As an herbalist, I frequently hear, "I have condition X. What herbs should I use?" Most of us are well aware that herbal medicine has been in use for millennia and understand that it continues to be an effective option for natural healing. But, how many of us are aware and understand the importance of herbal energetics?

In our science-oriented society, we view herbs as plant materials containing active ingredients that help us ridourselves of symptoms. Some of us opt for them before turning to conventional drugs, while others turn to herbs when the results from drugs are not fully satisfactory. Either way, our most common approach to herbal medicines is one of choosing our herbs in relation to the condition or illness that we have.

There is plenty of evidence, both scientific and empirical, to support the use of certain herbs for certain conditions. However, when using only this approach for remedy selection, one leaves out a major player in the overall equation-you, the human being! Such a method of selection also overlooks the complex personalities of the herbs. Without a holistic view, complications and side effects may result, as is often the case with conventional drug therapy.

In holistic herbal medicine, the whole is always greater than the sum of the parts. Herbs have active ingredients that we recognize, but plants comprise hundreds of constituents, which interact in ways we are far from comprehending. These constituents act not only with each other, but also with our individual body chemistry. With such marvelously complex organisms as plants and humans, biochemistry alone is not enough to choose appropriate formulas. That's why herbal energetics is so important.

Traditional systems around the globe have synthesized the observations of centuries of herbal medicine in their cultures. They know not only how herbs affect diseases, but also how herbs affect people. Certain herbs affect certain organs, and carefully chosen herbal combinations can augment these effects.

In the energetic system that I employ (traditional Chinese medicine), herbs have temperatures ranging from very hot (like cayenne pepper) to very cold (like watermelon). In general, warm and hot herbs warm us up and stimulate our metabolism. (Ever sprinkled too much cayenne
into your cooking?) Conversely, cool and cold herbs cool us down and cleanse us. (There's nothing like fresh watermelon on a hot summer's day.)

Herbs also have flavours (sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter), each of which acts in different directions in the body. For example, spicy herbs generally have an outward-moving energy that stimulates peripheral circulation and makes us sweat. This method of treatment is useful when a pathogen has not penetrated deeply into our system, like when we feel we're on the verge of a cold. The sour flavour has an inward-moving, astringent (tissue-tightening) effect. (Ever noticed the facial reaction when someone sucks on a lemon or eats an unripe blackberry?) This flavour can be helpful for the person who sweats excessively or in cases of premature ejaculation, for example.

Each traditional system has its own guidelines for understanding the energetics of herbs and how these energies interact with the body, which has its own ever-changing energies, depending on which foods and plants we consume.

When holistic-minded herbalists consider a formula for a client, they consider who that client is in that moment. For example, take two female clients who each have a bladder infection. One client, age 23, is of a healthy weight, fairly active, has few digestive complaints and good sleep patterns. It's her first bladder infection, and the symptoms are fierce. The other woman is 52 years old, menopausal, thin, has insomnia with hot flashes at night, is anxious and fidgety but with little sustained energy and has suffered for years from mild constipation. Her bladder symptoms are bothersome, but not as acute as she has experienced in the past.

Even though both of the women are seeking herbal medicine for this infection, the holistic herbalist would give each of them a different herbal formula. According to the Chinese energetic system, the first woman is suffering from a condition qualified by excess (of heat and dampness). The second woman's condition is embedded in an environment of deficiency (of yin).

Holistic herbalists from different herbal energetic systems may suggest
different remedies from each other, but all would likely agree that each woman requires an individual formula. As a second example, a 43-year-old woman came to see me for acupuncture treatments (post cancer, post surgery). For about six weeks, on the recommendation of a practitioner not specializing in herbs, she had been taking an herbal formula
to cleanse her blood. The formula was a good blood-cleansing combination of herbs, comprised of goldenseal, red clover, echinacea and licorice. However, this formula has cold energy which resulted in weight gain, sensations of coldness and energy loss in this client. I modified the formula to make it less cold, more strengthening (for post surgery) and yet still cleansing. The results were fewer cold sensations and more energy. I continued to modify the formula, as necessary, to support the client's health as it evolved.

Herbal medicine has gained much popularity in the last decade, and with
good reason. When well chosen, herbs are both effective remedies for many ailments and wonderful preventives for proactive, health-conscious people. However, herbs are most helpful when a holistic approach, including consideration of herbal energetics, is employed.

In addition to herbal energetics, your body, mind and spirit is at least as important, and often more so, than X disease or condition.

[Tobi Panter is a registered herbalist, acupuncturist and Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure™ practitioner. Her practice, Hummingbird Holistic Healing, is based in Vancouver, BC. www.humholheal.com]

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