Herbal Foundations: A Brief Intro to Herbalism

Herbal foundations are the basics of getting started with herbal medicine. In this article I will answer the following questions to get you more comfortable with using herbal medicine your daily life and answering some important questions like

• What is herbalism?

• What’s an herb?

• When should I use herbs and when should I go see my doctor?

• How do I take herbs?

• And more

Hold up! Are you an auditory learner? Feel free to LISTEN to this article in podcast format ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

WHAT IS HERBALISM?

Herbalism is the study and practice of the medicinal and therapeutic use of plants. 

To be medicinal a substance should treat, prevent, restore, correct, or modify physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action. 

This means that for something to be medicinal, it should have a balancing effect. Balance, in this context, is the ability to control or maintain a position of wellness or equilibrium. 

WHAT IS AN HERB

In BOTANY: the scientific study of plants, the term herb refers to an herbaceous plant. 

“An herbs is a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season”

In herbalism the term herb refers to any plant and any part of a plant that has therapeutic value. It can be in the flower or the bark of a tree, or the leaves, the seed, the fruit, the root or rhizome and so on. 

HOW TO USE HERBS

Plant medicine can be used in so many ways. We can use plant medicine for spiritual and magical purposes, to enhance a connection to the earth, to god, to that something greater if we believe in that. We can use herbalism as preventative medicine

Herbs can be used to boost the immune system, to nourish the body much. We can eat herbs and use them to help recover from chronic and acute illness, to to enhance certain medications and to ease the side effects of aggressive but lifesaving medical or surgical interventions. 

We can use herbs for joy, beauty, mental health, athletic support, and to make our bodies more resilient. We can use them to make gestures of intention and in cultural ceremony.

Plants have such a significant medicinal place in our lives and whether we are using them internally and accessing their phytochemicals to create physiological change in the body OR using them in our spaces for mental and emotional or spiritual support, undoubtedly plant medicine has a place in everyone’s life in some way.

In fact, plant medicine is a very traditional practice. We can see herbalism the term and plant medicine as an umbrella term for peoples medicine all over the world.

If you search far enough you would be able to find traditional medicine systems and kitchen and community medicine systems in your ancestral lineage because all humans needed some form of health care. 

There is evidence of the use of medicinal compounds all throughout human history, in all corners of the globe from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, to South America and the Caribbean. 

We have some traditions that have made their way into our global mainstream consciousness like Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda and western herbalism

But plant medicine is all over which makes sense because plants are powerful. Even to this day, an estimated 50% of pharmaceuticals are derived from isolated plant compounds, and it was by the world health organization just in 2008 that 80% of the worlds health care is provided in the home.

Of course this could be because lack of access to contemporary medicine, but it also shows us that much of our wellness can be practiced inside the home and it might behoove us culturally to understand the difference between what needs medical intervention and what needs systemic home care.

Ultimately, in my opinion,  Herbal medicine is best practiced  in conjunction with other wellness interventions including movement, bodywork, rest, and nervous system regulation. 

Herbalism as a holistic perspective will acknowledge the complexity of human wellness and healing, and often that means creating space for contemporary medical practices.

WHO SHOULD WORK WITH HERBS?

I believe that herbal medicine is for everyone. Absolutely anyone can benefit from working with plants on their wellness, healing, prevention, and recovery practice. As a traditional form of medicine that spreads over continents and centuries, herbal medicine has a valuable place in the spectrum of therapeutic interventions that are available. 

We can use herbal medicine in the home for so many things. I like using it to soften symptoms of ailments so that I can make other interventions. For example using plant medicine to establish and improve basic wellness behaviors like quality sleep, movement, ease in the nervous system, and meeting my basic needs, so that the body can thrive. 

I believe that when we feel good in the body, we can do good things in life. 

If you want to know where to start, explore foundational tonic medicine. This means using herbs as a way to create a strong and resilient body. 

You can also start exploring herbal medicine through my course INTRODUCTION TO HERBALISM where I walk you through all the basics of herbal medicine including the uses and benefits of over 20 different herbs, 6 simple medicine making methods, and the basics of wildcrafting and gardening as well as how to join the herbal community. 

Another way to get started is to listen to the podcast, follow me on instagram, or sign up for the Mandala Moonletter to get regular, bite sized herbal education on a regular basis. 

No matter what direction you take, I want to say congratulations for opening yourself up to the call of the plants. I believe plant medicine deepens our lives and connection to the something greater and it is one of the most profound joys I have to get to share herbalism with others. 

Would you rather LISTEN to this article? Check out the Herbs + Ease Podcast for a more robust educational experience!

Kristen Prosen