September 29th, 2011 
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This is the second in a series of articles on the topic of herbs and the art and science of herbal healing.
The complexity of effective cures, treatments, and remedies created by a practitioner of herbal healing is as limitless as the number of individuals that practitioner is called upon to heal. This complexity can often times become compounded by genetic, environmental, and psychological idiosyncrasies of any given individual whom is seeking relief through herbal healing as well.
There is, however, a modicum of danger of which the practitioner of herbal healing should beware: becoming mired in such complexities and losing touch with the simple, basic, and highly effective results often derived from the knowledgeable use of a few basic and local herbs. Every practitioner of herbal healing should begin and maintain a relationship with herbs and herbal healing that is consistent with the name for which this healing art has come to be known – the “Art of Simpling” .
There are traditionally three basic principles attributed to the “Art of Simpling”. The first principle involves the use of local herbs. People contract illnesses that are somewhat dependent on their local environment. Parasitic infections, for example, are much more common to people from southern climates than they are to people from the north where conditions like bronchitis predominate. Herbs and herbal therapies derived from plants taken in any given area have characteristics that are uniquely useful in treating maladies that manifest in people living in those same areas. It is thought that any given area produces 10-12 indigenous plants that can be used to make herbal therapies that are the most effective in treating most of the illnesses common to the area.
The second principle of Simpling and herbal therapies involves the practice of using mild herbs.
Herbs that are mild and herbal therapies that are made from them can be taken freely and they tend to affect all the systems of the body. Hence, they are easily processed and used to heal a wide variety of illnesses.
The third principle in Simpling involves using these mild herbs in large quantities or doses. The use of large doses of herbal remedies made from mild herbs is necessary in order for the dose to have the power needed to be an effective treatment. When using an herbal therapy in the form of a tea, for instance, it is common for people to mistakenly brew a medicinal remedy that is completely ineffective by using the same amount of herbs they would normally use in an everyday beverage. It might very well be that the herbal therapy requires the individual to drink several cups every day of a very strong brew made with large amounts of the main herbal ingredient. This like many similar herbal therapies may have to be taken over the course of several days in order for the cure to be effective as well.
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