One of the most important perspectives-that is, ways of seeing the world- for the true holistic herbalist, is to have an understanding of the vital intelligence found within all of nature. It is critical to learn to perceive the human body as intelligent, that everything about a plant is a communication, and that we as human beings have the innate capacity to learn directly from nature.
An understanding of the vital force of nature means that we are in a constant state of learning from all that is around us, we are attuned to the natural patterns of life, and that we allow these forces to guide our healing work with the plants.
While it’s important to know your materia medica, some anatomy, tissue states, herbal actions, energetics, etc., these things will all be a jumble in our heads if our hearts don’t have the ability to actually perceive the wholeness of people and plants. Sometimes becoming a better herbalist isn’t necessarily about growing knowledge within our minds, but learning how to see things differently- learning how to perceive holistically.
This is so critical, especially for westerners that have been conditioned within the context and culture of allopathic medicines, quick fixes, and immediate results. What we oftentimes see in both practitioners and clients, is that they carry this allopathic conditioning into their model, understanding, and practice of herbal medicine.
Unfortunately, this ultimately does not work most of the time.
In this lecture you will learn some of the distinguishing characteristics of what it means to be in direct perception and relationship to the vital force of nature, and how this influences your practice of true holistic herbalism, as well as:
- The 3 Vital Signs of Life
- The 7 Principles of the Vital Force
- How to perceive the intelligence of nature
- Why symptoms aren’t a problem to be fixed, but a language to be heard
- What it means to forever be a student of nature
- How vitalism influences your practice of herbal medicine
