In my experience as an herbalist, one of the most common mindsets that hinders healing is the expectation that it happens quickly. Sure, sometimes rapid healing does occur, but more often than not, true healing requires time and a well-thought-out approach. We’ve been conditioned by marketing and a “pill for every ill” culture to believe that there’s a quick fix for everything. This mindset is deeply rooted in capitalism and the pharmaceutical paradigm. However, our bodies operate on nature’s timeline.
In holistic health circles, it’s often said that healing from a condition takes time proportional to how long you’ve been out of balance. I’ve seen this play out many times, including in my own life, though there are always exceptions. Generally speaking, the longer you’ve been dealing with an illness or condition, the longer it may take to heal. Chronic conditions often result from imbalances that develop over long periods, becoming deeply ingrained in the body. This means that we will need time to bring the body back into balance and allow it to repair.
That said, healing doesn’t have to be complicated! A healing protocol can be straightforward and reconnect you to the basics. That’s why I emphasize the 8 Roots of Wellness. Focusing on the fundamentals is a great way to restore balance in the body. From a Vitalist perspective, all dis-ease is linked to some imbalance.
Our bodies possess a strong life-force and an innate desire to heal. Healing becomes possible when we remove barriers and provide the body with any missing components it needs. Uncovering these barriers and blessings (as I like to call them) often involves some trial and error. That’s why it’s important to remember that healing isn’t linear. There will be progress, setbacks, and then progress again.
In my own recent journey with gut infections and inflammation, I experienced a significant healing crisis (also known as a detox reaction, die-off, or Herxheimer reaction) when I first began my protocol. I had to take a step back to slow down and rebalance before continuing. It took some trial and error to find the herbs that worked best for me. There were moments of physical or mental stress that set me back, but I found balance again and moved forward. It’s a natural part of the process.
It took me a lifetime to develop many of these chronic issues, and I’ve been working on rebalancing and repairing my body for years! But I can see progress so I know I’m heading in the right direction. It’s important to not get to discouraged during our healing journey, and keep track of all the progress we have made.
This healing journey is so close to my heart that I actually wrote a poem about it:
Let me tell you about healing.
Forget about leaping.
Take small steps
on tiptoes
in circles
spiraling in figure eights
like you know where you’re going
but can’t find the map
wandering country roads
lined with familiar trees
waving like friends,
but you just met
or you should have tied a ribbon
to a branch
so you’d remember.
The canopy sparkles –
Hope!
And you catch your breath for a minute
because you sprinted to the corner
thinking you saw a landmark
but it was your shadow
all along.
You decide to ask a man for directions.
A hint of familiarity shines on his face
so he sends you down a path
he traveled many times,
but it throws you a little off course
because the place you were going
was not the same as his.
So, you retrace your steps
find the trees again –
a familiar waving sparkle of green.
You realize you never really
knew the address of where you were headed
but after all the twists, turns, backsteps, and leaps
your heart knows you’ve made it just the same.
The vital life force that is always directed at healing. That healing journey, however, is not always a straight path. Have you ever felt that your healing has been taking too long? I encourage you to give yourself grace and patience as you uncover your path. If you need a little guidance, you may want to find a practitioner that can help you come up with a plan tailored for you. I’m available for consultations and there are many other skilled practitioners out there too.
We Are Complex Beings
We are not just our physical bodies but a multifaceted and complete organism that is also part of a greater organism (the human collective) and a greater one still (the planet) and a greater one still (the solar system) and so on…We are also made up of billions of other organisms!
Did you know that we actually contain about 3 times more bacterial cells than human cells? Wild! We are quite literally more-than-human. All this to say, we do not exist in isolation and everything within and without us plays a role in our well-being. The microbes we are made to play a large role and the environment around us plays a large role too.
What’s more, we are greater than just our physicality. We are also equally mental, spiritual, and emotional. Meaning, we are mind, body, spirit, and soul. Each of these aspects is equally important and it is vital that we give weight to each of these components in our wellness journey.
There is an ancient way of looking at these components of ourselves that also relates us to the world around us. It’s called the Medicine Wheel. Cultures the world over, from the Celts to the indigenous peoples of the Americas have used medicine wheels to help place ourselves in relation to the greater context.
I find it very helpful for myself to orient within this medicine wheel framework. One way we can divide that Medicine wheel that also relates to these pieces of mind, body, spirit, and soul is by using the four elements of air, earth, fire, and water. Many also consider a fifth element in the center, which represents the connection of all of these, the self, and the above and below.
Anyone who has ever studied ancient healing traditions, been to an acupuncturist, seen a chiropractor, or has a general understanding of anatomy probably has at least a basic idea of how our body consists of energetic and physical channels that connect throughout the body. Organs and organ systems do not exist in isolation. The lungs are connected to the colon, our heart is associated with the small intestine, the liver helps to nourish tendons and joints, and so on…
This all goes to show that we are complex beings on all levels. When one aspect of our self is out of balance, other areas can also be thrown out of balance. If we are anxious and stressed, it can take a physical toll on the body. If the gut is in trouble, it can manifest in the skin. When assessing any health challenge or working to come into better balance, it is imperative that we do not look at anything in isolation but rather assess the body (along with the mind, spirit, and soul) as a whole with many facets.
Does this feel relevant in your own life? I’d love to know below in the comments!
Bee well 🐝💚,
Kimberly
