Herbal medicine involves using plant products to treat illness and promote general well-being. It has been practiced for thousands of years across many cultures long before modern allopathic medicine, and is still widely practiced today.
In the U.S., modern-day herbalists provide a valuable adjunct to conventional medicine. Herbal therapy incorporates science by knowing the chemical constituents of a particular plant and the most effective mode of prescription for the desired therapeutic effect.
A thorough intake profile and patient observation are critical to providing appropriate therapies for the person seeking help. The whole person is treated by restoring balance with herbs, appropriate dietary regimes, and stress reduction. And then there’s the intangible quality of an herbal practitioner — being a healer who intuits what’s needed even if it has nothing to do with what the person came in for.
Robin Baire is a clinical herbalist in our community. She has lived in the Methow Valley since the early 1980s and has always studied the medicinal properties of plants, making tinctures and salves she’s sold at the Methow Valley Farmers Market. Robin regularly attends conferences and follows and consults mentors who expand her knowledge of herbs.
In 1996, she took the big leap to formalize her education. She left the valley for three years to attend The National College of Phytotherapy in Albuquerque.
Horse of a Different Color is the name of Robin’s business, specializing in herbal products she compounds herself with ingredients often found in the surrounding countryside or grown in her garden. She has an office at the Blue Heron Collective in Winthrop, where she’s available for consultations. She studies a person’s entire constitution, not just their immediate concerns.
“What she keeps hearing from a client and what they came in for can be quite different,” she said.
Robin has compounded many popular recipes for various conditions. They go by names like “Methow Warrior,” which is more than just respiratory support but also boosts the immune system, and “Counting Sheep” — you guessed it — for insomnia. She even has several formulas under the aphrodisiac heading. Wormers and liniments are available for critters. A good friend of mine swears by her cough syrup.
Elderberry and hawthorn are two of Robin’s favorite local plants. She stressed that both the flowers and berries have useful properties, often different. Chamomile, which most of us consider a weed, she valued as an adaptogen, a plant that impacts how the body deals with stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Robin said that adaptogens can be an overall energy boost but doesn’t like calling them a cure-all.
Just because herbs are “natural” doesn’t mean they are completely safe or can’t be abused. Robin said that bad press from using a particular herb often comes from a lack of knowledge or overuse.
Some people can be sensitive or allergic to certain plants just as they can be to any medicine, and that’s why consultation with a skilled herbalist is important. A consultation not only ensures that you get a safe and effective product but also that there is follow-up. Asking whether a client took the herbal medicine and if it helped are important follow-up questions, often requiring “tweaking” of the recipe.
Whether it’s a soothing or therapeutic tea or tincture, Robin taste tests them all and constantly monitors their palatability and efficacy. Robin can be reached at 3baires@gmail.com or on Facebook: Horse of a Different Color/Robin Baire. She will have a booth at the Christmas Bazaar at the Methow Valley Community Center on Dec. 7.
