The pandemic virus is amongst us. The impact is yet to be seen. Despite the familiarity we all have with imagining armageddon and the zombie apocalypse from modern media, we have the opportunity now to imagine and create a different future.
Our ideal experience with the coronavirus may look something like this;
- The virus is slowed in its journey across the world by the social distancing efforts and basic hygiene across the nation
- Individuals support their optimal immune health in the comfort of their home
- The vast majority of Americans develop healthy immunity to the virus and gradually return to their daily life routines
- Those with compromised lung function have access to the emergency medical services they need
- We expand our immunological memory banks and enhance individual health
- Communities discover new ways to support each other
- Motivation toward sustainable agriculture methods to prevent future animal to human virus transmission transforms our global economy and standards for healthy communities
Current projections are a lot different from this. The concern of the medical system overwhelm from too many individuals experiencing symptoms all at once is very real. For those not knowing what to do and resorting to the very limited emergency medical system when symptoms begin can interfere with those who really need the care not receiving it.
These are complicated times, and our cultures approach to healthcare adds a lot of confusion. The predominant message of modern medicine is that there is nothing that anyone can do but wash their hands and try to avoid contact. Yet our traditional medicine cultures from around the world have thousands of years of history of managing acute illness with countless tools from natural medicine.
What confounds this further, is that research from western science acknowledges with tremendous detail that herbal medicine has a great deal to offer. There are volumes of research about the benefit of echinacea for immune function, viral prevention and anti-viral effects of using the herb. Articles on berberine, the constituent in many herbs from across the world used as an immune support reveal greater and greater benefit to health. The plants that our predecessors of North America revered for medicine continue to demonstrate powerful effects on health; grindelia, pine, sage, yarrow, phytolacca... there isn't enough space in this blog for all the powerful plant allies available at our fingertips!
The worried well today is anyone under age 60 without a chronic lung disease that the coronavirus will likely (and hopefully) pass without any long term impacts. Yet we don't have to suffer from a place of disempowerment, or fear of not having any resources. And we hopefully can be empowered enough to reserve the emergency medical resources for those who are severely suffering. Look to your backyard for herbal medicine, your ancestors for healthcare traditions and certainly make use of Stillwater and the many natural medicine apothecaries and Naturopathic doctors around today to be your guides in this complex time.
I hope to bridge the gap between the past and the present, the mechanical and the natural and support the return to a sustainable alignment and health with our planet. While I've got your attention, please take a moment to separate out the emotion and come to rest in the vision of the future you wish to create.