Phytotherapy, or in other words herbal therapy, is a good complement to any treatment. Generally, herbs work slower than chemically produced drugs because the active ingredients in them are less concentrated. Herbs, however, enhance the natural healing abilities of the body which enables them to be extensively used in the prevention of diseases. Furthermore, they support the body’s defenses & stimulate the body, so we often experience improvement relatively soon.
I love Czech herbs, I cultivate, collect & dry them from spring to autumn. My knowledge has grown over years of testing & blending various blends, browsing through the encyclopedia of herbs & attending the herbal courses such as those of Vláďa Vytásek. Vláďa Vytásek is a czech herbalist, a marvelous person, my friend & as Mr Dušek calls him a “Walking Herb”. His sense of feeling the soul & beauty of herbs, their effect & endless flow of knowledge & experience is extensive. I also attended courses with the well-known herbalist from Uherské Hradiště, Evžen Brhel. His way of assessing illness & his prescriptions are just as unconventional as he is. He is also able to evaluate the problem in terms of TCM & his advice can also be used in dietetics. Of course, I have other guides & teachers around me, & I’m very fond of them all.
Phytotherapy is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. Several hundred different herbs, minerals or even animals are used & mixtures are formed. In China the mixtures are the most often compiled directly for a particular client, the most common used are ready made blends. Herbs are selected according to a certain hierarchy & each herb has its function. The strongest effect is the decoction, which is really very strong, is that its taste is very distinctive & not very tasty. For European patients the easiest & the most pleasant way to take the treatment is via a form of tablets, called wan. These are tasteless & blends are tailored to our local customs.
