Energetics / Constitutions are ways we can group together the characteristics of bodies and plants into categories, when working with plant allies to better understand when a plant ally will be helpful (or conversely, be irritating to a body’s current condition).

For example, does the body tend to overheat easily, or most often feel cold? Does a plant have the ability to cool bodies or heat them up?

Energetics / Constitutions are the nuances of both plants and bodies that we consider when matching plants to people. When we ask plant allies to help move our bodies systems toward balance we do it with this observable information in mind.

I have sorted out pelvic steamers into 4 constitutional categories based on the info I receive in a client’s intake form and consultation. As with all life, diversity and complexity are the rule! Many clients do not fall cleanly into one category, but the way I approach working with medicinal plants is to balance out one constitutional imbalance at a time. For example, if you have a dampness imbalance leading to stagnation, but also have a lot of infections going on, you will first work with plants that clear infections (and balance out the excess heat that often accompanies them), then move on to clearing stagnation, and the internal dampness that most often goes with it.

These 4 categories were created for pelvic steamers, so you can better understand the story that goes with the plants, how the plants relate to bodies, and what this may mean to you.