The Herbs of Life: Health and Healing Using Western and Chinese Techniques

292 Pages·1992·48.526 MB·English

by  Lesley Tierra

The
Herbs
of
Life
Health & Healing Using
Western & Chinese Techniques
Lesley Tierra, L. Ac., Herbalist

The Herbs
of Life
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2011
in
http://www.archive.org/details/herbsoflifehealtOOtier
The Herbs
of Life
Health & Healing Using
Western & Chinese Techniques
Lesley Tierra, L. Ac., Herbalist
^
The Crossing Press Freedom, CA 95019
©
Copyright 1992 by Lesley Gunsaulus Tierra
Cover art and design by AnneMarie Arnold
Interiordesign by Sheryl Karas
Illustrations, pages 25-34 by Amy Sibiga
All other illustrations by Candis Cantin
Printed in the U.S.A.
This book is a reference work not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. The informa-
tion contained herein is in no way to be considered as a substitute forconsultation with
a duly licensed health-care professional.
Library ofCongress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Tierra, Lesley.
The herbs oflife : health & healing using Western & Chinese techniques/by Lesley Tierra
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index
—
ISBN 0-89594-499-5 ISBN 0-89594-498-7 (pbk.)
—
1. Herbs Therapeutic use. 2. Medicine, Chinese. I. Tide.
RM666.H33T5
615'.321—dc20 91-38511
CIP
For
my husband, Michael, and
our son, Chetan,
my greatest teachers, loving support
andencouragement.
In Thanks...
Many people have helped me bring this book into greater clarity and purpose.
To them I give my thanks and appreciation:
Michael Tierra, my first and greatest herb teacher, from whom I am always learning
more;
Shasta Tierra, for her tremendous enthusiasm and wonderful insights; Steve Blake, for
his wonderful ideas and clarity; Marian Wentworth, Candis Cantin, Savarna (Diana
McCabe), Darlena LaOrange-Theocradies and Janet Davis, for their encouragement and
support; John Gill, for his openness and beliefin me for writing this book; Baba Hari
Dass, the Hanuman Fellowship and the Sri Ram Foundation, for their unending inspira-
tion; Senta Tierra, for her unflagging support with the household; Chetan Tierra, for
sharing his mom with the computer and for the title ofthis book; and my parents,
Bonnie and Gus Gunsaulus, who taught me that I could accomplish anything I desired.

CONTENTS
Foreword by Michael Tierra How to Regain and
Introduction Maintain Health
How
to Use Herbs
98 The Energy of Food
for Health and Healing A Balanced Diet • Empty/Full • Grains,
Legumes, Nuts and Seeds • Vegetables •
2 The Nature of Herbal Healing Fruits and Juices • Dairy • Meat • Extreme
Mechanistic Healing • Symptomatic Versus Foods • Food Therapy • Whole Foods •
Energetic Herbology • A New View of Food Energetics
Healing • Extent ofHerbal Healing
117 The Process of Health and Healing
7 The Energy of Herbs The Causes ofDisease • The Search for
Heating-Cooling Energy • The Five Tastes Health • Inherited Constitution • Desire to
• The Four Directions • Other Energies • be Healed • "Going Through It" • The
Special Properties • Altering Energies Role ofHerbal Healing • Health and
Healing Routines
14 The Energy of Illness
Root and Branch of Disease • Energetic 126 Living With the Seasons
Treatment Approach • Constitution • En- Spring • Summer • Late Summer • Fall •
ergy ofDisease • Location ofDisease • Winter
Strength ofIllness • Damp/Dry Qualities of
Illness • Therapeutic Principles 131 Home Remedies
Baths • Bolus • Compress/Fomentation •
35 Herbal Properties, Constituents, Congee • Juice • Liniment • Milk • Oil •
Families and Formulas Paste • Pill • Plaster • Poultice • Powder •
Herbal Properties • Plant Chemistry • Salve • Syrup • Tea • Tincture • Addi-
Herbal Families • Herbal Formulary tional Remedies: Ashes, Charcoal, Egg
Oil, Moxibustion Smoke, Rice, Salt Tonic
45 Knowing the Herbs
Home
Western Herbs • Chinese Herbs 145 Therapies
Breathing Exercises • Cupping • Dermal
Hammer • Enema Therapy • Harimaki •
Journal Writing • Moxibustions • Nasal
Wash • Singing • Smoking • Smudging •
Sweating • Talismans
CONTENTS
How to Obtain and Make Your Appendices
Own
Healing Tools
214 Symptoms and Their Remedies
170 Harvesting, Preparing and
Storing Herbs 234 A Few Tips for Mothers and
Children
Harvesting Herbs • Harvesting According to
the Moon • PreparingHerbs • StoringHerbs
236 Macrobiotics and the System of
174 Herbal Preparations Traditional Chinese Medicine (by
Bath • Bitters • Bolus • Capsule • Congee • Michael Tierra)
Fomentation • Gargle • Gruel • Juice •
238 Bibliography
Liniment • Milk Decoction 'Oil • Paste •
Pill • Plaster • Potherb • Poultice • Salve • Good Reading!
Soup • Sun Tea • Syrup • T-ea • Tincture:
245 Herbal Resource Guide
Alcohol, Vinegar, Glycerine • Toothbrush •
Wash Wine
•
247 Educational Resources
194 How to Shop for Herbs
Bulk Herbs • Capsules • Tablets • Caplets • 251 Weights and Measures
Tinctures • Dry Extracts • Freeze-dried
Extracts • Dry Concentrate Extracts • 252 Index
Standardized Extracts • Syrups • Liniments •
Salves • Cremes • Oils • Essential Oils •
Teas • Soups • Sprays • Potpourris •
Homeopathics • Herbal Body Products •
Formulas • SelectingHerbal Preparations •
A
Shopper's Guide to QualityHerbs
209 Herbal Medicine Kits
How
to Store OtherThings to Include