My introduction to herbal medicine was from my mother and grandmother. Growing up, my grandmother had a 700 year old herbal medicine book written in Old Czech. She taught me to make herbal salves and bathe in herbal remedies. Many of her methods were passed down from our ancestors who were healers and pharmacists who worked with folk medicine. My ancestors come from three traditions: Slavic, Ashkenazi Jewish and Roma. Folk medicine in Eastern Europe underwent several eras of threat imposed by the Catholic Church, including the witch hunt, the 30 year war, and marginalization of traditional folk medicines particularly for Roma and Jewish populations.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has also undergone several eras of violence, most notably during the cultural revolution, that was influence by the west and western medicine. These forces are intimately tied to the ongoing legacy of violence on Indigenous traditional medicines by European colonizers and the Catholic Church. As a first generation settler on unceded Indigenous land, I am dedicated to unlearning these methods of violence and search for the teachings of my own ancestors that were threatened. Herbalism is a practice shared by many traditional medicines and herbal bathing continues to be practiced by folk healers as well as in the medical system in Europe, China, and here on Turtle Island. As student of traditional medicines, I hope to honour these connections in a way that honours the history of the land and spaces that I occupy.
Ancient Slavs used hot springs and steam baths for health preservation and recovery. Laz’nja (steam bath houses) were made of wood and contained a fireplace or stove with big stones which were used for the evaporation of water. Naked bathers were seated around pouring warm water over one another and whipping their bodies with small brooms, often made of willow for their spiritually cleansing effect. Plants containing saponin, such as Calendula and Fenugreek, were employed as cleansing agents and the body was anointed with herbal salves made with melted butter and animal fats.
In the 19th century, Ashkenazi communities generally had their medical care provided for by feldshers, rather than trained physicians. At the time, restrictions barred most Jews from attending universities. Feldshers were considered “folk physicians” by their communities and often referred to as rofe, the Hebrew word for “doctor.” Feldshers were trusted by the community and regularly interacted with other traditional folk healers, learning their remedies, and often making extensive use of that knowledge. For this reason, they were also integral in the process of translating these medical resources. Feldsher’s relied on many medical resource texts and recommended many herbal ointments and plasters, as well as herbal baths in mineral water. The feldsher’s medical repertoire was often enriched with a variety of herbal and traditional remedies.
There is not much written about Romani medicine traditions as much of the knowledge has been passed down orally or has faced erasure due to persecution. However, Roma people are credited with bringing much medicinal knowledge from “The East” to Europe via the Silk Road, including the famous “Thieve’s Oil” which is an essential oil blend that was used to survive the black plague. Roma also introduced cleaning/cleansing practices that prevented illness, herbal teas, salves and tinctures, as well as meditation and fortune telling practices to protect oneself from foreign pathogens such as the Evil Eye. For Roma, bathing is an important spiritual practice that cleanses and protects honour.
Herbal steam bathing is still practiced in the Czech Republic, and healing spas are even covered by health insurance. People attend these healing facilities for many issues including surgery recovery, autoimmune disease, chronic disease, injury recovery and even surgery prevention. Baths rich in minerals and Radium are recommended to increase the bodies self-healing ability and treatment plans include herbal medicine.
Herbal bathing is also an ancient tradition in China that persists today. In the Zhou dynasty (1100–221 BC), people used Eupatorium ( Pei Lan ) in baths for body odor, which is also used to relieve summer heat symptoms and promotes appetite. In the Song dynasty (AD 960- 1279), herbal baths became popular among the public as integral part of yearly rituals. For instance:
Chinese New Year:
five fragrance bath for relaxation
ze lan, jing jie, luo le, tan xiang and mu xiang
common bluebeard herb, Schizonepeta herb, common basil, sandalwood and costus root
Spring:
wolfberry-fruit (gou qi) baths to promote skin health and delay aging
Summer:
five-twig-bath for health prevention and maintenance
gui zhi, tao ren, yang liu, ma huang
cassia twig, pagoda twig, peach twig, willow twig and ephedra
Chinese herbal baths are generally indicated for conditions like fever, fungus infections, skin sores, wounds, pain, arthritis, and itchiness, as well as a beauty treatment. The effective properties of the herbal bath are absorbed through the patient’s skin and respiratory system into the meridians and work by activating the healing functions in the patient’s body including strengthening the immune system (wei qi), tonifying the organs, and circulating the entire meridian system. Selection of herbs is usually based on specific conditions.
At home, you can mix an infusion or decoction to fill the bath or use a large gauze bag stuffed with the proper herbs (ground) to steep your own bath. When preparing the decoction, soak the herbal ingredients for 20 minutes first and then boil for 30 minutes. It is said that the same pack of herbs can be decocted three times. When taking herbal baths, the water temperature should lie between 37–42℃. Rub the body surface slightly and soak in the bath for no longer than 30 minutes. After the bath, rinse the body with plain water, remember to rest for half an hour and drink water to replenish lost body fluid. Wrap yourself in a blanket for at least 15 minutes to ensure the herbs are properly absorbed.
Foot baths are also very effective for health preservation, especially in the winter time. These mini-baths are very effective for warming and tonifying the whole body, particularly the kidney, liver, spleen and stomach meridians. Adding magnesium and ebsom salts to the herbal concoction stimulates absorption and supports your body in detoxification, especially for lactic acid build up.
As we shift into the colder months, bathing rituals can support our entire system, particularly our immune system. They help us cleanse and replenish, relax and rejuvenate. Late summer is a great time to collect your favourite herbs and preserve them for the winter months. Make sure you give thanks and harvest respectfully and sustainably! Dry and mix your herbs, then store them in a glass jar so you can treat yourself to a herbal bath ritual all winter long :)