Clinical Traditions Herb Co.—a small herb farm and apothecary located in and serving Jacksonville—started as a plot of grass in 2021 and is now a flourishing medicinal wildflower field. The organic herbs grown there are crafted into herbal teas and tinctures that help to build physical and mental wellness while targeting the root cause of illness. These products are available online as well as at their mobile apothecary at the Jacksonville-based Riverside Arts Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Owner Kaki Bryan, a certified clinical herbalist, also offers holistic health consultations, workshops and other events. Two upcoming events are a Farm Tour and Tea Meditation from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 14, where attendees will tour the medicinal herb garden in spring and be guided through a tea meditation to use their senses and intuition to learn the herb being sipped, and a Farm Tour and PYO (pick your own) herbs at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. on April 23. The tour will highlight medicine making, botanical identifications and taxonomy, and historical uses of the plants. Chamomile, calendula, red clover and more will be available.

 

“There is no shortcut to getting to the root cause of illness to create and maintain vitality,” says Bryan. “When I first meet a potential customer, I get to know why they are interested in herbs and what symptoms are going on that need attention. I always recommend a whole slew of holistic interventions, alongside potential herbal interventions. Nature heals, plain and simple. And it truly is simple to incorporate lifestyle choices—turned habits—that will turn your life around. My point is, it doesn’t have to be painful, exhausting or expensive to improve your vitality.”

 

The tonics that Clinical Traditions makes and sells are raw, organic apple cider vinegar (ACV)-based herbal remedies that are high in minerals and antioxidants. “ACV is already a probiotic superfood, shown to regulate blood sugar when taken with a meal, but Clinical Traditions has enriched ACV with herbal medicine and made it even better for you,” notes Bryan. “These liquid drops are great on the go or as a tasty addition to your food, and even blended into cocktails or mocktails.”

 

Clinical Traditions’ loose-leaf, freshly dried herbal tea provides aromatherapy benefits as well as deep internal healing, explains Bryan. Herbal tea has many benefits, from relieving stress to supporting a healthy gut.

 

Bryan lights up when asked what herbalism is. “Herbalism is the time-tested, potent and essential connection to nature that humans need to survive. It is the knowledge that many modern-day conventional medicines (aka pharmaceuticals) originated from plants (phytochemicals) and that herbs are rich in nutrients, which are vital to sustain ourselves. It is the observance of plants as sentient beings who grow and offer their disease-fighting power to influence health and disease and can elevate a human’s mental, spiritual or physical state.”

 

“As a functional herbalist, who trained at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine, herbalism is holistic health care,” Bryan continues. “I was trained in identifying root causes of illness and the best and safest methods to encourage the body's natural healing ability. Healing modalities include herbs, nutrients, movement, mindset and rest.”

 

According to Bryan, current America-based herbalists that use a holistic healthcare model in their clinical practice use the term “vitalism” or call themselves a “vitalist herbalist”. Vitalism is the belief that there are forces beyond just the physical (electrical and chemical occurrences) in our body that contribute to health or disease. Vitalists also believe that one's “life force” can benefit most from naturally occurring (usually free) “medicines,” like breathing, sunshine, movement and wild plants. In Chinese medicine or Japanese Kampo medicine, this idea is called “qi”. In the Indian holistic healthcare model—Ayurvedic medicine—it’s called “prana”. “Herbalism is medicine for the life force of a human,” observes Bryan.

 

“If you have a nagging symptom or a feeling that something just isn't right; if your life force isn't satisfactory for the life you want to live and you would like to heal naturally using a holistic (multifaceted) approach, I offer clinical consultations to get to the root issues and provide strategies for you to pull up those strangling roots,” shares Bryan.

 

Cost of both events is based on a pay-what-you-can sliding scale: $25-$40 for the April 14 event and $50-$100 for the April 23 event. Location: 9200 Plummer Rd., in Jacksonville. To reserve a spot, visit ClinicalTraditions.com/pages/learn-herbalism. For more information about Clinical Traditions, email [email protected] or visit ClinicalTraditions.com.