“Love is in the Earth”: Reconnecting with Herbal Wisdom
Herbs are unique in the ways they can provide healing to the human body. Amazingly enough, the mechanisms that plants use to adapt to their environment, result in plant constituents that impart the medicinal properties we find useful in plant-based medicine. Plants are used to heal all parts of the human body including our lungs, gut, skin and more! Some herbs can even aid us at the deepest levels of emotional trauma and depression.
Herbs have been used for thousands of years in cultures throughout the world to aid in healing on all levels. Long before modern medicine existed, herbs were there guiding our bodies back to health. In fact, herbal usage is common place in many countries abroad. Herbs are used in ceremonies, home life, physical healing and spiritual restoration. Now we too have become wise, reintegrating them into our lives and reconnecting to their inherent healing abilities.
Close your eyes and visualize for a moment the way that you feel on a spring day as you hike through the woods or in the mountains gazing lovingly at the beautiful colorful flowers you see before you. The feeling of being in nature brings me great peace and joy. This is the gift of nature, of the mother earth, the warmth of the sun, and the feeling of the earth below your feet, which has the power to heal our mind, body and spirit. And as you sit and sip your favorite cup of tea and take a moment to pause, the herbs are working their magic to bring you back into oneness, and health.
I came to herbs as many herbalists do, through my own journey of healing and well-being on all levels. Since I was little, I’ve felt completely in awe while in the woods and in natural surroundings. One thing that constantly amazes me about herbs is their power to heal not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. As a woman, I turn to herbs monthly for their ability to support me as my mood and hormones shift and threaten to shake me. They gracefully bring me back into balance as the busy pace of our society can at times alter our sense of calm and inner peace.
As the spring approaches and the earth begins to thaw out, I challenge you to see plants and nature in a new way, and to allow yourself to feel that connection with the earth. Spring is a beautiful time to connect with herbs through cleansing spring shoots that restore the body from its winter hibernation. It’s also a wonderful time for plant walks in the wild to learn to identify our local plant friends. Celebrate the wonder all around us with herbs!
