Floratherapy is the use of plants to heal. It includes Aromatherapy, Herbals, Flower Essences and many other methods of using plants from mighty trees to small fungi in various healing arts. Floratherapy is Holistic. This means that a practitioner holds to the principle that a part is only understandable in its relationship to the whole. A condition is viewed in relation to its interconnection with the body, mind and spirit. In addition, there is the environment in whic.h one exists. The environment has a profound influence on our three interconnected selves; the mind, the body and the spirit. Stress is a prime example of the effect our environment has on us.

    Taking a microcosmic view, and isolating the body, we still find that the systems are interdependent, the organs within systems are interdependent and the cells within organs are interdependent and interrelate with all the systems. This interrelationship of all things is the basis of Holism. Resulting in the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

    As fellow Earthlings, the animal and plant kingdoms have developed with strong interrelationships. One of these is the ability of man to use plants to heal himself. Plants are able to supply enzymes, vitamins, chemicals and essence that is used by the human body to achieve or maintain balance within the mind, body and spirit. By restoring balance the plants can be used to heal injuries and illnesses affecting the body and emotions. Many plants used by traditional healers throughout the world have been studied for their healing properties. As a result, the chemical constituents are artificially recreated for modern medicine. In Holism it is believed that this is not complete. The natural plant is needed for optimal effects. The artificial chemicals alone do not perform the same interrelationship that occurs between the plant material and man.   

     Try a personal Aromatherapy fill out the user friendly consultation form for an interactive consultation.

     You may use the recipe to blend for yourself my recommended answer to your question. If you prefer, request a 15 ml. Bottle of the blend and I will send it to you (anywhere the postal service will take it). While there is no charge set, a donation for using the service would be appreciated. You will find the donation box on the consultation page.

GARDENING

     The benefits of gardening (either indoors or outdoors) to urban man are almost unlimited. A simple potted plant on a work desk improves the esthetics of our environment. The air quality is improved with the addition of greenery indoors or out. Gardening is an affective mood enhancer, relieves stress, speeds physical rehabilitation and enhances appreciation and understanding of life for children, as well as, adults. Gardening maintains the needed ties with nature, which seem at times so fragile in an urban environment. To conserve water and for adaptability to the environment, I recommend using native plants where possible. Your local nursery or agricultural office can help with this. Gardens can be built to accommodate most handicaps. So there are few conditions that would prohibit gardening. To get advise for building a garden for the handicapped, or for anyone, try the consultation link below.

For a consultation on indoor planting or outdoor gardening click on and enter the archway. As above, there is no charge for use of the consultation service. A donation in the donation box is deeply appreciated and helps to keep the site advertisement free. 

JUICE REMEDIES
    Another way of utilizing the properties of plants to heal is the drinking of vegetable and fruit juice. Like essential oils, juices are a concentrated use of the plants healing characteristics. I have personally benefited from the use of juices. I was suffering from arthritis 14 years ago. My knuckles were distorted and painful. Luckily I came upon a juice recipe that returned my hands to normal in only 10 days. I have recommended this recipe to others since then. Those who followed it daily for 10 days have had the same benefit as I. A word of caution, some people have found the concentrated raw juice too strong and suffered nausea or stomach pains. I do not know if this is a cure or suppressant. I was pain free for over a year after drinking the juice. When a twinge returned I used it again for 3 days and again was pain free, this time for three years. In 14 years I have used it four times.

    I prepared a pitcher at a time to use for several days. I drank an 8 ounce glassful morning and evening for 10 days the first time. Later I would drink it for 3 or 4 days until the pain went away. This return was rare. Others have told me they needed to repeat it after 3 years. To me this every few years treatment seems preferable to the daily arthritis strength aspirin I was using. And that gave me only slight relief.

If you try the juice please let me know how it worked for you.

    Herbal remedies are not new but they are receiving increased attention with the rise of alternative and traditional medicine. Herbs have been studied for their medicinal value for thousands of years. They are still a worthy compliment to scientific medicine. Indeed, many new medications have been developed by studying and analyzing these traditional remedies.

    Herbal medicine exists in every part of the inhabited world and in every culture. Herbals are used in the form of teas, powders, pills, ointments, tinctures and inhalants. They are traditional medicines which vary by locality. Throughout the world different plants grow and some are found in huge areas of the globe. As the native plants differ, so has the search for herbal medicinals. As the world shrinks and availability increases through modern transportation and communication, we are able to take advantage of remedies found in once isolated parts of the world. As each individual is unique we benefit by having a wide variety of herbs from all over the world available. One person may find a Native American traditional herbal remedy preferable while another for the same condition gets better results from a Chinese, Indian, Russian or Egyptian herbal remedy. Today some people are getting desirable results by blending herbals from different regions of the world. In the 21^st century we are better able to utilize remedies from all over the world that have been developed over thousands of years.

 Botanical.com is a rich source of information about many Plants. Mrs. Grieve includes plant descriptions, medicinal use, dosages and cultivation information. An excellent source for understanding where herbals and essential oils come from.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html