/ Herb Walk: A Mindful Pause in Nature

There’s a herb for virtually any complaint you could think of! Indeed, we’ve been making use of herbs to heal the sick and enhance wellbeing since time immemorial. Although our ancient lores about herbs and their health benefits seem to have mostly fallen into oblivion, recent years have seen a reversal in this trend. People are increasingly turning to natural health products, thereby rediscovering the healing power of herbs as an alternative for treating ailments great and small. Here in the Alps, growing conditions for medicinal herbs are near perfect, endowing them with extraordinary curative potency.

Rational phytotherapy uses scientific methods to process medicinal plants into standardised phytotherapeutic products that are also used in conventional medicine. They’re an important component of many alternative medical treatments. Unlike rational phytotherapy, traditional phytotherapy does not make use of isolated extracts, but uses the complete extracts obtained from plants for teas or infusions.

There are over 250,000 known herbs, all incredibly versatile. They can be used for seasoning, as medicinal plants, in the form of teas, for smudging or simply as decoration. Herbs add flavour and sophistication to any dish. Planting your own herb garden is a great way to find out more about herbs and a first step towards using them productively. Pick fresh herbs from your garden to make flavoured salts and natural teas.

This herb-infused honey is a wonderful immune-system booster: add a tablespoon of fresh herbs (e.g. thyme, lavender or rosemary) to 250ml of honey. Let the honey steep for a week before tasting it.

Smudging your home is also highly recommended for relaxation or purification. The best herbs to use are lavender, chamomile, sage, laurel and marjoram.

Burning aromatic plants was part of both ritual and home life in most of the world’s cultures. Smudging protected against airborne diseases and helped clear ticks and lice. It was therefore used to cleanse homes and stables, to heal the sick and to keep evil at bay. Although the art of smudging has mostly been forgotten in Europe, the fast pace of our times is reviving an interest in these calming rituals.

Herbs, spices and tree resins were used as incense during traditional liturgical festivals. Today, however, we’re more likely to use them to help us to draw strength, meditate or simply relax. The smudging material’s active ingredients are released as they burn, affecting all of the senses. This effect is sometimes used during yoga classes when incense is burnt for its calming and grounding properties.

The combination of hiking with herbal applications is soothingly grounding, restoring serenity and balance to body, mind and spirit.

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