If you follow global events and have even the tiniest inkling of empathetic tendencies, nervous system regulation has likely risen to the top of your mind lately. The nervous system is constantly communicating with the gut, liver, immune system, and organs of elimination. Because of this interdependency, ancestral practices of Amazonian ethnobotany viewed the nerves, digestion, purification, and emotional life as interconnected systems that must be supported together.
Many Indigenous lineages traditionally held the belief that when a person is “overheated” by stress or grief, their gut tightens, their appetite changes, and stagnation follows. If you’ve felt this, you must know that you’re not broken; your body is bracing. While modern research continues to explore the gut-brain connection, traditional herbalists have long recognized the intimate relationship between nervous system health and digestive ease.
Centuries before science named them, nervine herbs were traditionally used to support the body's capacity to respond with malleability, allowing the nervous system to activate (as it’s divinely designed to do for our own protection), then return to baseline. When that flexibility is lost—through prolonged stress, trauma, sleep deprivation, or nutrient depletion—the body begins to hold. Several distinct ancestral medicinal systems viewed irregular digestion, slow or erratic elimination, and liver sluggishness as forms of retention born of tension.
Particularly in the Amazon, plants like Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) have traditionally been used to support the nervous system in softening its grip. Passionflower has traditionally been used to ease tension and promote calm. When the nervous system settles, digestion often follows suit. This connection reflects the traditional understanding that when the nervous system finds ease, digestive comfort often follows naturally.
Nervines 101: Calm, Tone, Restore
Nervines are kind of like Nature’s “grandmother plants,” nurturing allies that have traditionally been used to restore nervous system resilience over time. Many nervine herbs have traditionally been used alongside digestive support, as herbalists recognized that easing nervous tension often supported digestive comfort and healthy elimination. Rather than forcing the body to purge aggressively, plant medicine practitioners favor botanicals that calm when needed, strengthen when depleted, and encourage healthy flow holistically across systems.
In Western herbalism, nervine herbs are broadly categorized into two overlapping groups:
1. Nervine relaxants, traditionally used to soothe acute nervous tension, restlessness, or overstimulation.
2. Nervine tonics, traditionally used to nourish and strengthen the nervous system over time, especially during periods of chronic stress or depletion.
Many plants exist somewhere in between, offering immediate comfort while also supporting long-term resilience. One often overlooked connection is the foundational link between nervous system regulation and digestion. Traditional herbalists observed that prolonged stress often coincided with digestive changes and irregular elimination. Supporting the nerves is often the first step toward restoring belly ease and promoting the body’s gentle, natural cleansing processes.
6 Ways Nervines Nourish Inner Harmony
Below, we invite you to explore six ways nervine herbs have been traditionally used to support nervous system regulation, and how this balance ripples outward into proper digestion, gut health, and gentle internal restoration.
1. Calm Acute Nervous Tension
→ Traditionally used nervines: Passionflower, Kava kava, Lemon balm
Certain plants have long been used to help ease acute nervous activation. For instance, when the mind races, the chest tightens, or sleep feels elusive, passionflower and lemon balm are classic examples of herbs traditionally used to support calm without dulling awareness. They are often associated with easing mental chatter and promoting a sense of grounded presence.
Kava kava, used ceremonially in Pacific Island cultures, has a long tradition of supporting relaxation and social ease when used responsibly and appropriately.
From a gut perspective, calming acute nervous tension has traditionally been associated with supporting digestive comfort through the body's natural relaxation response. This branch of the nervous system is associated with your body’s “rest and digest” mode. When the body feels at ease, digestive processes tend to function more smoothly, supporting regular elimination and nutrient absorption.
2. Support Restful Sleep & Nighttime Restoration
→ Traditionally used nervines: Valerian, Hops, Chamomile
Sleep is one of the body’s most important windows for restoring neurological, digestive, and metabolic functions. Herbs like valerian and hops have been traditionally used to support rest by encouraging the nervous system to release tension at night. Chamomile, gentle and widely beloved, has a long history of use for both nervous and digestive comfort.
Restful sleep supports the gut in many tangible ways. During deep rest, the migrating motor complex—a pattern of intestinal movement associated with cleansing and balance—can function more effectively. Sleep also supports healthy cortisol rhythms, which influence digestion, appetite signaling, and elimination. Herbal nighttime blends often focus on softening, inviting the body into rest rather than pushing it there.
3. Nourish Burnout & Nervous Depletion
→ Traditionally used nervines: Milky Oats, California Poppy, Wood Betony
Not all nervous imbalance looks like anxiety. Sometimes it shows up as numbness, fatigue, overwhelm, or a sense of being “fried.” Nervine tonics like milky oats have been traditionally used to nourish depleted nervous tissue over time, especially after prolonged stress.
California poppy and wood betony are often included in formulas designed to support nervous system recovery, particularly when mental fatigue and digestive sluggishness coexist. In traditional frameworks, depletion of the nerves often parallels depletion of digestive fire (Agni) or vitality. By supporting long-term nervous resilience, these herbs may indirectly encourage better digestive rhythm, appetite regulation, and gentle daily elimination.
4. Ease Stress-Related Muscle Tension
→ Traditionally used nervines: Lavender, Skullcap, Linden Flower
Stress goes beyond the mind, settling into our muscles, fascia, breath, and posture. Lavender, skullcap, and linden flower have all been traditionally used to support relaxation where stress becomes embodied. Physical tension can influence digestion both mechanically and neurologically. Tight abdominal muscles, shallow breathing, and restricted movement can all affect gut motility and comfort. Herbs that support relaxation have traditionally been used to help the body release held patterns and support natural digestive rhythms. These plants are often found in teas, essential oils, or other aromatic preparations that engage the senses. Supporting the body during stress is not purely biochemical; it is experiential.
5. Support Emotional Balance & Mental Clarity
→ Traditionally used nervines: Tulsi, St. John’s Wort, Motherwort
Emotional life and digestion are inseparable in traditional holistic health practices. Tulsi (holy basil) has been revered in Ayurvedic traditions as a plant that supports clarity, resilience, and heart-centered calm. Motherwort has historically been associated with emotional steadiness during times of transition. Likewise, St. John’s Wort has a long history of traditional use for mood support, particularly in seasonal or situational contexts, though it should always be used with awareness of potential interactions. When emotional stress softens, digestion often follows. Herbalists have long observed that supporting emotional equilibrium has traditionally been associated with digestive comfort.
6. Support the Stress Response Over Time
→ Adaptogens with nervine activity: Eleuthero, Schisandra, Reishi
Some plants bridge the worlds of nervous system support and long-term resilience. Adaptogens with nervine activity occupy a special place in both Amazonian and Eastern medicine. Adaptogenic herbs like eleuthero, schisandra, and reishi have been traditionally used to help the body adapt to ongoing stressors without overreacting. These plants are understood to support balance, encouraging steadier energy, improved stress tolerance, and more consistent internal rhythms. In traditional frameworks, this steadiness supports digestion, liver function, and elimination by reducing chronic stress signaling.
Sleep, Stress, Your Nervous System & Digestion
Did you know that sleep, too, is a digestive event? In Amazonian practice, sleep is considered one of the body’s primary cleansing rituals. During rest, the nervous system allows metabolic waste, emotional residue, and unassimilated experience to move. When sleep deepens, the migrating motor complex of the gut—the rhythmic wave responsible for housekeeping between meals—functions more effectively, supporting regular elimination and microbial balance.
Long-term stress is yet another barrier to smooth gut and bile flow. In Amazonian herbalism, food-like plants are revered because they rebuild without forcing. Mineral sufficiency itself is strongly associated with nervous system stability and digestive enzyme function. Traditional herbalists approached depletion through nourishment rather than stimulation.
Gentle Cleansing: A Cyclical Revitalization Practice
Because care is fragmented in modern systems, traditional herbalists recognized connections between muscle tension and digestive comfort. In Indigenous Amazonian plant-based diets, herbs have been used for generations to soften the body’s holding patterns. This “softening” has mechanical consequences. When the diaphragm moves freely and abdominal tension releases, lymphatic flow improves, circulation deepens, and the gut regains its natural rhythm. The volatile oils in some essential oils alone can simultaneously influence nervous and digestive signaling.
And let’s not forget that emotional digestion is as real as physical digestion. In Amazonian cosmology, unresolved emotion is said to “sit in the belly.” Many different plants are used in traditional medicine practices to create movement to release this stagnation. When emotional stress softens, digestive complaints often ease, too.
Therefore, what modern culture often calls “detox” is, in traditional herbalism, simply restored flow. The liver, gut, kidneys, and skin are always engaged in processes of transformation and elimination. Aggressive interventions can overwhelm already stressed systems, while gentle daily practices, such as hydration with minerals, bitter herbs to support digestion, and nervines to support calm, allow the body to return to its natural balance.
In a world that demands urgency, often keeping us on high alert for long stretches, herbs are patient teachers who offer moderation. In times of overwhelm, consider how you can cultivate calm rather than chase it. When we learn to balance effort and ease, our inner gardens flourish. Feeling safe in our bodies is the foundation of vitality… and a well-regulated nervous system.
