Raw Herbs - Very Traditional Medicine

So, I have had an interesting balance of getting back into regular exercise, a busy quarter with prepping for my comprehensive exam (next weekend), a little work, and staying on top of crafting.

One of my favorite ways to unwind at home is to cook, and one of the more fascinating yet complicated aspects of my homework is studying and writing formulas. Like recipes, or following a pattern, there are many classics that are memorized for testing purposes. Then clinically, the traditional form is used, and prescribed in a patent (similar to a pharmaceutical) or a customized powder or raw formula is given. Cooking the raw herbs is almost an art form of it's own, since the instructions can be very simple, (place in a cup of hot water and drink like tea) or follow a specific process involving straining, boiling, simmering, stirring, and different times.

For convenience, I typically take patents or powders, and got a chance to practice cooking a raw formula last week and thought I's share a picture of the herbs before cooking. What is interesting, is how natural the medicine looks in this form, and that is does not have the side effects of some other options since it is customized to both nourish and eliminate.