Michael Tierra
Encyclopedia
Michael Tierra is an herbalist
and acupuncturist who has been in clinical practice in Santa Cruz, California
for nearly thirty years. He integrates Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic herbal medicine and acupuncture
. He is a founder of the American Herbalists Guild
and is the author of numerous books, including The Way of Herbs and Planetary Herbology.
, Western herbal medicine, Ayurveda, or other traditional herbal practices. The idea has been influential in the practice of herbal medicine in the United States, but it is controversial. Some practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine
, for example, believe their diagnostic system is too complex to be abbreviated or integrated within other traditions. Difficulties in its application have been noted by David Winston
in his American Botanical Council Herbalgram review of Peter Holmes's book, The Energetics of Western Herbs.
Western herbalism has adopted medicinal herbs from a variety of places in the world. (Conversely, American herbs, such as American Ginseng
, or Ayurvedic herbs, have been adopted within Chinese medicine.) Planetary herbology requires diagnosis and translation between different humoral systems, which is difficult.
Michael Tierra says,
A global perspective of herbal medicine allows treatment of conditions that may not be properly addressed in the predominant medicine of an area. Herbalist Alan Tillotson, who practices this type of medicine, says,
points out that appendicitis
is regularly treated by herbs and acupuncture
in China, whereas in the United States, it is invariably treated by surgery. Although diseases may be viewed differently in different cultures, so that simple adoption can be difficult, significant treatment modalities can carry over.
, established in 1989 as the represention of professional herbalists regardless of tradition. This organization certifies professional members, establishes standards for herbal education and sponsors educational conferences. The standards are planetary in nature, so that herbalists trained in a variety of traditions, from Native American medicine practitioners, who trained as apprentices, to graduates of Chinese Medicine schools or Naturopathic colleges, can be considered as members.
Co-author with Lesley Tierra of the following:
, in the Klamath National Forest
in northern California
. He learned the wild forest plants and healing traditions of the Yurok and Karok American Indians. He moved to Vancouver where he studied with Dr. Christopher.
He moved to San Francisco, where he studied acupuncture
with Efrem Korngold, Foon Lee Wong and Miriam Lee
. He studied Ayurvedic medicine and yoga
with Baba Hari Dass. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1976, where he started a holistic medicine school, the Garden of Sanjivani. Tierra received his Acupuncture and N.D. degrees, and studied Ayurvedic medicine in India
for three months. He received his Oriental Medical doctor's degree (OMD) from the San Francisco College of Acupuncture in 1987. He was among the first group from the United States to study herbal medicine in China.
In 1979, Tierra received a distinguished achievement award for Master Herbalist from Dr. Christopher at the Herbal Symposium.
, the American Herbal Academy, Santa Barbara Center for Holistic Studies, Antioch University
and the Ojai Institute. Tierra is co-founder of the American School of Botanical Medicine with Amanda McQuade Crawford
.
Tierra lectures internationally in England, New Zealand, and a number of other countries. He founded the East West College of Herbalism with David and Sarah Holland, recognized as an accredited professional herbal college in the United Kingdom. Each spring, Tierra and his wife Lesley teach in England at the East West College. His East West College correspondence course has had thousands of students.
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
and acupuncturist who has been in clinical practice in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
for nearly thirty years. He integrates Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic herbal medicine and acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
. He is a founder of the American Herbalists Guild
American Herbalists Guild
The American Herbalists Guild is the only professional organization for herbalists of all traditions in the United States of America. The Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization...
and is the author of numerous books, including The Way of Herbs and Planetary Herbology.
Planetary herbology
Tierra is known for coining the term and describing the idea of 'Planetary Herbology', in which herbalists combine herbs, treatment principles and diagnostic techniques from various traditions, instead of practicing exclusively Chinese medicine, UnaniUnani
Unani-tibb or Unani Medicine also spelled Yunani Medicine means "Greek Medicine", and is a form of traditional medicine widely practiced in South Asia...
, Western herbal medicine, Ayurveda, or other traditional herbal practices. The idea has been influential in the practice of herbal medicine in the United States, but it is controversial. Some practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, for example, believe their diagnostic system is too complex to be abbreviated or integrated within other traditions. Difficulties in its application have been noted by David Winston
David Winston
David Winston RH is an American herbalist and ethnobotanist. He has been in practice and teaching since 1977 and has written several books on the subject. He works in the Cherokee, Chinese and the Western eclectic herbal traditions...
in his American Botanical Council Herbalgram review of Peter Holmes's book, The Energetics of Western Herbs.
Western herbalism has adopted medicinal herbs from a variety of places in the world. (Conversely, American herbs, such as American Ginseng
American Ginseng
American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as Chinese or herbal medicine.It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in places such as China....
, or Ayurvedic herbs, have been adopted within Chinese medicine.) Planetary herbology requires diagnosis and translation between different humoral systems, which is difficult.
Michael Tierra says,
"Every plant has an effect either positively or negatively which coincides with the nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. Instead of five elements like the Ayurvedic and TCM systems, the Native Americans used the four directions and the medicine wheel—plants were classified according to the medicine wheel. Planetary draws from the roots of these traditional systems and integrates this wisdom. Although there are similarities, it is a very difficult process and most companies do not do this, it is hard enough to understand one system let alone developing synergistic formulas from multiple systems.”
A global perspective of herbal medicine allows treatment of conditions that may not be properly addressed in the predominant medicine of an area. Herbalist Alan Tillotson, who practices this type of medicine, says,
"Many serious health conditions considered incurable at home have known solutions in other parts of the world. For example, little is known in this part of the world about the fact that Chinese doctors have promising medicines for leukemiaThe herbalist David WinstonLeukemiaLeukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, Ayurvedic doctors have time-tested medicines for chronic hepatitisHepatitisHepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, and Nigerian doctors have medicines routinely used for sickle cell anemia."
David Winston
David Winston RH is an American herbalist and ethnobotanist. He has been in practice and teaching since 1977 and has written several books on the subject. He works in the Cherokee, Chinese and the Western eclectic herbal traditions...
points out that appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
is regularly treated by herbs and acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
in China, whereas in the United States, it is invariably treated by surgery. Although diseases may be viewed differently in different cultures, so that simple adoption can be difficult, significant treatment modalities can carry over.
American Herbalists Guild
Tierra is one of the founders of the American Herbalists GuildAmerican Herbalists Guild
The American Herbalists Guild is the only professional organization for herbalists of all traditions in the United States of America. The Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization...
, established in 1989 as the represention of professional herbalists regardless of tradition. This organization certifies professional members, establishes standards for herbal education and sponsors educational conferences. The standards are planetary in nature, so that herbalists trained in a variety of traditions, from Native American medicine practitioners, who trained as apprentices, to graduates of Chinese Medicine schools or Naturopathic colleges, can be considered as members.
Publications
- The Way of Herbs (Rev. 1998), and
- The Way of Chinese Herbs(1998)
- Planetary Herbology (1987),
- Biomagnetic and Herbal Therapy (1997)
- The East West Course of Herbology
- Treating Cancer with Herbs: An Integrative Approach (2003).
Co-author with Lesley Tierra of the following:
- Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine, Vol. 1 & 2 (1998)
- Healing with the Herbs of Life(2003),
- Chinese-Planetary Herbal Diagnosis (1998)
- Co-author Dr. John Lust, Natural Remedy Bible
- Co-author Candice Cantin, Herbal Tarot (1993).
- Edited American Herbalism: Essays on Herbs & Herbalism by Members of the American Herbalist Guild (1992).
Biography
Tierra began his study and practice in 1968 while living in a commune, Black Bear RanchBlack Bear Ranch
Black Bear Ranch is an 80-acre intentional community located in Siskiyou County, California, founded in 1968, with the slogan "free land for free people"...
, in the Klamath National Forest
Klamath National Forest
Klamath National Forest is a national forest, in the Klamath Mountains, located in Siskiyou County in northern California, but with a tiny extension into southern Jackson County in Oregon. The forest contains continuous stands of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, Douglas fir, red fir, white fir and...
in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He learned the wild forest plants and healing traditions of the Yurok and Karok American Indians. He moved to Vancouver where he studied with Dr. Christopher.
He moved to San Francisco, where he studied acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
with Efrem Korngold, Foon Lee Wong and Miriam Lee
Miriam Lee
Miriam Lee was one of the pioneering acupuncturists in the United States and was responsible for acupuncture being legalized in California....
. He studied Ayurvedic medicine and yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
with Baba Hari Dass. He moved to Santa Cruz in 1976, where he started a holistic medicine school, the Garden of Sanjivani. Tierra received his Acupuncture and N.D. degrees, and studied Ayurvedic medicine in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for three months. He received his Oriental Medical doctor's degree (OMD) from the San Francisco College of Acupuncture in 1987. He was among the first group from the United States to study herbal medicine in China.
In 1979, Tierra received a distinguished achievement award for Master Herbalist from Dr. Christopher at the Herbal Symposium.
Teaching
Tierra has taught at many schools, including Norma Meier's Herb School in Vancouver, Canada, The California School of Herbology, Heartwood College, the Esalen InstituteEsalen Institute
Esalen Institute is a residential community and retreat in Big Sur, California, which focuses upon humanistic alternative education. Esalen is a nonprofit organization devoted to activites such as meditation, massage, Gestalt, yoga, psychology, ecology, and spirituality...
, the American Herbal Academy, Santa Barbara Center for Holistic Studies, Antioch University
Antioch University
Antioch University is an American university with five campuses located in four states. Campuses are located in Los Angeles, California; Santa Barbara, California; Keene, New Hampshire; Yellow Springs, Ohio; and Seattle, Washington. Additionally, Antioch University houses two institution-wide...
and the Ojai Institute. Tierra is co-founder of the American School of Botanical Medicine with Amanda McQuade Crawford
Amanda McQuade Crawford
Amanda McQuade Crawford, BA, DipPhyto, MNIMH, MNZAMH, RH , is a Medical Herbalist, Professor, Author and Television Personality. She hosts "What a Relief!", a television show on the Veria TV network which teaches viewers about natural herbal treatments for common, everyday ailments.- Life and...
.
Tierra lectures internationally in England, New Zealand, and a number of other countries. He founded the East West College of Herbalism with David and Sarah Holland, recognized as an accredited professional herbal college in the United Kingdom. Each spring, Tierra and his wife Lesley teach in England at the East West College. His East West College correspondence course has had thousands of students.
External links
- http://www.planetherbs.com/ - 'East West Herb Course '