My life has been deeply affected by this medicine. I first heard about Plant Spirit Medicine (PSM) in 2005 while living in Oregon.  My precious dog had just died, a relationship had ended, my eyes had been swollen shut for weeks as a result of an infection.  While all this was going on, all I could do was pray. Pray for the pain to be lifted. Pray to be able to “see” whatever I was not seeing, whatever I was missing.   Then, “by chance” I was able to go to a workshop that Eliot Cowan was teaching. I was pretty low and was not going to attend, but … a friend had a dream the night before the workshop. She insisted I NEEDED to go; so I did. 

During the Rekindle Workshop I was deeply moved by the teacher,  Eliot Cowan. As one of my other friends who attended said, “he doesn’t look like a shaman; he looks more like a lawyer.”  But his love of plants, his love of people, his  devotion to healing, his humility and directness spoke volumes to me … not just to my mind but to my heart. 

Since that time, I  have had the great fortune of studying with this remarkable healer. I have graduated as a PSM healer and now have a small practice out a home office. I can thoroughly say that I have never encountered a healing modality more powerful, more effective and more subtle for lifting off pathology and for helping to heal others by bringing their body, mind and spirit into better balance.  It isn’t a woo-woo thing. It is well-grounded, real, serious healing practice.  It is remarkably transformative and effective.  The healing methodology uses traditional Chinese Medicine as a diagnostic tool and then delivers healing from the spirit of the plants to the spirit of a person.  My colleague Chris Griffin says it beautifully on his blog post on PSM.

All around the country and the world, we now have PSM healers doing work quietly, devotedly and with great integrity. Cultivating right relationship with the spirits of plants and with the world around us is part and parcel of our work as healers. In addition, PSM healers also have “day jobs.”  We are business owners, trainers, lawyers, programmers, consultants, physicians, landscape artists, you name it.  We bring our healing acumen and stance into everything we do. 

One day, like Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Osteopaths we will be recognized by the mainstream. Until then, I wanted to do my small part at recognizing and celebrating this medicine and the people who share it with others, transforming many lives in the process.  For more information about Plant Spirit Medicine, Eliot Cowan or to explore taking the healing course, please visit the PSM website.

Your comments, questions are welcome.