The Plant Medicine Kingdom 🌿 ✨ 🌍 👑
Herbal Medicine
For millennia, the medicinal use of plants and other materials from the natural world has been used in traditional cultures. Our physical bodies have evolved in unison with these substances and, therefore, recognize them like a “lock and key”. This is one of the beautiful features of safe and effective herbal medicine.
Traditionally, herbal medicine was rarely employed as the “only” medicine but rather used in partnership with other things to achieve balance in the body, mind and spirit. Things like food therapy, physical movement and relaxation. Herbal medicine was woven into the fabric of daily life and in the care and preservation of people’s health.
Today, herbal medicine is experiencing a renaissance. It can be used in a variety of ways to treat acute conditions (like a sore throat or cold), chronic conditions (like auto-immune or inflammatory diseases) as well as to enhance overall health and longevity.
How Do I Approach Taking an Herbal Formula?
It is important to remember that herbal formulas and supplements are not like popping an Advil or taking a prescription medication. They are not a band-aid approach but work at whatever level is needed to get to the root of the problem. As such, they can take time to work and perform best when combined with the basics: a healthy diet, regular physical movement of the body and good sleep.
✅ Herbal formulas that target acute conditions bolster the body’s ability to rid itself of the pathogen and aim to prevent its migration to the deeper layers of the body. Formulas for acute conditions are typically prescribed for 3-10 days.
✅ Herbal formulas for chronic conditions target deeper imbalances and work best when taken consistently over time and when combined with other modalities and lifestyle habits. Formulas for chronic conditions can take up to 2-3 months to reach their fullest expression in the body. Formulas for chronic conditions should be regularly monitored and modified in collaboration with an herbalist.
✅ Herbal formulas to enhance health and longevity can be used on a regular basis or as needed/desired. Based on a person’s constitution, lifestyle and overall health, “tonic” herbal formulas can be extremely useful for energy levels, concentration, athletic performance and the immune system.
Interested in learning more or getting a specific herbal formula specific to your situation? Book an herbal consultation at WCA today. 😊