What Is Ashwagandha? — Herbalism 101

As an herbalist I believe that the human organism desires equilibrium. Working regularly with healing herbs and foods can help restore balance to our bodies and minds. Sometimes when I say this people hear "We don't need doctors" and then they call me crazy. I am not opposed to Western doctors, but there's nothing crazy about desiring the skills and knowledge to take care of ourselves and each other.

Herbalism and science are tools; they are neither in opposition to nor in competition with each other. Most of us already live a life that includes both tools: we go for annual checkups and prepare beautiful, healthful food for ourselves and people we love. Broadly speaking, herbalism is well-suited to promote healing through prevention, while conventional medicine is skilled at heroic interventions — we need both of them.

I have confidence that, for many of us, a commitment to a healthful lifestyle that includes long-term relationships with plants can mean less extreme medical interventions in the future. Every plant we ingest prefers a particular environment, has a special set of skills, and does different things in our bodies. The group of plants that are especially skilled at helping us cope with stress are called adaptogens: they're relatively non-toxic in a normal therapeutic dose, they increase our ability to deal with stress no matter the source, and have an overall strengthening effect in our bodies. One of these plants, ashwagandha, is experiencing a resurgence right now.

Read more: Here's What You Need to Know About Adaptogens

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