Herbs have been part of the human story longer than written history. Long before pharmacies, clinical trials, and words like “wellness” ever existed, our ancestors observed, experimented, and passed down hard-earned knowledge through the wisdom keepers of their time. Their stories told of the incredible ways nature supports the body.
Today, that wisdom is having a well-deserved renaissance. The thing is, working with herbs isn’t just about picking a plant off a shelf based on “what it’s good for” and hoping for the best. It’s a practice rooted in understanding — understanding the herbs themselves, how they work together in a formula, and how they work in balance with you. Because in herbalism, as in life, it’s rarely one thing that makes the difference. It’s the harmony of many things working together. Whether this is your introduction to herbalism for beginners or you’re deepening your understanding of the plants already in your pantry, you’re in the right place.
The First Step to Formulation
Herbal formulation is an art and a way of life. To be a good herbalist is to find balance everywhere, not just in your tea blend or tincture. The herbalist philosophy is intuitive when you really think about it. Life, and herbalism, is about balancing the dynamic forces both within and around us.
Herbalists do this through what’s called energetics — a classification system built on four complementary qualities: hot, cold, damp, and dry. Balance sits at the center.
What Are Herbal Energetics?
The word “energetics” isn’t as mysterious as it sounds. Think of it like personality types — some people run warm and energetic, others cool and calm. Plants have their own version of that.
Understanding energetics requires paying attention — to your body’s responses to what you eat, how you move, who you spend time with, and where you go. To practice herbalism is to awaken your senses so you can read those signals and find the right remedy. It’s a simple philosophy and a profoundly effective one.
Plants have energetics. Humans have energetics. Even the situations we’re in have energetics. When we find balance between these forces, that’s where the good stuff happens.
Changing the Way We Relate to Herbs
Unfortunately, our modern world still follows the “Magic Bullet” mindset — identify the problem, find the one thing to fix it. Turmeric had its moment as the Magic Bullet. It was said to fix anything and everything. We love turmeric, and it has real benefits, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. The Magic Bullet approach can work for acute issues that need a specific antidote. But what’s often needed isn’t a single herb — it’s a thoughtfully designed blend that works in synergy with your body.
Today’s world is full of chronic health challenges that stem from ignoring the body’s signals and overlooking each person’s unique makeup. Bioindividuality is the idea that every person is uniquely, biochemically their own. No two bodies are exactly alike. Your genetics, lifestyle, environment, stress levels, gut health, relationships, and emotional world all shape who you are. In the context of herbs, this means what works beautifully for one person may not work the same way for another — and that’s not a flaw. That’s the whole point. Wellness isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about learning to listen to your body and finding what genuinely supports you.
As herbalist David Winston put it: “Herbs are becoming more popular, but herbalism isn’t.” We still reach for the Magic Bullet — can’t sleep, take valerian! Sick, take echinacea! — rather than taking the time to understand a person’s constitution and balance their energetics. Valerian isn’t right for everyone. Echinacea can do more harm than good if the energetics haven’t been assessed first.
As the saying goes, shortcuts make long delays. Understanding your individual constitution and matching the right remedy takes a little time upfront — but in the long run, it changes the way you relate to yourself, your body, and the plants that can support you. That’s really the heart of plant medicine basics — slow down, pay attention, and let the remedy match the person.
The Sweet Spot
You’re more likely to find an herb or formula that works for you when you consider how to balance three things at once: your constitution, the plant’s energetics, and what’s going on in your life right now. When all three align, that’s the sweet spot — and that’s where herbalism gets really interesting.
You Are What You Absorb, Not What You Eat
When we talk about how well an herb actually works in the body, we have to talk about bioavailability, it's so much more important than most people realize. Bioavailability refers to how much of a substance your body can actually absorb and put to use. You can consume something incredibly nutrient-rich, but if your body can't absorb it efficiently, much of that potential goes to waste.
With herbs, bioavailability is everything. A plant might contain powerful, beneficial compounds, but how those compounds are prepared, extracted, and delivered makes an enormous difference in how much your body can actually access and benefit from them.
We see this happen ALL THE TIME with Reishi. Many products will use the raw powdered form of Reishi instead of an herbal extract. Reishi is protected with an outer shell of chitin (the same compound that makes up the shell of a crab). The human body lacks the necessary enzymes to breakdown chitin effectively. That means in order to access Reishi’s goodness, we need to break it down with high heat (such as boiling) or dissolution (in another substrate like alcohol). When we don’t use these techniques, the benefits of Reishi are mostly lost as it passes through our gut.
Quality & Extraction Matter
Adaptogen quality starts before the herb ever reaches the shelf. Extracts are specifically designed to concentrate and isolate the most bioavailable parts of a plant — essentially doing some of the prep work for your body before the herb even reaches your system. A whole dried herb and a carefully crafted extract of that same herb can have very different levels of potency, even though they come from the same plant.
A few things that can influence herbal bioavailability include:
- The form — teas, tinctures, capsules, and extracts all absorb differently
- What you pair it with — some herbal compounds absorb better with food, healthy fats, or even other herbs (like Turmeric with Black Pepper)
- Your individual gut health — since most absorption happens in the digestive tract, the health of your gut plays a significant role
- The quality of the herb itself — how and where a plant is grown, how healthy the soil is, how it’s harvested, and processed all affect the integrity of its compounds
This is one of many reasons thoughtful formulation matters so much in herbalism. It’s not just about which herbs you choose — it’s about making sure those herbs can actually do their job once they’re in your body. When energetics meets formulation, quality, and an understanding of your unique self, that’s where ancient plant wisdom becomes genuinely useful.