Seeking Wisdom from the Plants: The gentle voice of the Earth's plants can guide us on our personal quest for wellness, says herbalist Kathleen Gould

When we reach a certain state of interconnectedness, we recognize the truth when we hear it. The gentle voice of the Earth’s plants has always been there for all of us to guide us in our personal quest for wellness. As more and more people are awakening at this time in our evolution, they are beginning to hear that voice again.

For the physical body, they heal, as well as nourish. Herbs are in fact super foods that are rich in vitamins, totally absorbable minerals, trace minerals, antioxidants and free radical scavengers. Simply making and drinking an assortment of infusions daily strengthens everything in our physical body, including hair, skin, nails, teeth, eyes, body systems, organs and brain, and hydrates us at the same time.

Our emotional body benefits as well. Herbs like motherwort, kava kava, valerian and myriad others help bring balance to our stressed nervous systems and help us deal with imbalances such as anxiety, depression and stress, and work to bring us to a more peaceful and calm place.

The area we are just now beginning to understand is how the plants work within our spiritual bodies. For thousands of years the shamans of South America have used plants like ayahuasca with profound results for healing the spiritual body. Places like Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual (spiritual center), in Iquitos, Peru are now getting funding from Western medical sources because of the miraculous healing they are doing with plants. Gardeners have long known that talking to their plants is of great benefit because they are living beings and like all living beings, love to be loved.

Here is a beautiful blend of medicinal herbs to help get started.

2 oz chamomile flower

2 oz raspberry leaf

1 oz strawberry leaf

1 oz nettle leaf

1 oz dandelion leaf

2 oz spearmint leaf

1 oz hibiscus flower

Stevia to taste

Mix all herbs together and store in a glass jar. To make: put eight cups water and eight teaspoons herb blend in a pot. Cover tightly and bring to simmer. Turn off heat and leave on stove overnight. In the morning, strain off herbs and store in refrigerator. Drink two to four cups daily for overall health and well-being.

Note: 1 cup (8 oz) tea has about 300 mg of calcium, magnesium and all the bone-building minerals we need in the perfect blend, along with tons of vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants and free radical scavengers.

Plants engage all of our senses. Just look out over the desert landscape, filled with the vivid colors of wildflowers, and try not to let a smile appear. Go outside after a desert rain, and inhale deeply the aroma of our desert creosote. Taste and touch all the textures and tastes of nature’s plant healers like peppermint, catnip, calendula and chamomile…then listen for the voice of the Earth.

Kathleen Gould is an herbalist RH and proprietor of SW Herb, 148 N. Center St., in Mesa. Contact her at 480-694-9931 or SWHerb.com.