The topics of both instinct and intuition are of great interest to me. Therefore I am so happy that my latest guest blogger, Hannah Charman from Physic Health gave me her take on this very important concept. Especially in health. Never a more relevant time to make this a priority. Learning to trust that gut feeling and go with your intuition.
Trusting your Intuition in Your Health
A while ago I was talking to a friend who works as a GP. I asked whether she gets to use her instinct at work, or if she’s too bound by guidelines and protocols. She replied that sometimes she gets a hunch as to what’s happening with her patients, but is rarely able to act upon it. This doesn’t really bother her. Personally, I’d find it incredibly stifling. Having the freedom to act on our intuition at work is crucial to me. Maybe you’re the same?Â
I’ve worked as a Medical Herbalist for the last 21 years and more recently have become a Clinical Trainer for a Herbal Medicine training provider. I often have students sitting in on appointments. This means that I’ve come up against an unexpected problem. It turns out that intuition comes into my work far more than I ever realised. In particular, it helps me decide which herbal medicines to use for my patients. Sometimes those herbs would make sense if we looked at them logically. Other times I honestly wouldn’t be able to explain why I felt the need to use them. That makes it incredibly difficult for me to show students how to put a herbal prescription together because intuition can’t be taught. It’s in all of us and simply needs to be allowed the space to flourish.
Listening to that little voice
For me, intuition pops up in all kinds of ways.
Years ago I worked from a friend’s clinic in West Sussex. His dispensary was set up in a way which meant that all the bottles of medicine were on shelves immediately above where we did the dispensing. There was one particular bottle which contained a medicine I’d never heard of and knew nothing about. However, out of all the bottles on that shelf it caught my eye the most. In the end, I looked up what it was, and what it did. It was Squill, and although rarely used now, it was sometimes used to support people in heart failure. Particularly when the more commonly used herbs were not having the desired effect. At the time, my grandmother, an avid user of herbal medicine, was in exactly that situation. I added Squill to her prescription, and she immediately started to improve.
Occasionally, I run herbal medicine workshops, and my favourite part is the intuition exercise. That’s when students are given a plant which they don’t know (I deliberately choose an obscure one!). They then spend 10 minutes touching, tasting, looking at and smelling it. They make notes of any impressions they get as they go. In the end, without fail, they can tell me exactly what that plant is used for. Some have been so impressed that they’ve gone on to train as Medical Herbalists themselves!Â
Intuition comes out on top every time
Intuition is not a new thing in the world of Herbal Medicine. It’s how Medical Herbalists, and those who went before us have come to know our medicines, and our craft. Whilst we love the science, and indulge in every new piece of research, sadly, we can’t rely on science alone to give us the answers we need. A classic example is with COVID-19. A brand new virus which left medics, scientists and herbalists alike in a total unknown. As news of the pandemic broke, we began to discuss which herbs we intuitively felt could help a person with COVID infection.
Many of us came up with the same names, and as time went by and the science began to appear, some of those herbs were identified as being potentially helpful. I never would have expected that in this day and age, we’d suddenly find ourselves relying solely on intuition, observation, and the very old ways of working, at least in the short term.
I feel very lucky to have my job, especially at a time like this. Thanks to numerous campaigns over the years, we’ve retained our right to work freely and safely in service of others. We can use our gut instinct whenever we need to. It’s never let me down, and I wouldn’t be able to work in any other way. How about you?
What is a Medical Herbalist
Medical Herbalists in the true sense have the same level of expertise as your GP, but a very different skill set and approach. As a Medical Herbalist, Hannah aim to quickly find and treat the underlying causes of illness rather than simply managing symptoms. This way of working looks at all aspects of your health and puts you back in control. As well as treating your illness with personalised herbal medicines, Hannah will help you to understand how you’ve become unwell, and how to prevent the same thing happening again.
About Hannah Charman and Physic Health
When Hannah was just 14 she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Unfortunately, the doctors were unable to help her. Her parents decided to look elsewhere. They took her to see a number of alternative practitioners, who each listened to her, took her seriously and helped her on her journey to full recovery.Â
She never forgot how thankful they were to find someone willing to help when her family was so desperate. This made her decide to train as a Medical Herbalist. In 1999, Hannah graduated with an Honours Degree in Western Herbal Medicine, and since the,n have worked with thousands of patients of all ages and backgrounds.Â
Hannah is a proud member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH); the oldest and largest body of Western Medical Herbalists in the world. The NIMH has strict entry criteria, and all members have to demonstrate continued learning, valid insurance as well as abiding by a strict Code of Ethics. That way you can be sure you’re in safe hands and that someone else will be able to help you if you’re ever in need.
Make sure to connect with Hannah on Facebook, Twitter (@PhysicHealth) and/or LinkedIn. Or join her amazing group on Facebook, Minted – Optimum Health Hacks from Physic Health for some great tips and discussions.