Seeds for the Asian medicinal herbs of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is now also long-established here in Europe. This healing practice takes a holistic view of the human being – illnesses are rarely treated symptomatically. It has various “pillars” or approaches that are used to guide treatment, including diet, movement and treatment with medicines.
Medicinal plants have a long history in TCM as an important method of treating illness and promoting health. Extracts, tinctures and teas of medicinal herbs and medically effective plants are widely used as remedies.~|||~ TCM draws on a fund of knowledge and experience reaching back more than 3,000 years – it’s a sophisticated and fascinating system.
Growing your own medicinal plants in your garden can be really worthwhile as these exotic varieties are often unobtainable in pharmacies. Growing them yourself makes you more independent of commercially produced remedies – and you can also be certain that the plants are free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. But there are also two extra factors here, which are very much in keeping with the spirit of this healing practice:
Firstly, growing the medicinal plants of TCM is an opportunity to connect with nature. Personally tending the plants and watching them grow builds a close bond with the natural world. Observing the developing plants can be calming and relaxing, offering a welcome relief from everyday stresses.
Secondly, growing TCM medicinal plants also involves physical activity and being outdoors. Gardening requires physical movement, which is healthy in itself and also has positive effects on general well-being. Preparing the ground, sowing the seeds and regular weeding promote physical fitness and can even be seen as a kind of therapeutic practice.
