The Gift of Healing Herbs ― Plant Medicines and Home Remedies for a Vibrantly Healthy Life

Herbalists, naturopaths, plantspeople, witches and natural healers will love the clear, empowering information, engaging stories, more than 180 easy-to-follow recipes, and heartfelt meditations and rituals of natural herbal medicines. Written by well-respected urban herbalist Robin Rose Bennett, this book offers readers who want to take charge of their health an immersion into a myriad ways to use plant-based remedies to care for themselves and others on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Informed by the wisdom that physical and spiritual healing are inextricably intertwined, The Gift of Healing Herbs explores herbology as the "people's medicine", freely available to all, and as a powerful yet gentle way to heal body, mind, heart and soul. The book is divided into three parts: the first part examines health and the causes of illness; the second part comprises a comprehensive reference of all the physical systems of the body and the common and not-so-common herbs for tonifying them; and the third part contains recipes for teas, brews, and instructions for incorporating herbs into our daily lives. The hundreds of recipes for herbal preparations in this book--accompanied by prayers, meditations, and rituals--offer spiritual and physical insights into the relationship between our body systems and the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, thus helping the reader explore and experience the interconnection of all things in the web of life.

With personal stories, case histories, and elements of personal memoir, The Gift of Healing Herbs is equal parts inspiration and instruction drawn from the author's life and decades spent teaching and practicing herbal medicine in a spiritual, earth-based, nondogmatic style. focused as keenly on the spiritual aspects of healing as revealed through personal story. The author explores how one's personal story turns into one's embodied physicality, specific health challenges, and ultimately reveals one's unique path of healing.

ROBIN ROSE BENNETT is a compassionate, empowering herbalist and spiritual teacher. The focus of her healing work is to share the generosity of the earth and the magic, mystery, and beauty of the web of life. Since 1986 she has taught at schools, clinics, progressive and holistic organizations, herbal conferences, and is a repeat guest lecturer at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, St John's Hospital, Montefiore Teaching Hospital, Beth Israel's Nursing program, and Brown University Medical School. She is a faculty member of the New York Open Center and author of two meditation CDs. Bennett has a private consultation practice in New Jersey, offered on a sliding-scale, and an herbalist-in-residence teaching practice at a family medical practice in Bronx, NY. She is a long-time member of United Plant Savers and the Northeast Herbal Association. Robin writes regularly for Plant Healer Magazine and is proud to be a founding member and on the board of directors of SustainableWestMilford.org. Hundreds of apprentices have graduated from her 3-year, in-depth apprenticeship programs over the past 25 years and thousands of students have benefitted from her regular classes as well as her free classes that she regularly offers in her town as a community service. The author lives in Hewitt, New Jersey.