The Divine Allure of Damiana

Native to Mexico and the rest of Latin America, damiana is a delightfully aromatic herb honored for centuries by Latinx cultures, where it is referenced in folklore for its spiritual, feminine powers. It is believed that the indigenous Guaycura in the Baja region of Mexico were the first to use Damiana, and they began to trade the herb with the Aztecs. Traditionally and in modern times, Damiana is used as an aphrodisiac, increasing libido in both men and women. This herb serves as a tonic for the nervous system, kidneys, and sexual organs, and it helps to balance hormones and emotions while encouraging blood flow to the pelvic region. While warming and stimulating, the herb also calms the nervous system and helps reduce anxiety.

Using damiana to increase energy & creativity

Is there a way to increase our feminine energy so that we can achieve more love, happiness, and creativity on the daily? I believe so.

However, within our patriarchal way of living--working hard, trying to make ends meet, surviving, succeeding, and repeating this cycle often triggers the “fight or flight” response that can frazzle the nervous system. And when we feel out of body, we feel less aroused for life, creativity, sex, and less connection to self. Increasing our feminine energy on those heated days can bring a sense of homeostasis so that our expressions give birth to life, joy, and love.

!Entra Damiana! Historically, damiana has been used to relieve anxiety, nervousness, and mild depression, especially if these symptoms have a sexual component. As being a divine child on this planet, I’m sure you can relate that anxiety from work, nervousness around relationships, and experiencing mild depression about who we are is stressful to our libido. And let’s be real, sharing ourselves and opening up to our own bodies can be scary AF, so a supporting herb like damiana can bring us a lil ease.

This feminine plant with emerald jeweled leaves and soft rounded yellow petal flowers has the ability to balance our feminine. It’s energizing and uplifting, exciting and relaxing, it’s stimulating, lovely, and has sensuality dusted all over it. Damiana often restores the ability to achieve orgasm by quickly stimulating the genital area by enriching the oxygen supply. Longer term use can restore libido and desire, while improving sexual vigor and performance.

Allowing damiana to be a part of your holistic practice can support natural energy levels during pms, perimenopause, and menopausal transitions due to her abilities to reduce anxiety, stress, depression, and lethargy, and improve sleep.

Enticing rituals with damiana

The stimulation begins with rituals that will turn on your senses. The thought of damiana is provocative. You can consider her to be this strong feminine herb that can bring you ease, provoke creativity in your day to day, yet allure you to sex and feeling sexy in your body. You can brew a simple cup of damiana from dried leaves or powder. You can mix damiana powder or tincture in smoothies, or ghee over toast. My person recommendation is blending Calm + Clarity drops into a warm cinnamon spiced chocolate for a calming elixir to be sipped after dinner.

References

Martinez, M. (1959). Las Plantas medicinales de Mexico, Ed. Botas, Mexico, 959 176.
HOLGUIN, G., & BASHAN, L.A.M.Y.Y. La damiana, planta afrodisiaca del desierto mexicano.
Zhao, J., Dasmahapatra, A.Khan, S.I., & Khan, I.A. (2008). Anti-aromatase activity of the constituents from damiana (Tumera diffusa). Journal of ethnopharmacology, 120(3), 387-393.
Sarris, J., McIntyre, E., E., & Camfield, D.A. (2013). Plant-based medicines for anxiety disorders, part 1, CNS drugs, 27(3), 207-219.
Damiana, Turnera Diffusa https://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-damiana.html
De Luca, D. Botanica Erotica: Arousing Body, Mind, and Spirit. Rochester: Healing Arts Press; 1998
Spannhake, Jamie J., Perimenopause & Menopause: 5 Natural Supplements to Get Your Health Back on Track, Health Food Radar, March 5th, 2020, https://healthfoodradar.com/perimenopause-menopause-5-natural-supplements-to-get-your-health-back-on-track/