Getting to know herbs through multiple preparations

In herbal medicine, we prepare formulations with combinations of plants that work well together. Together, these plants can bring out the best qualities of each other, emphasize the medicinal properties of one another, and help to direct the formula to the part of the body it is most needed. Herbal formulation is a practice where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. However, it is important to understand each of those parts - to grasp what each plant brings to the table.

One way to develop an understanding of each herb is to prepare it in many different ways. Each preparation reveals something different about the plant, such as the taste, smell, feel, and “personality”. From my point of view, this is just as important as studying herbs in textbooks and articles, as nothing can really take the place of the experiential knowledge you collect through these real-life plant interactions.

When I was first starting to learn about herbal medicine, I began this multiple-preparations practice with culinary herbs I already had some familiarity with, like rosemary. For a couple of weeks, I cooked with rosemary in many different recipes. I made rosemary-infused oils and vinegars, and I experimented with how I could incorporate those into my diet. I rinsed my hair with rosemary vinegar and felt how soft my hair would become. I drank rosemary tea and felt the energizing actions of the plant. Rosemary foot baths, which are quite warming, stimulating, and supportive of blood circulation, became an evening habit I looked forward to. The list goes on, but the point is that these many different preparations helped me understand the medicinal capacity of rosemary much more deeply.

If you are interested in learning about herbal medicine and don’t know where to start, you could simply begin by finding out about the different ways to prepare an herb that interests you. This could be an herb you’ve sipped as a tea for many years or one that you see growing in your area and are intrigued by. I’ll link some resources below with information about herbal preparation methods.

You’re welcome to write to me if you’re looking for herbal resources or want more guidance on how to get started learning about herbal medicine. As always, it’s best to talk with your herbalist or herbal provider if you are unsure if an herb is right for you and to check in about possible interactions with pharmaceuticals you might be taking.

Warmly,

Artemisia

innervillagehealth.com

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Related Resources

• Infused herbal oils are fun and easy to make. Mountain Rose Herbs has a nice instructional video guide on this method.

• Evan Rabinowitz outlines a few different ways to make Chinese herbal decoctions here.

• Here’s an easy-to-follow resource from The Herbal Academy on making herbal tinctures using the folk method. If you prefer videos, Rosemary Gladstar steps through making an echinacea tincture in this video (her process can be applied to lots of other plants).

• Herbs can also be cooked into medicinal syrups. Tierona Low Dog demonstrates how to make an elderberry syrup in this video.