Paula's Herbals & Wellness
  • Pelvic Floor
    • 1:1 Private Training
  • Pilates
  • About

Herbalism from This Herbalist's Perspective- Part 1

10/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Thirty years ago I would have said that Herbalism was taking capsules of dried plants, and a few teas and foul-tasting tinctures, so that I didn’t get sick. Today Herbalism is much more widely known than it was in the 1980’s, but perhaps it’s no better understood. Let’s look at this!

Yes, Herbalism is plants. You can quibble about mushrooms and resins and a few other not-exactly-plant items, but basically we’re talking “go out in the woods or the fields and gather” items here. Except, not really.

To really get a handle on what Herbal medicine is about, I need to ask you to try something: Set aside your understanding, your ideas about medicine and disease and wellness. They’re perfectly valid thoughts, but I want you to try to imagine an entirely different way.

People are complex- just check out the online reviews of restaurants or gyms or anything else. No one thing is for EVERYONE. And plants are just as complex as we are- did you know that the only chemical difference between our blood and chlorophyll is that where we have an Iron molecule, the plants have a Magnesium? We inhale what they exhale, they make the water cycle the entire planet depends on, and the exact same plant can vary widely in its growth habits and chemical makeup depending on where it’s grown. I’m the same- I’d be very different living in the far North, or on a tropical island, or in the middle of a city, based on the choices, opportunities, and resources available to me. 
Photo by Vadim Gromov on Unsplash
So what is Herbalism? I nominate this idea: It’s The Act And Art Of Living With Plants As Food And Medicine To Maximize Your World.

"Act and Art"

Photo by Skyla Design on Unsplash
​Herbalism definitely has a big knowledge component- you need to know your plants. How many plants is up to you, though. 

A dozen or two well-chosen plants could cover pretty much everything you’d need, and some herbalists work well with 6-10 individual and combination remedies handling almost all of their client’s complaints. On the other end of the spectrum, there are honestly thousands and thousands of plants to choose from. 

The “art” of herbalism is inseparable from the knowledge base. Facts, research, and “proof” inform us right alongside intuition, inspiration, and experimentation. 

Every single herbalist I know balances the science and the art that underpins the “knowing” of their plants differently, beautifully, and dynamically, allowing change to morph their practice over time. Practicing herbalism is a dance with all the information- known and unknown- out there.

"Living With"

One of the most difficult paradigm shifts I’ve had was giving up the idea that plants and food are tools, fuel, or weapons. 

What?! Right. 

The common understanding in our culture is exploitative- I need a thing (that’s usually really a want in reality) so I will use my tools to get it- money to buy, vehicles to ship, factories to make, landfills to remove. 
But have you ever gardened? You want tomatoes, so you plant them. But diseases, pests, and weather will inform your harvest, not your willpower or desire! So perhaps you plant some companion flowers with your tomatoes the next year, that will attract good bugs that pollinate the flowers and control the destructive bugs. And you use a soaker hose to evenly water your plants, and discover a viney weed growing everywhere the soil is damp.

​Just before you rip out the weeds, you find out from your local plant nerd (Hi!!) that this is Ground Ivy aka Creeping Charlie aka a wonderful remedy when you’re dealing with upper respiratory congestion (head, nose, sinus, ears, eustachian tubes, post nasal drip, etc.)

​Well, how about that. Now you’re living with some plants, instead of just using them. You’re living with your world, instead of just on it. And just by accident you’re creating an environment where everything, not just you, gets what it wants AND needs.
Picture by Paula
Ground Ivy
Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash
Goldenrod
Picture
Burdock

​"Food and Medicine"

Picture
Parsley- food, seasoning, AND medicine
Food and medicine is the same thing! That tomato you grew is tasty, it fills your belly, and it provides you with vitamins, minerals, and other molecules like lycopene and beta carotene that support different functions in your body- they’re medicine. 

Often the difference between food and medicine is just the dose. A little mug of hot water with a Chamomile teabag is a nice beverage, but a jar of fresh flowers covered in cold water steeped overnight in the fridge makes a fragrant, uplifting apple-sweet drink that delivers all the muscle-relaxing and petulance-overcoming benefits of Chamomile’s volatile oils. And a mug of long-brewed Chamomile tea, dark and earthy and bitter, helps move full or constricted digestion along. 

Good food- whole, clean, organic, and consistent- seasoned and spiced with further good foods, becomes your medicine
Read Part 2
Read Part 3
Photo by Lisa Hobbs on Unsplash
0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Fun Fact: I'm an herbalist and a movement coach. Not a doctor, or a pharmacist, and not pretending to be one on TV.

    This is a public space, so my writing reflects my experiences and I try to stay general enough so it might relate to you. This does not constitute medical advice, and I encourage you to  discuss concerns with your doctor. Remember, however, that the final say in your wellness decisions are always yours- you have the power to choose, you are the boss of you.

    And, some of my posts may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I'll earn a few cents. Thank you for supporting my work. 

    This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted. 

    Categories

    All
    DIY
    Exercise Your Systems
    Food And Digestion
    Foot To Forehead
    From Paula
    Garden
    Herbcraft
    Immune
    Local
    Meet Your Herbs
    Meet Your Self
    Move
    News And Events
    Paula The Herbalist
    Pelvic Floor
    Pilates
    Release & Relief
    Seasonal
    Stress
    Your Wellness

    Archives

    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

Picture

info @paulaswellness.com 

Disclaimer

This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical, mental health or healthcare advice.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition.  Working with us is not a guarantee of any results.  Paula Billig owns all copyrights to the materials presented here unless otherwise noted.  
Photos used under Creative Commons from specialoperations, specialoperations
  • Pelvic Floor
    • 1:1 Private Training
  • Pilates
  • About