Herbalism and what it means to me.

A quick thought by Urbal Nick...

Holistic medicine consists in the treatment of the spirit, soul and body.

Herbalism, in order to be holistic, must entertain the possibility that there is a spiritual side to the plant as well as the material side. This leads us to the even greater possibility that Nature as a whole is a living, spiritual being. Therefore, in order to use medicinal plants effectively we must understand how the body works in a holistic fashion and not in a isolated way.

Modern medicine and drugs focus on specific molecular changes in the body because they are isolated molecules themselves. Herbs contain numerous chemicals that are gentle in action and synergistic. In this way they effect tissues, functions, organs and the body as a whole. This is a return to traditional knowledge and the understanding of integrated processes, rather than isolated ones.

My goal is continue those traditions and further that return through my herbal teas. Thus, understanding herbalism in this way open the door to bridging the gap between modern and traditional medicine.