What’s the most common mistake most people make when they start using herbs? After years of teaching and traveling across the country, I’ve seen people over and over make the assumption that if they’re using herbs, they’re holistic. It’s actually not true! Many herbalists and naturopaths actually practice what I like to call “green allopathy” – using herbs just as replacements for drugs. Instead of thinking of herbs in a “use this for that” kind of mindset, I break down how to see herbs in a truly holistic way.
With this simple shift of perception, you can begin to look at the whole herb with all of its actions, energetics, and yes, spiritual properties as well. You can then learn to match that herb with the whole person – taking into account their unique constitution, personality, and mental/emotional states as well. With using Vitalism, you can dig in to find the true root behind the imbalance that a person is experiencing and address it from all angles, looking at not just which herbs may help them, but also lifestyle and nutritional aspects that may be blocking their progress towards a balanced state of health.
In this short video, I use the example of adaptogens and the current fad craze over this category of herbs. I show you how most of these herbs are being completely misused and can be damaging to the core constitution of someone who is taking them in an inappropriate context.
Watch the video to get some key insights into what holistic herbalism really is to make sure you’re avoiding the common mistakes most people make!
