Sep 29, 2008
Understanding the Healing Nature of Herbs in your Garden
Kaye Tahwakeena, co-organizer of the Healing Drum Retreat, offered an overview on the healing properties of herbs and plants commonly found in our gardens. Many of these plants are overlooked or treated as weeds and nuisances, and are removed from our lives. We’ve lost touch with our history and knowledge of the healing and nutritional qualities of these plants.
What do you have in your cupboard? Cayenne, garlic, onion, are common ones, to name a few. Chili peppers are another basic food. Chili peppers have vitamin C, and strong anti-oxidants. Cayenne is known to stop hemorrhaging, and has been used for emergency treatment.
Kaye expressed a consideration during this workshop: “What if you cannot get to the doctor, or cannot get to the store? It’s knowing what you have available within your living area, whether its your cupboard, or your garden, or the weeds outside your door. What you find will vary depending on where you live”.
Here in the northwest we find Oregon grape, plantain, chamomile, juniper, burdock root, osha root, sage, and many more powerful healing herbs. So, what Kaye recommends is to know what you have in your backyard, to understand what is available.
“Look up these herbs”, Kaye adds, “you can find many goods books, or can look up these herbs on the internet”. One great book is called Nutritional Healing. “Know what you are picking, use caution and common sense, and find a good teacher. You want to understand what you are working with, how it affects you, and its proper use.” Kaye talked about using muscle testing to see if the herb is good for your own needs.
This is not medical advice in any sense. This article is informational, focusing on the ancient knowledge of plants. The FDA requires that we state that we are not certified medical care providers, and advises that a consultation with a licensed health practitioner is advised before starting any herbal or other wellness protocol.
