Take back your health with herbal medicine
For many, the last two years have resulted in disillusionment with and distrust of mainstream healthcare systems. COVID has left many with the sense that they need to seek healthcare alternatives, but without clarity on where to look. Amazingly, the answer may lie right outside your door or inside your kitchen pantry. If you are ready to embark on a journey of reclaiming responsibility for your health, as well as your ancestral heritage, herbal medicine might be the right choice for you…
Herbal Medicine Returns
Not so long ago, herbal medicine was the only medicine. Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind, existing millennia before pharmaceuticals arrived on the scene in the 19th century. When we read about virtuoso doctors throughout antiquity, we are actually reading about herbalists.
Just a few generations ago, every family had an herbalist in the house; every homemaker knew how to heal using food and plants from their own backyard to treat ailments ranging from simple to complex in the privacy of their own homes. No PCR test, mask, regulations or vaccine required.
Though many parts of the world have lost their connection to herbal medicine in recent times, there remain practitioners who have refused to let these vitally important healing arts die. Through their passion and expertise, herbalism is making a comeback.
Herbal conferences — gather, learn, grow, heal
From experienced herbalists looking to expand their skills to first-time learners who want to get a feel for what herbal medicine is all about, there’s no better experience than attending an herbal conference. It’s the best way to access the experts and immerse yourself in a foundation of herbal knowledge. International conferences have been going strong since the 1960s; see the list of links at the end of this article to search for one near you!
Due to regulations on herbalism throughout Europe and other parts of the globe, it can be difficult to find an herbal conference in English outside the USA. For Israelis and those interested in making the trip to the Holy Land, the second annual Ancient Roots Israel International Herbal Conference is an event not to be missed. Set to take place this January 22-24, 2023, at the stunning Ana Poriya Resort near Tiberias in northern Israel, this year’s conference features an all-star lineup of speakers both from Israel and abroad.
(Photo: J. Rivkah Asoulin)
Conference founder J. Rivkah Asoulin says that ARI 2023 (Ancient Roots International Herbal Conference, 2023) will be a “choose your own adventure” experience. Alongside the main lectures, participants can select the activities that most appeal to them and best suit their skill level. Some of the offerings will include masterclasses with the experts, hands-on workshops, medicinal and foraging plant walks, herbal product vendor tables and more. In other words, there is something for everyone, regardless of skill level or experience.
(Photo: Malkie Swidler)
What makes ARI 2023 unique?
What makes this conference stand out from the many herbal conferences taking place around the world?
For starters, location. Israel has an ancient, rich herbal tradition, dating back to Biblical times. However, until ARI came on the scene in 2019, all of this knowledge was only available in Hebrew. ARI 2023 marks the only opportunity for international herbalists to gather in Israel to share information in English.
(Photo: J. Rivkah Asoulin)
Betina Thorball, PhD and clinical herbalist who also serves on the ARI steering committee, intends to fly in from her home in Switzerland for the second time to attend this annual event. “You get under the skin of a culture just by learning about herbal medicine in their particular setting. It’s an immersive experience in herbalism and culture,” says Thorball.
American herbalist and birth doula Gilla Weiss is also returning to ARI 2023 to present her workshop on herbalism for the expecting mother. She notes that “#PlantsOverPolitics” would be a fitting hashtag for the ARI conference. “[People] of all backgrounds can come together in unity over their love of plants, herbs, and healing. It’s the great unifier.”
Getting together in this ancient setting is a prime opportunity for herbalists who often practice in relative isolation. Weiss emphasizes:
Here we get to actually meet in person and forge deep connections and learn from each other in ways you cannot do online. The getting together is so enriching to everyone. We all share the love of everything that is healing and herbal, wild and natural. Most herbalists just want to share with each other. It’s a unique opportunity.
The small size of the conference — between 50 and 80 people — provides a close, intimate setting which makes it easy for attendees to interact directly with the speakers. Many of this year's speakers are international celebrities, like renowned herbalists Matthew Wood and Sara-Chana Silverstein (both from the USA) and Nissim Krispil and Boaz Zur (both from Israel).
(Photo: Malkie Swidler)
Why learn herbal wisdom?
You might be brand new to the world of herbalism, thinking this all sounds intriguing, but still be on the fence as to whether to invest the time to learn it. What’s so important about learning herbal wisdom?
Empowerment
To start understanding the power of herbal medicine, one only has to look around at the times in which we live. In recent years, we’ve unfortunately seen how easy it can be for healthcare to transform from a tool for healing into a tool for control.
Thorball comments:
It’s hugely important practically, but also psychologically, the idea that health is not something that we receive from an outside force, be it a governmental authority, be it a pharmaceutical power. Our health comes from inside . . . looking to yourself, for healing yourself, has an incredibly strong power.
She emphasizes that making your own medicine with intention is a vital element of the healing, and is much more effective than someone handing you a pill and saying, “Take this and don’t ask questions.”
“Taking an active role in being responsible for our own health is something I think the world desperately needs on all levels . . . inner health, physical health, all types of health.”
Asoulin agrees, adding that in the last few generations “it’s been beaten into us that we cannot trust ourselves.” As a consequence, we have become accustomed to making health-related decisions from a place of fear. Learning about herbal medicine can restore the confidence we need to effectively care for ourselves and our families. “When we operate from a position of power instead of fear, our decisions are much more clear and, yes, truly safe and effective.”
Conferences like ARI 2023 are “all about teaching you how to empower yourself to heal yourself and your loved ones. Pharma medicine is never about that — it’s about ‘you’re disempowered, we have the power.’”
Something for everyone
The field of herbal medicine offers a home for everyone. Weiss points out that there’s often a perception among the uninitiated about what herbalists are like — that they sleep in tents in the forest, go barefoot, and so on. But she claims that conference attendees will discover quite a different picture:
Have you ever been to a high-tech conference? This is high-tech herbalism. It has all the comforts of a high-tech conference, but down-to-earth people . . . Herbalists come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some wear suits, some wear big dangly earrings and walk barefoot on the earth…and everything in between.
What about those who fear they can’t budget the time for herbal medicine making? According to conference organizers, this is no problem! There are many high-quality, pre-made herbal preparations available for purchase at your local health food store or at the ARI 2023 vendor tables. The conference will feature vendors who handcrafted the products they’re selling. Many of them will also be presenting at the conference, including Nir Avraham, co-founder of Trifolium, the only 100% botanical pharmacy in Israel, and Nicole Cohen Yehezkhel of Shoresh Body & Soul. You can buy from them and other vendors at the conference, and sit and discuss their products with them. According to Weiss “it’s a great way to start. Someone’s holding your hand, so to speak, because you’re connecting with the herbalist who made the product.” Purchasing a high-quality product, learning about it, using it, and seeing how your body feels is one of the best ways to begin your journey into herbal medicine.
(Photo: Malkie Swidler)
Reclaiming our ancient birthright
Perhaps more than any other reason, it’s important to learn herbal medicine because it’s ours.
According to Weiss, “We’re essentially, in the whole concept of time, a small fraction that have absolutely turned our backs, as a society in general, on natural food, medicines, and herbs. We’re the big experiment, to be honest.”
She comments:
Studying herbalism helps us to connect, both to ourselves and to our personal and collective ancestors. We all have a stake and a claim on this earth, on this planet. It doesn’t matter who we are and where our parents or grandparents hail from — we all have ancestors who were indigenous to some place on this planet, and they all lived their lives foraging for food. They knew what plants were good for food, which were poisonous, and what to use for medicine. We’re all part of the broken chain — us, our parents, maybe our grandparents. We lost that and became removed from that. Herbalism, in part, is trying to reconnect that, without invalidating anything else, but rather adding to the equation.
Asoulin concurs: “If we go back even two generations and start to look at how our great grandparents lived, we can see how to better live in accordance with the earth, live simply and more healthfully. It’s no secret that diet is the best prevention for illness. The way that our great grandparents ate seasonal foods did just that.”
At a time when chronic illness — children’s illness included — is most likely at an all-time high, and life spans are decreasing, we would do well to heed the wisdom of our ancestors . . . to return to a more natural way of life . . . to embrace all that creation has to offer for our health and wellness . . . to reclaim our ancient birthright of herbalism.
(Photo: Malkie Swidler)
Ready to dive in?
Whether you’re a seasoned herbalist looking to expand your journey, or a beginner who wants to start by knowing more about the herbs in your kitchen cabinet, consider an herbal conference!
Thorball comments that “there’s a little bit of magic at these gatherings,” that connecting with herbalism activates the ancient knowledge, wisdom, and sense of well-being within all of us. She has seen people react with a profound sense of wonder and homecoming at connecting with herbalism for the first time.
It’s a magic everyone at ARI hopes you will experience for yourself!
To register for the Ancient Roots Israel International Herbal Conference, please visit: https://www.ancientrootsisrael.com/booking/
Or visit these sites to find a conference near you:
https://www.botanicalmedicine.org/2022-herbal-conferences/
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/upcoming-herbal-events
https://conferenceindex.org/conferences/herbal-medicine/united-states
https://www.botanicalmedicine.org/2023-herbal-conferences/
https://www.herbalalliance.uk/event/the-herbal-medicine-conference-2022/
https://conferenceindex.org/conferences/herbal-medicine/united-kingdom
