost their ‘centeredness’ and can’t digest food well, have enough energy to get through the day, often struggle to eat properly and stay properly hydrated. it helps you get stronger and become more regulated. 

sometimes we use low dose ghost pipe in a larger regimen. it’s very specific for actively processing trauma and torment. i think it’s also specific to developing new ways of thinking or helping you reach a new level of understanding or peace within yourself. i do not like to use it as an anxiety remedy or for most kinds of pain.

i do like to use it alongside stiff doses of skull cap when someone is triggered. lovingly, there is a big difference. ghost pipe is not something that you should use forever. stiff doses are only occasionally appropriate. there are safety and ethical concerns involved with using ghost pipe. i have worked with it extensively for years. it is a teacher and a tool that we should use to really do our best in our own deep, important work when necessary. it’s something we should have a lot of reverence and gratitude for. reach out if you have any questions or peek my ghost pipe listing.

2. CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT OR INJURY SUPPORT 

if you have chronic pain, we prioritize both deep sleep and address the pain very specifically according to your experience. yes, the injuries may be from the distant past. but we can still appeal to the spaces and nature of the injuries for meaningful relief that goes beyond ‘just killing the pain’. the hermit is a great ‘base remedy’ for pulling the most weight and taking down chronic inflammation over the course of the bag. 

a few honorable mentions for common companion tinctures: 

-i have a pain blend tincture (st johnswort-mullein-burdock) that is wonderful for overall pain   support. it is not compatible with many medications, so you can check for interactions or i can check for you. 

-joint support tincture(solomon’s seal-mullein-nettle) is another core formula and best seller. it promptly greases your joints and is excellent for arthritis, chronic pain and catalyzing injury recovery. 

-for individual pain herbs/tinctures see: 

st johnswort- my favorite all around pain remedy. great for nerve pain, bone on bone pain, concussions, internal injuries, surgery recovery, endometriosis (i can send you a quick run down of how i used this successfully), ‘pain disorder’ pain (where it’s probably a brain signalling issue), certain patterns of migraine. it’s also a favorite of mine for lyme. it’s a favorite of mine for drug rx that went poorly and sparked health issues. it has contemporarily become known for depression support. if the situation needs to strongly be turned around, i use 2 cups of strongly brewed tea per day instead of tincture. it’s important to stay well hydrated when using both reishi and st johnswort. they do deep work and need the ample, clean medium to work through or you’ll feel cruddy. 

wild lettuce- a lot of people like wild lettuce to manage pain. 1-5 drop doses as needed for day time use, more is ok for night time. it’s a favorite for big boned people with back troubles and backs that are prone to being ‘thrown out’. it’s also a specific for PCOS and normalizing testosterone levels. it is also often used for young adults with acne, pain and mood disturbances.

willow bark- this is my favorite over wild lettuce for daily pain support because it doesn’t make you sleepy. as long as you’re not allergic to aspirin, it’s A-OK. i like lower doses of 1-5 drops because it seems to work really well. safe to take as needed, good for your belly. in nature, salicylic acid is only found in herbs that also contain mucilage, which protects the stomach lining. 

burdock root- the all time #1 bursitis remedy hands down. if you’re not sure if it’s bursitis, have a few dropper fulls of tincture or a couple cups of burdock root tea. if you wake up the next day and it’s 80% better, it’s bursitis. food grade herb. excellent for hip problems, joint pain, fat/lipid/cholesterol digestion and assimilation. strongly benefits your liver. if you’re stiff and your skin is really dry or you know your digestion goes wrong with fatty foods- opt for burdock. 

teasel root- this is another great low dose ‘deep pain’ remedy. it is often used for lyme. i like to use it to maintain integrity or renew integrity in joints/sinews that are weak or degrading. i have little regimens for this that work extremely well. 

queen anne’s lace- the most important remedy for calcification issues. it does extremely well in a small, intentional regimen. low dose is important, as it’s strong! 

3. CHRONIC INSOMNIA AND DETOX SUPPORT

the hermit for chronic insomniacs in need of deep sleep support + detox support to normalize sleep cycles i usually use add slippery elm bark to the hermit and use daily detox tincture here. it’s not super complicated, but sometimes lifestyle support needs to be implemented as well. 


if your liver is overburdened, which can happen for a number of reasons, you won’t be able to settle into deep, constructive rest. the hallmark sign is waking up between 1-3am, which are the liver hours on the TCM clock. it shows that the liver has trouble keeping up with its work, or that something is irritating the liver and preventing it from doing its work smoothly. 

i just want to mention that the need for liver support is very natural and normal. if you live in winterous regions, you detox in the spring to clean the winter out of your system. there are natural metabolic shifts that happen through the seasons to benefit survival. modernly that can get a bit out of hand, as in the past humans were hunkered down with limited resources as opposed to now when there are 50 different kinds of christmas cookies. by nature, the earliest foods to eat in spring are highly nutritious, support detox and benefit the metabolism. they help you shed water weight, clean the excess salt, fats and toxins out of your system that built up over winter. they also help you open your pores to sweat and oil. don’t forget! your skin is your largest organ. it reflects the deeper state of your body at large. detox remedies also thin bile and benefit your systems of elimination. 


modernly, it could be that we don’t detox in the spring. it can be a lifestyle issue like lack of whole foods or greens in the diet or excess alcohol or caffeine. it can be a constitutional issue, meaning liver/detox/metabolism is just a weak point in your system that needs some extra support. the need for liver support can also be rooted in a hidden food/med/supplement intolerance that manifests in clunky ways you might not expect. the bottom line is- the need for liver support/detox support is a very normal, common issue. we just don’t culturally have gnosis to meaningfully solve this imbalance. this is why i developed the daily detox tincture, which is pragmatic and works quietly. 


for this pattern of insomnia where we need detox support, i often hear clients say that they struggle with sleeping well, but it gets especially bad if they’ve had even just 1-2 alcoholic beverages. 


i also often see this patten for people who like to eat late at night or enjoy eating spicy, rich or heavy foods. if you go to bed with a full, spicy belly- you’re not going to sleep well. your body does a lot of important work during sleep. if it’s still trying to actively digest, it can’t do that other work, nor can it digest your food effectively. 


sometimes these peeps use marijuana to induce sleep, which is tricky- because on one hand, it will help induce sleep. on the other hand, it will definitely irritate your liver more. these people often also have nightmares and are little caffeine junkies during the day. this is very hard on your circadian rhythms. you might be a tough cookie and muscle it out most days, but when you catch a cold or flu bug it can really put you down. or sometimes there is considerable anxiety/depression with this pattern because your body is never able to really get what it needs when it needs it. your natural ebb and flow has been hijacked by lifestyle factors. this props me up, this winds me down. 


no judgement here my friends. i’m also not telling you to never indulge in things you enjoy. sometimes we just have to take some time and space to make necessary adjustments, then you can test the waters once you’re on more solid ground. i want you to be able to have a couple drinks and sleep well. i want you to be able to smoke a little and play in the woods. 


i’d be glad to help you iron this out. i know VERY well that there aren’t really meaningful supports for this kind of insomnia specifically. i’m so glad that i spent my earliest years in natural health at a TCM clinic, because i have read a million books and taken half a million classes, and western herbalism just doesn’t quite have this gnosis down pat. my approach is really not quite traditional to eastern or western herbalism, but i feel really confident in identifying root issues and providing meaningful insomnia support. i want to emphasize that it’s not just about getting someone to sleep. it’s about addressing the deeper pattern of imbalance meaningfully, while also supporting normal sleep cycles. 


i consult for free for your safety + benefit! it might be a lot to think about on your own. 
i’m glad to help you find the most minimal + effective regimen for your specific needs.
be well and thrive~

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