Herbalism
A look upon the plants
Plants grow wild in the precise place that Nature has entrusted to them, wherever Life wanted to make the beauty of its song emerge, in that unique caress, made of light and aromas. Over time, the herbalist, an observer, understood the peculiar characteristics of each plant: its flavor, its location, its smell, its texture, its size, the moment of flowering; its behavior in cold or hot weather, humidity, wind and the season... According to the "personality" of each plant and the needs of each patient, the doctor wisely chooses those herbs that can help him. In the medical discipline of herbalism, plants heal us through teaching, or by providing those necessary characteristics that had previously failed in our relationship with the world. This support helps us to bring back the memory of harmony: the harmony from which our body was born, and the instinct that, under natural conditions, takes care of us at all times.
The illness
People can get sick from external causes: seasonal changes, cold, wind, humidity, etc. Plants, properly selected, could teach us how to heal ourselves, since they are endowed with a strength and perfect adaptation that at one point we lack. We can also get sick from internal causes: food, emotions, etc. In such cases, we create our own confused state, which must be carefully discovered and described. The complete antecedent-consequent account must be recorded, to understand what mixture of sensations determines the way of life of a patient.
The Spirit of Plants
Some plants would survive, radiant, white and aromatic, in the most intense heat of summer. So they would calm us in our most intense anxiety and despair, during feverish states, etc. Some trees remain evergreen and beautiful at the first contact with the snow when others have lost all their leaves in winter. Warm plants, some hot and spicy, would provide us with that teaching-example that we need to face intense pains from cold stomach or slow digestion due to the spleen's chronic failure:
- Cardamom seeds warm the spleen while improving our digestion.
- Astragalus tones not only our spleen, but also the vital energy of the body, strengthening us against pathogens.
- Yam water benefits our vital energy and harmonizes the functioning of the spleen. It nourishes our yin in kidneys and lungs.
- The hawthorn fruit can be used in case of poor digestion due to food stagnation.
- With senna leaves, mallow and peach seed, we can not only eliminate intestinal gases due to constipation or fecal impaction, but also make the blood and fluids circulate through the body via diuresis or catharsis. This effect would help remove toxic heat as well.
- Ginseng is a "yuan" energy macrotonifier and also strengthens the spleen. Excellent invigorator.
- The warm fennel seeds are digestive that please the body.
The formulas
Chinese medicine combines unique and exclusive plants for each person. These combinations are called formulas and the use of different parts of the plants is proposed, in different doses depending on the case. Rarely do patient-to-patient formulas exactly match, and diagnostic skills will be critical to proper dose prescribing. Let's look at a common herbal formula for stress and anxiety. I describe a small herbal treatment for a chronic stagnation of liver energy, with doses of permanent heat that have led to the consumption of yin from the liver, kidney and heart. We find manifestations of anxiety, general tension with critical episodes of insomnia, heat in the soles of the feet, hands and chest, palpitations, tachycardia, etc:
-Bupleurum root: this plant is one of the most important for our liver to flow harmoniously, especially when there are manifestations of heat, as long as we are not facing an acute case that can bring complications.
-White peony root: it works together with blupeurum as a very effective medicine for liver stagnation. Protects the yin, smoothes and lowers the ascents of yang in the organ. It also nourishes and improves the quality of the blood.
-Chrysanthemum flower: this relieves liver symptoms, especially the rise of yang.
-Fruit of gardenia or prunela: it is used if the presence of heat in the liver is important.
-Melisa: it will help us to tone the spleen and calm the shen.
-Vallerian: this infusion calms, cools, soothes and refreshes the fire of the spirit, allowing a harmonious and easy flow of the liver.
-Rehmannia root preparation: it is the most important plant to nourish yin from the root, from the kidney.
-Lycium, goji berries: If are needed.
-Cat's claw: this brings the liver to a state of perfect tension, controlling the possible peaks of its upward blow.
-Salvia: this nourishes and refreshes the blood, calming the spirit.
