Dear Patient,
Back in acupuncture school we learned about Shen Nong, one of the mythological progenitors of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Known as the Divine Farmer, it’s said that he lived nearly 5,000 years ago and discerned the medicinal properties of hundreds of herbs by tasting them and noting the changes in his body. One of the earliest written records of herbal medicine, The Divine Farmer’s Classic, is attributed to him.
In school we carried on the tradition of learning through the senses. In my first herbs class, our teacher prepared single herb decoctions and had us observe their colors, smell their aromas and taste them. I’ll never forget my first sip of Huang Lian, Coptis rhizome, one of the most bitter substances in the materia medica. This was tempered by the natural sweetness of Gan Cao, licorice root, a taste I love to this day.
My school also had a garden where we grew medicinal plants, and an extensive raw herbal pharmacy. As junior students we were required to work there and fill prescriptions. And we were encouraged to boil our own decoctions of raw herb formulas into medicinal teas. We took in the herbs through sight, touch, taste and smell. It made them come alive in ways a textbook never could.
Medicine is more than just a substance we ingest. It’s easy to forget this when you’re handed a bottle of plastic-looking pills by someone in a white lab coat, standing behind a plexiglass divider at a pharmacy. But when we uncouple the experience of medicine from our senses, we miss out on part of the healing. Inhaling the aroma slows down your breathing. Touching it helps you settle into your physical body. Seeing it reminds you where it comes from. And taste is essential to its therapeutic action.
Shen Nong and the other ancient practitioners understood that medicine is an experience. So go ahead—invite all your senses to participate, and enjoy the fullness of what medicine can offer. Take it all in.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. This Note was inspired by the lovely piece Unfurling by Natasha Clarke. Natasha writes on Substack at updates from the undergrowth, and I highly recommend her newsletter for anyone who loves plants and plant medicine.
Thank you for the shout out ;) unexpectedly blessed!
What a perfect "airplane" as Holi came to be in India! Really I just want to thank you for these "airplanes", and I do miss their frequency!