YOUR GUIDE TO HERBAL HEALING: A celebrated herbalist brings to life the elemental relationships among traditional healing practices, ecological stewardship, and essential plant medicines. Features in-depth studies of 25 essential medicinal herbs! By honoring ancient wisdom and presenting it in an innovative way, Energetic Herbalism is a profound and practical guide to family and community care for those seeking to move beyond symptom relief and into a truly holistic framework of health. Throughout, author Kat Maier invites readers to explore their personal relationships with plants and their environs as they discover diverse models of healing. You’ll learn about: • The elements and patterns of Ayurvedic doshas for greater self-awareness as well as positive lifestyle choices • The wisdom of indigenous peoples —the foundation of sacred plant traditions • The relationship of well-being to the seasons through the lens of Chinese Five Element Theory, and how our emotional health is beautifully expressed through the Elements • The roots and evolution of Vitalism , the traditional Western system of energetic medicine • Imbalances in the body and how to assess them with the vocabulary of the 6 tissue states, an emerging tool in Western herbalism • Using the senses as the main tools for navigating through energetic herbalism Through the rich herbal tradition of storytelling, Maier seamlessly blends theory and practice with her experience-tested herbal remedies and healing protocols. Maier stresses the critical message of how to address the challenge of threatened medicinal plant populations, offering practical and inspiriting methods for ensuring their survival. Many herbals boast a materia medica of more than 100 herbs, but in keeping with an emphasis on sustainable practice, Maier instead focuses in depth on 25 essential medicinal herbs that can be grown in most temperate climates and soils. Whether you are a seasoned clinical herbalist, an herbalist-in-training, or simply someone seeking to provide the best natural health care for your family, this book is a source of inspiration, insight, and answers you will return to again and again. Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal Winner: Health, Healing & Wellness “This amazing book almost leaves me speechless. Energetic Herbalism integrates the many different sources that flow into modern herbalism into an integrated conception and practice. Although the book is directed for the home herbalist, it is also a textbook for beginner to advanced levels, to be treasured and assimilated over many years. This is the type of book that can be written only by one who has been ruminating and practicing for decades, yet it also represents a stream of energy arising from the plants themselves, expressing themselves through Kat, in herbal wisdom. This book touches upon everything that I hold dear in herbal medicine, founded upon the real experience of Nature as a living, intelligent, spiritual being.” —Matthew Wood, MS (Herbal Medicine), founder, Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism; author of The Book of Herbal Wisdom “A beautifully written, all-encompassing guide to understanding the major healing traditions from around the world—Vitalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine. Lest you think that this is all Kat Maier offers, let me dispel that thought. Diving deep into sacred healing traditions, Kat leads us to the plants. She enlightens with the uses, indications, and preparations of the plants she has chosen for the apothecary. Energetic Herbalism is a book you’ll return to again and again.” —Phyllis Light, author of Southern Folk Medicine “A wonderfully practical and accessible guide to energetic herbalism, filled with the wisdom and Viriditas of a Real Herbalist. Thank you, Kat!” —David Hoffmann, RH (AHG), fellow, National Institute of Medical Herbalists; principal scientist, Traditional Medicinals “I always ask my students: Do you want to be a good herbalist or a great herbalist? One of the essentials necessary to achieve a high level of herbal practice is the study of herbal energetics. In Energetic Herbalism, Kat Maier has distilled the teachings of the world’s great herbal traditions into a concise, easy to learn guide that will allow any herbalist to begin to treat each person as an individual rather than generically treating diseases, and in so doing, to truly achieve excellence." —David Winston, RH(AHG), DSc(hc), author of Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief “That Kat Maier’s book so wonderfully conveys the essence and importance of energetic herbalism is a blessing. That the book also frames our use of herbs within the larger relationships we hold with the land, the seasons, and the sacred is essential. In Energetic Herbalism, Kat doesn’t share mere uses of herbs but keen insights into establishing a deeper understanding of the patterns of health and nature.” —jim mcdonald, herbalist and founder, herbcraft.org “Ka