There is an almost silly softness to a mimosa flower, something like a koosh ball from childhood bouncing and fluffing in the wind. A sort of Jim Henson flower, if you will. They are exquisitely and classically feminine, and like femininity, their strength might be underestimated by an unknowing observer.
Let’s talk about the power of this deeply feminine plant medicine. The showy flower, bright pink against the green of the tree, soft on our skin, is one of the most directly uplifting plant medicines that is readily available to us. So very uplifting that it is characterized as a euphoric and can cause a sort of out of body, out of mind experience with too high of a dose. This, the Happiness Flower, could take us a little too high if not well balanced.
And so we use the bark of this tree to settle the energy of the flower. Mimosa bark is a direct visual opposite to the flower - plain and basic, a smooth and unremarkable looking bark. The work of mimosa bark is to interact with us deeply, drawing out our sorrow and creating space in our psyche to release grief and grounding our hearts. It uplifts by simultaneously pulling us back to center and lifting our hearts out of the dirt. In its own way, it envelopes us, holds us together, and protects us on our journey towards joy.
I like to think of the contrasting, complimentary energies of the mimosa flower and bark like this - the flower moves energy upward through our head and our mind, while the bark grounds us from our heart to our toes, keeping us rooted to and open to the universe.
This is why at Heartsong Herbs we combine the flower and the bark at a ratio that results in a medicine that unlocks joy that is restorative and freeing, a kind of magic that quiets our sorrows and allows our hearts and souls to do the work of mending. Mimosa is like a heart-mother, holding us tight so that we might feel free to soar, cradled by happiness and tender joy. It’s no wonder that this tree that makes our hearts a little lighter when we catch just a glimpse of them blooming in the June sunshine have the power to make our spirits a little lighter.
