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Slow herbalism is my saving grace. After several years of struggling with bizarre symptoms and going through early menopause, I have an even greater respect for the gentle support of herbs in my life. Navigating the medical landscape is challenging, and when your body’s experiences don’t check the normal boxes and timelines, it’s easy to feel lost and exhausted on your search for answers. The wellness industry, with it’s driven, relentless focus on self-improvement, doesn’t help either!
Slow herbalism for slow, adaptable living
Although well meaning, much of wellness culture and the medical landscape are steeped with internalized ableism. Assuming that someone has a lot of energy or clarity of mind, and that consistent application will yield consistent results, are not compatible with chronic illness. Living with chronic illness has a distinct pace. It changes what’s possible, and that matters. Those of us living with chronic illness often learn to slow down, to assess what’s essential, and to adjust our expectations. Most importantly, we learn to trust our lived experiences and how to pace ourselves in our new reality.
Like slow living, slow herbalism invites us to go deeper and look more closely at what’s at hand. We reconsider what’s possible, what’s necessary, and how we spend our time to center joy or comfort.
What I mean by slow herbalism
Like the slow food movement, slow herbalism is about connection, relationship, and leaving behind the rushed consumer mindset. It’s about relationship with plants and locality as well as relationship with our own bodies.
Slow herbalism invites us to embrace curiosity. It values relationship over results. And it teaches us that rhythm, whether the cadence of seasons or the cycles of our bodies, can be as transformational as routine.
Why chronic illness requires a different herbal approach
For me, unpredictable energy is a reality of living with chronic illness. In my case, changing hormone levels and genetics created a perfect storm that drastically changed the way my body relates to the world over the span of a few years. Flare days happen. Slow herbalism, with its simplicity and flexibility, is perfect for this natural ebb and flow.
Another reality is that my body’s experiences of discomfort can wax and wane from one day to the next. It’s tempting to focus on the list of things that hurt or don’t feel right and try to make it shorter, like scratching off items on a to-do list.
However, herbs give me another language for listening to my body. The energetics approach in herbalism helps me see my body as an environment unto itself and as a part of the natural world. Instead of seeing illness as just a list of waxing and waning symptoms, I can notice the constellation of my body’s experiences and find herbal allies to support my body’s needs in any given moment.
What slow herbalism looks like for me
Inviting connection with slow herbalism can create beautiful, flexible routines to sustain us through many challenges. Some of my favorite ways to nourish my mind and body with slow herbalism are:
- one cup rituals with single herbs or pre-blended teas
- custom elixirs and electuaries
- easy and delicious mocktails
I also find that my relationship to the traditions of herbalism and experiencing the knowledge and presence of living plants are just as vital to sustaining me. In this sense, slow herbalism is experiential and a path of life-long learning.
Dedication to a path of life-long learning
Although the thread of learning is an important aspect of slow herbalism, it doesn’t require a rigid daily lesson plan or energy-draining in person classes. Learning in seasons of knowledge or with a small daily commitment are just as valid. Herbal learning alongside a chronic illness might look like:
- keeping a materia medica or herb journal
- building a beautiful herbal reference library at home (find my book recs here!)
- exploring online resources like the Herbarium (#ad) by Herbal Academy
- listening to herbal podcasts or audiobooks
- enrolling in short, self-paced learning courses
Remember, it’s ok to be “inconsistent.” Instead of worrying about whether you are doing enough, enjoy the process. Nature works in cycles of growth, harvest, renewal and rest. So can you!
Slow herbalism and gentle alignment
This season of life is bringing more focus on my nervous system and the intricate ways my immune system functions. Focusing on traditional support with nervines, adaptogens, and alteratives has always been a common theme in my personal wellness, and that background continues to be an important aspect now.
I’m looking forward to sharing more about the herbs that are part of these categories and the way traditional Western herbalism can anchor and uplift the body and mind during change and challenge. Slow herbalism is the practice of alignment and attunement with nature, self, and tradition.
What Indie Herbalist is and is not
As always, my writing here on Indie Herbalist is educational, based on my experiences, and rooted in respect. It’s never been about medical advice, a guide to cures, or productivity-focused wellness – and that’s not about to change.
My health journey has been a long and strange one. I still don’t have all the answers I would like. But herbs have been there every step of the way for me, so I know they are beautiful companions no matter what challenges we face. Herbalism has provided comfort, ease, and a sense of coming home to myself on so many occasions. I hope that this new chapter on Indie Herbalist also helps you find a slow, gentle path of connection and tradition.
All the best,
Agatha
