Shamanic herbalism as a pathway to well-being sovereignty
During these politically unsettling times, where big pharma, billionaire-owned corporations, and healthcare privatisation seem to be more aggressively trying to take control, there has never been a more important time to be in touch with our ancestral birth right of herbal medicine. Empowering people to be able to treat themselves for free with medicine that grows on our doorsteps is one of the main driving forces of our Shamanic Herbalism Apprenticeship. Because we ALL have the basic human right to be healthy and well both spiritually and physically.
Today as I was preparing a social media post, spirit gave me the phrase ‘wellbeing sovereignty’. It is the reclamation of our innate right to understand our own bodies, to receive medicine and treatment, and to be in charge of our own healing journey. In this way, shamanic herbalism serves as a powerful, ancient remembrance to our own autonomy.
What is Wellbeing Sovereignty?
At its heart, wellbeing sovereignty is about your own self-authority. It is the shift from being a passive recipient of 'fixes’ and ‘one pill cures’ to becoming an active participant in your own vitality. It acknowledges all paths of healing - traditional medicine, modern medicine, plant medicine, Eastern medicine, alternative therapies, talking therapies, energy healing and everything in-between.
By stepping onto the plant path, we stop asking for someone else to tell us what to do to get better, and start asking
what are all the options for self-care?
is there anything I am holding that is contributing towards my body’s imbalance?
In the same way seeing a herbalist or receiving shamanic healing isn’t an exclusive choice - meaning it can work alongside modern medicine in a safe way. The plants don’t have their own sections that they grow, they evolve beside each other in harmony. Being in your own well-being sovereignty means that harmony of treatments can exist in your healing journey too.
Steps Toward Your Own wellbeing Sovereignty
Like all change it requires effort and consistency so if you are a total newbie and find the steps below overwhelming I would suggest completing one step, getting really comfortable with it, before moving on to the next.
Be open to learning: Understanding your body and any health condition on a scientific level is key, be open to learning anatomy and physiology so you can learn about your body. There are a lot of good you tube videos which make learning fun and easy. Another key learning point is curated a small (or large) recipe for herbal remedies that you can make at home from either home grown plants or off the shelf herbal material. The key to being consistent is keeping it easy to do and quick in prep time if scheduling is a factor for you, there are a lot of herbal medicines that fit that bill.
Research from reputable sources: Knowledge is power, unchecked and unreviewed knowledge is confusion. Check only reputable databases or sources for information about your health condition, herbal supplements, and scientific data.
Grow your our medicine: Even if you only have space for a few potted plants you will be surprised with what you can grow. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage are incredible healers for respiratory conditions such as coughs and colds. If you have more space consider a medicine plant section in your garden, there are some great books that can help you design your garden and choose the right plants for you.
Stock a kitchen pharmacy: I feel this is one of the most under-rated parts of herbal medicine and was really promoted by one of my clinic supervisors who worked in the dermatology department of a London hospital. She would often receive patients who could not afford the cost of targeted herbal medicine, so she would talk to them about all the ways they could include herbs into their life as part of their kitchen. Herbs such as the aforementioned thyme, rosemary, sage, and others such as turmeric, garlic, ginger, clove, can be incredibly useful.
Keep a little dispensary: If there are things that you or your family struggle with regularly keep a stocked dispensary. Most of us already have a shelf set aside for medicine we buy or prescribed, think about adding herbal remedies to this also. Such as lavender essential oil is great for burns, headaches and calming effects. Or making fire cider or a herbal honey for taking as soon as any coughs or colds appear. Or perhaps even some echinacea to support the immune system or a night-time herbal tea when sleep is a little tricky. The list is truly endless when it comes to herbal remedies, the trick is to keep what you know you will use rather than following any of the latest herbal fads.
Track your body: It so easy to get swept up in the momentum of life. We are overbombarded with technology and stressors in a way that we never have been before. So it is really important to pay attention to your body. Our bodies hold ancient wisdom and knowledge and when we approach with respect it will tell us so much about how we take care of it. Track symptoms (including periods) to start to give you a clearer idea of what is happening and be able to present a clear picture to your herbalist or other health practitioner.
Trust your body: Your body will give early warning signs if something is out-of-kilter, such as a tickly cough, feeling more run down than usual, changes in bowel movements, etc. With common conditions such as colds and coughs we can begin receiving our plant friends straight away. With more complex health conditions it is always advisable to speak with a qualified practitioner to support you in a herbal prescription.
Be honest with yourself: be open to reflection on your actions without judgment. Somtimes life circumstances, how we deal with stress, learned behaviour, karmic influences, collective thinking, and environmental factors can contribute to being unwell. It is important to be honest with yourself about what is contributing, such as late night snacking, and what you cannot change, such as an inherited genetic condition.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions: When you are in your appointment with your herbalist, GP, or other health practitioner it is important to have all the information at hand to be able to decide if this is the right treatment for you. These questions can look like: how did you get to that conclusion? what else do you think it could be? what are the other treatment options available? It is likely that you will follow the practitioners advice but it is important for your own sovereignty to understand the critical thinking that forms your treatment plan.
Walking the Path Together
The Shamanic Herbalism Apprenticeship is about sharing wisdom that has been passed down through generations and is supported by science. It teaches about herbal medicinal qualities, crafting medicine, shamanic wisdom, communicating with the Plant Kingdom, anatomy & physiology, botany & plant identification. You will also experience healing plant ceremonies which help us find our way back to the rhythms of the seasons and thus back to the rhythms of our own body.