Right here in Santa Cruz, different well being practices maintain a particular place locally. From yoga to natural medication to acupuncture, the county’s holistic roots run deep. At the moment, you’ll find greater than 200 native acupuncturists—plus a educating institute dedicated to the craft. However this represents a sea change from only a half-century in the past.
Within the early Nineteen Seventies, the California Medical Board was on a mission to close down all “unlicensed” healers—anybody working towards acupuncture, herbalism and even midwifery. Practitioners may very well be arrested for providing care that fell exterior the boundaries of Western medication.
It was throughout this turbulent time that Stanford-trained audiologist and lifelong herbalist Martha Benedict met Dr. Miriam Lee, one of many first Chinese language-trained acupuncturists to convey the traditional therapeutic artwork to America. Lee had opened a small clinic in Palo Alto, and Benedict—curious and dedicated—turned one among her early college students.
When Lee was arrested for working towards with out a license, Benedict joined a grassroots motion to defend her. Collectively, this small however decided group of healers helped persuade California lawmakers to legalize acupuncture within the mid-Nineteen Seventies—an effort that paved the best way for the thriving different medication group we have now at present.
After relocating to Santa Cruz, Benedict started combining her background in science and herbalism with the ideas of conventional Chinese language medication. She cooked up natural blends for her sufferers, her mates and her household—formulation impressed by Chinese language, Ayurvedic and Western natural traditions. Phrase unfold shortly, and Benedict’s kitchen quickly turned a small laboratory of natural experimentation.
Her ability and fervour led her to co-found the American Faculty of Conventional Chinese language Medication in San Francisco—one of many first accredited establishments within the U.S. to show acupuncture and natural medication. For a number of years, she taught there earlier than returning to Santa Cruz to deal with her personal medical observe.
In her backyard, Martha grew the herbs she used—organically, after all—and refined her tinctures and tonics by years of observe. She collaborated with different acupuncturists, continuously adjusting her formulation to satisfy the shifting wants of the seasons and her shoppers’ well being challenges.
By 1996, Benedict had formally based Benedictine Therapeutic Merchandise, a line of inner extracts, salves and topical oils that quickly gained a nationwide following. The corporate’s formulation—crafted from herbs grown biodynamically and harvested by hand—turned identified for his or her efficiency, purity and originality.
When Benedict handed away in 2018, she left behind greater than a enterprise. She left a legacy of therapeutic, activism and empowerment—particularly for girls within the wellness world.
“She was actually so beloved,” remembers Sue George, now co-owner and operations supervisor of Benedictine Herbs. “After I do occasions in Santa Cruz, folks nonetheless turn out to be teary. That’s how a lot Martha meant to this group. She wasn’t simply making natural merchandise—she was empowering ladies to heal themselves and one another.”
George, who was residing in San Diego on the time of Benedict’s passing, was a longtime fan of her work. Afterward, Benedict’s companion reached out for assist working the enterprise. George stepped in—and shortly turned a part of the management staff.
For George, persevering with the Benedictine mission isn’t simply in regards to the merch. It’s about preserving the integrity of conventional medication in a world of fast fixes pushed by social media.
“In Western society, we deal with medication as a post-illness resolution,” she explains. “We go to the physician to get fastened or to get a prescription. However herbalism is proactive. It’s about supporting the physique earlier than it breaks down.”
She’s fast to level out the challenges going through practitioners at present. Acupuncture schools are closing. Insurance coverage hardly ever covers holistic remedies. And lots of acupuncturists can’t afford to inventory high quality herbs for his or her sufferers. “It’s a vicious cycle,” she says. “Our nonprofit mission is to assist change that—to make conventional medication a part of our common healthcare dialog.”
Within the meantime, George carries on Benedict’s instructional legacy, educating folks how you can combine herbs into each day life—beginning small, beginning easy.
“For anybody new to natural medication,” she says, “the perfect place to begin is in your kitchen. Herbs are meals. Develop a bit rosemary or lavender—they thrive right here. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to your oatmeal. Drink natural tea each day. It doesn’t should be difficult.”
It’s this mix of simplicity and class—historic information assembly fashionable accessibility—that retains Benedictine Herbs thriving almost 30 years after its founding.
From handcrafted tinctures to fragrant oils, each bottle carries the essence of the girl who began all of it: a scientist, an activist, a healer, and a believer within the energy of crops to fix not simply the physique, but in addition the soul.
As George places it, “Martha mixed Jap, Western and Ayurvedic traditions in a manner nobody else did. She left a blueprint for therapeutic that’s as related now because it was 50 years in the past—and we’re simply honored to maintain that spirit alive.
Elizabeth Borelli is an writer, yoga and breathwork trainer, plant-based diet skilled. To study extra, go to ElizabethBorelli.com.
