Myrrh
Myrrh (Mo Yao)
Botanical Name: Commiphora myrrh (aka C. molmol)
Myrrh, an amber to black colored resin, is a sacred medicinal used for thousands of years as an incense, to help stop bleeding, and to embalm mummies. If you are seeking to help your spirit locate the divine, myrrh is the incense for you. Today, it is commonly found in mouthwashes to help prevent gum disease. From body to mind to spirit, myrrh heals wounds.
Watch a short video, from Ann Christensen, Founder and Creator of White Rabbit Institute of Healing™ – Myrrh: Worth Its Weight In Gold.
Below is an overview of myrrh, combining the best of Western Science, Oriental Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Shamanism, Folklore, and a wide range of healing modalities. Gain a balanced and thorough understanding of the healing properties of myrrh.
How to take FULL advantage of Myrrh's healing powers...
JOIN ME in an exploration of the healing herb, Myrrh (Mo Yao). Explore the benefits and applications of myrrh, from Eastern and Western perspectives, and so much more!
Western
Western Name: Myrrh
Also Known As: Oleoresin
Organs/Systems: Mouthwash, Pain, Respiratory, Uterus
Key Actions: Antiseptic, Antimicrobial, Expectorant, Coagulant, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Analgesic
Medicinal Uses: Indigestion, ulcers, colds, coughs, lung congestions, asthma, arthritis pain, cancer, muscle spasms, leprosy, syphilis, increased flow of menses, bad breath, canker sores, mouth swellings, headaches, athlete’s foot, ringworm, eczema.
Eastern
Pin Yin: Mo Yao
Also Known As: N/A
Meridians: Heart, Liver, Spleen
Key Actions: Invigorates Blood, Dispels Blood Stasis, Reduces Swelling, Alleviates Pain, Moves Stagnant Blood from the Uterus, Promotes Healing
Medicinal Uses: Trauma, sores, masses, abdominal pain, amenorrhea, postpartum pain, painful obstructions, chest pain, abdominal pain, menstrual cramping, intestinal abscesses, chronic non-healing sores, wounds, skin lesions, ulcerations, chronic sores.
Basic Habitat / Botany:
Hardy bush/tree with stunted grayish-white trunk and knotted branches. Smaller branches terminate in sharp spines and bear a few oval, blunt leaves with coarsely toothed edges. Aromatic pale yellow, gum resin seeps from fissures in the trunk turning reddish brown and semi-transparent on hardening. These thorny trees grow in dry, stony soil.
Myrrh is native to Yemen, Somalia, and Eastern Ethiopia.
Parts Most Frequently Used: Resin
Flavors/Temps: Bitter, Spicy, Neutral
Caution: Pregnancy, as it can be very blood-moving and invigorating.
Key Constituents: Volatile oils. Alpha-heerabomrrhol, Heerabomyrrhol, Heeraboresene, Eugenol, Pinene, Dipentene limonene, Cinnamic, Aldehyde, Sterols, Salts, Mucilage, Sulphates, Tannins
History/Folklore: Oleoresin is a natural gum resin. To obtain myrrh, the tree is wounded so it will bleed gum. The gum is yellowish and can be either clear or opaque, darkening deeply as it ages with white streaks emerging.
Myrrh was so valuable in ancient times that it was said to be equal to its weight in gold. It has been used as a perfume, incense, and medicine. It was used in Egypt to embalm mummies and remains well-known for preventing decay of teeth, wounds, and chronic skin conditions.
In Greek mythology, Myrrh, daughter of the King of Syria was punished by Aphrodite who caused her to disguise herself and have incest with her father. When her father discovered her he tried to kill her, but the gods intervened and turned her into a tree, with the resin said to be her tears.
Known as the Balsam of Mecca, myrrh was one of the three gifts presented to the baby Jesus in the Christian Bible at his birth by the visiting Magi or wise men as a symbol of mortal life. To this day it is used in certain sacred ceremonies of the Catholic Church. It has also been used in many other religious ceremonies throughout the Western and Eastern worlds.
Myrrh has been found to be more effective as an antioxidant than vitamin E. Myrrh can also fight two common parasitic infections: trichomoniasis (a sexually transmitted disease), and giardiasis, an intestinal infection.
Myrrh essential oil has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes, a class of compounds that has direct effects on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and amygdala, the seat of our emotions.
The Chinese fry myrrh with vinegar to enhance the resin’s blood-moving abilities. Typical dosage will be 3-12g. Research being done in China suggests that extracts and compounds found in myrrh may be effective against gynecologic cancer cells.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, myrrh is often blended with notoginseng, safflower stamens, angelica, cinnamon, or salvia (aka Chinese sage). It is used internally and externally.
As an aroma therapy, myrrh is revered as a sacred incense used by many traditions to lift the spirit, open the mind to the divine, honor death and mortality, and support transformation. It is used to purify an environment.
Myrrh is used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, as a scent in perfumes, or as a fixative in cosmetics.
The best quality myrrh is large, brown red, slightly sticky, translucent, and with a dense and lingering fragrance.
Want Myrrh (Mo Yao)?
Here are some options…
Myrrh Beads
“Myrrh beads” are not from the same plant but are crushed seeds worn by married Mali women in multiple strands around the hip
Bitter
The plant’s name, “myrrh”, has origins in Arabic meaning, “bitter.”
A Plant's Defense
Like frankincense, myrrh gum is a resin that is the plant’s response to penetration of the plant’s bark. It is a waxy substance that coagulates quickly, becoming hard and glossy.
Take FULL advantage of Myrrh (Mo Yao)!
Connecting Eastern and Western perspectives on HOW and WHY this herb works. Find out how to safely and effectively use this healing herb for treating conditions and for your Body, Mind, and Spirit. Find True Health. Explore uses, safety information, benefits, history, recipes, gardening tips, essential oil information, if it applies, and much, much more in this online course.
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