Amateur herbalism: anything I should know?
Asked by
rOs (
3531
)
July 11th, 2011
I’ve become interested in herbalism, and I could use some Jellies to show me the way!
Generally speaking, I’m interested in aiding meditation and spiritual growth (but I’m also interested in anything else that could be healthy or helpful). Thanks!
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10 Answers
Don’t assume that just because it’s natural, it’s harmless. Plenty of herbs are deadly.
@crisw is dead on! Many herbal remedies and supplement can interact with traditional medicines. I found a popular herbal remedy aggregated my allergies.
I find deepening my meditation and pranyama breathing techniques to be where I have had the most benefit to my overall mindfulness of my life, Gonna do a lot tonight! PM me if you want to go into greater detail.
Start with getting a well-regarded, thorough herbal.
Check out the interactions and side effects of each herb thoroughly before using.
I know of one herb that will help with that.
Be aware of herbs that contain MAOIs. There are a lot of dietary restrictions associated with them and can be quite dangerous if ignored.
@Hobbes hmmm whichever one could that be :) I know quite a few that fit that MO :P
I’ve found that these three references have served me well over the years. They’re a good place to start.
Ayurvedic medicine has a lot to say about herbs on both fronts, meditation and health.
There are resources all over the web.
I have studied herbs for about 30 years, but I am mostly self taught. I studied one herb, maybe two at a time generally, and I chose ones that addressed a need I had. So when I had an infection, I studied herbs that dealt with infections, and which ones worked for what sort of problems. I also learned about synergy (combining two herbs that complement each other), how to find quality products, and a bit about how they are processed by companies. I also took a course on how to make your own herbal salve (very cool). And as mentioned above, I also learned about contraindications for herb use.
Make sure you know exactly how to use an herb. Some are more or less effective in different forms. Traditional uses are usually the best. Everyone else covered the other important things. If you wild-harvest, make sure you’re 110% sure of what you’re harvesting.
Oh yea, and garlic is probably the best remedy for like half of all ailments you’ll come across. :)
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