ROOTED NOURISHMENT
connecting spirit and body to earth
The Wellness Manifestation
Folk Method Traditions has manifested into a multilayered holistic healing space. What was once a wild forage basket and curiosity, transformed into Folk Method Botanicals, an herbal formula line based on reoccurring ailments seen in our local community. As a revelation, we discovered that our greatest medicine is what grows around us and what we are attracted to most. With the help of many great teachers, the relationship between plants and humans became much more transparent.
With further research and connection to the human body, the interest in bodywork began to take place. The ancient practices of Asian Bodywork Therapy seemed to be so complimentary to the spirit of herbalism. This five element theory expresses the combination of body, mind, and spirit through the lens of Earth’s natural rhythms.
With the alignment of these remedies, Folk Method Traditions is now offering herbal and bodywork sessions at Grian Herbs Apothecary in Downtown Montpelier, Vermont. For more information, check out the Clinic page or send us an email with any questions you might have.
Asian Bodywork Therapy
To reconnect with your body’s needs, we must reconnect to physical touch.
One of the oldest form of healing comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. This form of ancient healing wisdom focuses on the energetic channels throughout the body that contain the essential essence (or Qi) for nourishing the physical and spiritual self. Methods such as shiatsu massage and cupping therapy are deep connections to these energetic channels that work towards calming the system and reorganizing any buildup or deficiency of Qi.
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a Japanese bodywork treatment, traditionally practiced through clothing on a futon on the floor and can be done on a massage table if desired. Unlike regular massage, Shiatsu offers a pressure touch, sinking into the body rather than gliding over the skin. I use my hands, elbows, knees and sometimes feet to work contact the dynamic life source energy (Qi) alongside stretches and limb rotations to open, connect and create space and movement within the body.
Like Acupuncture, Shiatsu works by treating the whole person, rather than one single ailment or point of discomfort. Through the simple power of touch, Shiatsu engages the body's innate wisdom and healing resources to bring integration and transformation. Although deeply satisfying at a physical level, Shiatsu is not just a physical treatment as it includes the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of being.
Wild-Crafting & Biodynamics
When creating a space for yourself to focus on deep nourishment and rejuvenation for your body and spirit, the quality and care for the plants you are using is a crucial factor.
Our herbal preparations are made using, solely, wild-crafted and/or biodynamically grown materials.
What is the importance of wild-crafting?
Wild-crafting is a practice used since the beginning of human existence. Indigenous cultures had survived for countless generations on the resources that they were able to gather from the land. Not only was this a practice that was passed down by ancestors, creating a deep sense of community and belonging within the family, but it was also knowledge that was presented to many people through universal messages. So much of this tradition has been lost through exploitation of Earth’s resources, industrial agriculture, and disassociation from our abilities to heal ourselves through nature.
With that said, reclaiming our connection to the land and the universal energies that exist in that raw state of the natural world are where we base our ethics. The main resources that we so gratefully gather from the wild land are our mushrooms, usnea, and native flowers and barks. Our policy is to make sure there are more than three of the plant in your view before gathering. This way we can be sure that regeneration can occur and our practices will be as sustainable for the environment as possible.
What is Biodynamics?
Biodynamic farming is another practice that has been used for a large period of our evolution into food cultivation. The term Biodynamic was dubbed by the founder of Waldorf education, Dr. Rudolf Steiner. However, to appropriately credit this application, this type of regenerative and spiritual agriculture was known to be used by indigenous communities much before Steiner’s scientifically in-depth discoveries. For hundreds of years, indigenous peoples implemented different types of permaculture, intercropping, agroforestry, and water management techniques throughout the land. These are key concepts of Biodynamics.
Biodynamic farming goes beyond organic farming, though incredibly similar. Like organic farming, there is no use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, and there is big emphasis on compost, cover crops, and crop rotation. It’s in the spiritual realm that Biodynamics changes course. A core belief in Biodynamics is to help heal the earth by using specially made preparations that are applied to the soil and compost pile following the natural rhythms of the day, the seasons, and the moon and planets. This tradition creates a deep connection where humans can turn to living in harmony with nature and cultivate an inner spiritual life that respects all living beings.
