Same Herb, Completely Different Response

After my last post, I heard two completely different experiences:

Some of you said: “Yes. Heat. Push. Anxiety. I had to stop.”
Others said: “No – it’s the most calming thing I’ve ever taken.”
So which is it?

Both. And after years of working with sensitive systems, this pattern makes complete sense. Yesterday I tried a beautiful formula as an experiment. It contained ashwagandha. Within an hour, my mind was clear and I had tons of energy.

But I also felt PUSHED. Like my system was being revved.
It reminded me why understanding your individual response to any herb is so important.

Here’s what’s actually happening with ashwagandha.
It’s not “just calming.” It’s doing multiple things simultaneously in your body.

The cortisol piece:
For people with chronically elevated cortisol – those running on stress hormones – ashwagandha can bring those levels down. And that feels like enormous relief. Finally, your system gets to exhale.

The thyroid piece:
But at the same time, ashwagandha increases T3 and T4 production. That’s your thyroid hormones – the ones that control your metabolic rate, energy output, and internal drive. For people whose systems are already activated or sensitive, that extra thyroid stimulation doesn’t feel energizing. It feels like being pushed.

The nervous system piece:

It also affects GABA receptors – your brain’s natural brake system – which can create a calming effect. But simultaneously, it can increase norepinephrine and other stimulating neurotransmitters in some people.

So you’re literally getting signals to both calm down AND rev up at the same time. Whichever pathway is more dominant in your individual system determines how you feel.

That combination creates what Ayurveda calls heating effects: increased metabolic activity, internal intensity, more drive in the system. This is why someone with high cortisol and an exhausted HPA axis might feel calmer at first. The cortisol-lowering effect dominates their experience.

But for others – especially those with sensitive, reactive systems or those already running hot – that same increase in metabolic and thyroid activity feels like stimulation, anxiety, shortened sleep, being pushed.

Same herb. Different dominant pathway. Different experience.

Many people today are already running on overdrive, hormonally responsive to small shifts, carrying internal intensity even when exhausted. This is why some people say “it calms me” and others say “it’s too much.” Both are real.

But the underlying nature of the herb – heating, mobilizing, strengthening – hasn’t changed.
So instead of asking “Is ashwagandha calming?” ask: What is this doing in my system over time?

I’m curious – Have you noticed this pattern – where something gives you initial relief but then feels like too much over time? If you’re realizing your body doesn’t always respond the way it’s “supposed to” with herbal and nutritional support, you’re not alone.

This is exactly what I help people sort through – understanding why your system responds the way it does and what actually works for your individual physiology, not what works for everyone else.

I’m curious to hear your experience.

and I’m glad you’re here.

—Dr. Lisa 🩵

If you want to figure out what your system actually needs, I offer a 20-minute Clarity Call to explore what your body is asking for. $50, applied to your care if you move forward. No pressure, just listening.

Book a Clarity Call here: somaradiantwellness.com/book

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