What are energetics in the world of herbal medicine? The term energetics can seem like a difficult and confusing concept. We tend to think about it too much.
In short, in herbal medicine, energy is the answer to the question, “How are you feeling?” And to answer the question ‘How are you feeling?’ to take away. ask another layer: “What do you feel in your body?” Additional questions may include:
- Do you suffer from chapped lips because the weather has changed from warm and humid to cool and dry?
- Are you burned after a day at the beach or on the ski slope?
- Do you have a blister from wearing new shoes?
These are all examples of energetics. As Matthew Wood and Jim McDonald state, “Energetics is a process used to detect patterns and choose herbs that fit those patterns.” There are six energy patterns (expressed in pairs):
- hot and cold
- dry and moist
- tense and lax.
If you have too much heat in your body, choose cooling herbs. If you are dry, opt for moisturizing herbs. The key is to match the herbs to what the person is feeling. Energetics is personalized and individualized. And of course there are always exceptions to the rule. Rosalee de la Forêt goes one step further and discusses thinking about energies from a seasonal viewpoint. In the summer we want cooling food and in the winter we want warming food. This is energetics.
Experience the energies yourself. Try an experiment. Make a cup of your favorite tea or eat a bar of your favorite dark chocolate. Set aside some time where you can really focus on your energy experiment. Open the chocolate bar or steep the tea. Breathe in the scent deeply. What do you smell? Does it smell sweet? Bitter? Eat a small piece of chocolate or take a sip of your tea. Really enjoy it. Roll it around in your mouth. How does it taste? How does your mouth feel? Is it moist or does it make your tongue feel like you’re eating an unripe banana? And finally, how does your body feel after you eat it?
Are you energetic? Tired? Does your body feel lighter? Heavier? This is energetics. I realize that this is a simplified introduction to the energies and that there is much more to learn about the nuances and different combinations a person can experience with the six patterns – hot and cold, dry and moist, and tense and lax. Fortunately, there are many resources available to take a deeper dive:
Sandy Morehouse is a functional herbalist and teacher at WishGarden Herbs. Based in Northwest Arkansas, she is spreading the spice love to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. She received her functional herbalist certification from the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine; certificate from Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in Medicine Making; and continues her training with Aviva Romm’s Herbal Medicine for Women course.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
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