Discusses the therapeutic use of herbs for a variety of ailments, with information on selecting ingredients and preparing remedies.

As aromatherapy gains in popularity among complementary medical modalities, more bodywork professionals now integrate essential oils into their practices. "Aromatherapy for Bodyworkers" embraces the expansion of knowledge and presents a complete and authoritative source of information for health care workers and spa professionals.

Written by two of the leading voices in aromatherapy, Amy Galper and Jade Shutes, The Ultimate Guide to Aromatherapy is a progressive, comprehensive approach to using aromatherapy and essential oils for healing and wellness. Essentials oils have been used across all world cultures for thousands of years. While the popularity of aromatherapy has endured, the methods and applications of the craft have evolved. The Ultimate Guide to Aromatherapy is the modern practitioner's guide to working with aromatherapy and essential oils. Using techniques developed over decades of teaching, you will learn the science of aromatherapy and how essentials oils interact with our sense of smell, brain pathways, and skin. The guide also includes over 50 plant profiles, plus recipes and blends for health and beauty. Included are remedies for digestive health, immunity, women's health concerns, and more, such as Hand & Body Wash for Flu Recovery, Self-Love Botanical Perfume, and Tummy Massage Oil for Indigestion. Drawing on the authors' unique methodology and expertise as aromatherapists, herbalists, and healers, you will learn the art of blending formulations with great skill and discernment. The Ultimate Guide to… series offers comprehensive beginner’s guides to discovering a range of mind, body, spirit topics, including tarot, divination, crystal grids, numerology, witchcraft, chakras, and more. Filled with beautiful illustrations and designed to give easy access to the information you’re looking for, each of these references provides simple-to-follow expert guidance as you learn and master your practice.

One of Canada's most trusted and beloved health practitioners introduces American women to the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine and the time-tested practices that have helped optimize physical and emotional health for centuries. Since establishing her practice in Canada twelve years ago, Dr. Xiaolan Zhao has treated thousands of women suffering from fatigue, PMS, infertility, depression, cancer, menopausal symptoms and other gynecological disorders - health problems that are all too common in the West but less so in China, where traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been an integral part of women's lives for thousands of years. As a physician originally trained in Western medicine who later took up the practice of TCM, Dr. Zhao has seen how effective the Chinese approach is for her patients, and her book will help American women incorporate its wisdom and practices in our lives. Sharing stories from her own life and the lives of her patients, Dr. Zhao shows that we have nothing to reject about our feminine selves, and explains how we can develop new relationships with our bodies and our emotions. There is so much every woman can do in terms of ongoing and preventative self-care to improve her health and vitality and prevent illness. By making simple changes in diet, exercise routine, sex life and the way we deal with stress and our emotions, we can profoundly improve our health now and into the future.

A comprehensive manual for using crystals, gems, and stones to address physical, emotional, and spiritual health conditions • Includes an extensive Materia Medica detailing the healing and spiritual properties of 200 crystals and stones based on Classical Chinese Medicine • Explores the role played by the color of each stone, its Yin and Yang qualities, crystalline structure, chemical composition, and topical and internal applications • Explains how to make stone and crystal elixirs, wear stones as healing jewelry, use them in massage and energy work, and cleanse and recharge them • Based on the oral teachings of Dr. Jeffrey C. Yuen, a Taoist priest from the ancient lineage of the Jade Purity School (88th generation) masters In addition to herbalism and acupuncture, Chinese Medicine has a rich tradition of using stones as medicine, passed from generation to generation for thousands of years. In this comprehensive guide and extensive Materia Medica, Leslie J. Franks presents the Stone Medicine teachings of Dr. Jeffrey C. Yuen, an 88th generation Taoist priest from the ancient lineage of the Jade Purity School, which dates to the Han dynasty, 206 BCE. Detailing the therapeutic properties of 200 gems, stones, minerals, and crystals, Franks begins with an extensive look at 15 different forms of quartz, followed by chapters on transformative stones, protective stones, nourishing stones, source energy stones, and alchemical stones. She explains the physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions each stone can treat and how their color, form, hardness, and energetic qualities affect us according to Chinese Medicine. She discusses how to make stone and crystal elixirs for internal and topical use, how to charge quartz with the healing properties of other stones, how to cleanse and recharge a stone after use, and how to combine stones to create healing formulas for individual conditions. She explains different techniques of wearing stones as healing jewelry and how to use them in massage and energy work. She examines the chemistry and sacred geometry of crystal structure, revealing how the minerals contained in the stones affect our physiology by supporting our Jing (Essence); by nourishing Qi (energy), blood, and fluids; and by clearing Wind, Cold, Damp, and Heat conditions that can lead to disease. Including a thorough primer on Traditional Chinese Medicine and backed by modern scientific research, this book explains how stones access our deepest layers, vibrating ever so slowly, to initiate deep lasting change.

A comprehensive compendium on the theory and practice of herbal medicine from expert herbalists Christopher Hedley and Non Shaw. This fundamental textbook draws on the wisdom of Christopher Hedley and Non Shaw, incorporating their belief in the importance of understanding herbal medicine in the context of living plants, and providing lived examples of how this can be used in the everyday practice of herbal medicine. Through these teachings, the book also acquaints readers with the rich legacy of Christopher and Non in Western herbal medicine. Drawing on Christopher's own approach to teaching herbalism, which was abundant with the importance of storytelling in learning, Plant Medicine is as fascinating as it is accessible, enriched with the depth of Christopher's own knowledge and warmth. The book is comprised of four parts: 'Roots' explores the history of plant medicine, investigating physiomedicalism and Galenic humoral medicine. The second section, 'Flowers', is a thorough, alphabetically ordered materia medica of the medicinal properties of individual plants, with properties, uses, preparations, dosage, cautions, and clinical uses of ninety-two plant medicines that Non and Christopher gathered over nearly two lifetimes. 'Fruits' provides information on how particular body systems and patient groups are treated therapeutically with herbal medicines, specifically covering the digestive, cardiovascular, nervous, urinary, musculoskeletal, endocrine, skin and immune systems. Finally, 'Seeds' concludes the book by inviting readers to consider going deeper and beyond their exploration of plant medicine, shifting their preconceptions of herbs to understand them on a more intimate level. Plant Medicine is a foundational text for all students and practitioners of herbal medicine, but it's wisdom and insight will also provide a guiding light for anyone seeking plant medicine as a way to reconnect to the abundance and beauty of nature.

Read about herbal traditions, from those of the Sumerians and the ancient Eg yptians, to Chinese and Western herbalism today. From herbs that relieve throat and ear infections to calming drinks and inhalations, find out how herbs can fight illness and enhance your general well-being. Following step-by-step instructions, learn how to make your own healing tinctures, decoctions, infused oils, ointments and creams, syrups and vinegars.

Did you know that gin was first created as an anti-malarial? Or that Buckfast Tonic Wine was created by Benedictine monks as a cure-all? Whilst alcohol is today best known for its intoxicating properties, in the past it was prized for its ability to extract and preserve the active elements from herbs. In fact, many of our favourite drinks were originally created for medicinal purposes. Herbal Elixirs is a detailed guide to the process of creating your own herb-based alcoholic drinks and an exploration of the rich history of similar drinks across Europe. Topics covered include: the history of herbal drinks in Europe; how to make your own tinctures, infusions and decoctions; the art of distillation: how to make alcohol and use a still; botanical information for identifying and using plants; recipes for restorative herbal drinks, and finally, a seasonal guide to foraging in the UK. Drawing on both natural and scientific research, this fascinating book will reacquaint you with this tradition, offering detailed explanations of the processes involved and sharing the skills to design and make your own herbal elixirs.