A few years ago my former partner, Kristina, and I both went through some health challenges that resulted in our leaving our regular work and going on long term disability. I was dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Kristina had Interstitial Cystitis. There was no simple "miracle cure" for either of these conditions, but we have both returned to full careers and good health now. Our paths to recovery involved personal journeys that enriched our lives with new learning, some of which you will see reflected in these pages.
For me, the herbs that the earth (Gaia) provides for our healing have become a tremendously important area for my personal study. More often than not in the spring, summer and fall, you'll find me out wandering through remote woods and meadows looking for wild medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, due to health department regulations that apply in our area, it is not possible for me to make any of my herbal remedies available for sale to the public.
I have a few simple rules. I only gather plants that are effective for their uses and can be identified accurately 100% of the time. I gather the herbs in areas that are as far away as possible from any use of herbicides or pesticides, and never closer than 100' to any travelled roadway. I treat the community of plants with respect, and gather only healthy specimens that can be spared for our use.
When the herbs are gathered, they are cleaned and then dried in a cabin right here on our property. It's just drafty enough to provide both a dry area and good ventilation. Most of the herbs are then processed for teas, or made into tinctures. At the time of writing I have 46 tinctures of individual herbs and about 20 mixtures that I make for different purposes. The recipes for some of these are contained in another section, but you are advised to use them only at your own risk.
I don't believe that taking a "pill" can cure our ills, whether the ills are physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, and regardless of whether the "pill" is a pharmaceutical or herbal. Illness is a challenge that allows us to re-evaluate our priorities and set new directions. The herbs simply provide a link with the earth, which is ready, willing and able to assist us in our healing.
Please note that the information presented here is about a fairly short list of herbs that I currently use myself. Personally, I believe that the earth provides everything you need to support your health near at hand, and since I don't live in China, you'll find no specific references to traditional Oriental herbs in the material below. If that is what you are looking for, you might want to try one of these links.