What is healthy? We at Standing Land view health as a dynamic state. We share the view of many before and beside us, that health is not a definitive point that we arrive at, put the crown on and finally enjoy that health-cake. Bodies are dynamic, beautiful, and sometimes messy. The body is constantly adjusting, expressing, healing, and doing the best it can at any given moment. If one pays attention, and finds more way to offer supportive things to their body, they will find greater vitality. As we learn to respect ourselves as whole and multi-dimensional, we become more aware of the context of our choices, and additionally how these choices affect us and those around us. Wellness becomes better understood by our response to change and our flexibility of being in response to challenges and our environment. We do not live to be healthy, we care for ourselves so we can live.
Herbalism has roots that trace to the beginning of mankind’s walk upon the earth. Having evolved within a plant rich lifestyle and context, we found both daily nourishment and balance during times of illness or injury. Today, we continue to maintain this relationship with plants on a physiological and emotional level. Whether you experience chronic malady or feel less than your best self due to stress or fatigue, plants offer relief and healing.
Herbalism is often food-like in nature and demands a certain diligence on our part. In a paradigm that glorifies pill-popping solutions to isolated symptoms, working with plants requires active participation. It is a practical and accessible system. The metabolic processes of the body respond to plant constituents in a predictable and intelligent way; sometimes instantly (think of how the volatile oils in a cup of ginger tea immediately sooth tension in our digestive system) or the plants can have a more building, long-term tonic effect (the way ½ cup of blueberries support vascular integrity when eaten daily).
The herbalist does not treat or diagnose disease, instead focusing on the support of function, structure, and at times, spirit. We will work together in assisting the body as it adapts more effectively to circumstances.
The ultimate goal is always to assist in your personal healing process.