Why no healing journey is purely physical

Every thought, feeling, and emotional state has a physical echo in the body, a ripple of chemical messengers that you can sometimes sense in the wave of an adrenaline hit.

And every subtle change in your biochemistry, your blood sugar, hormones, digestion, inflammation, etc can shape how you think, feel, and respond. There’s a motorway of nerves running between the brain and the gut—but importantly, the traffic flows both ways. In fact, more messages travel from the gut to the brain than the other way around and so your digestive system, and thus the food you eat, has a direct line to how you feel mentally.

We do not comprise a collection of separate systems. The body and mind are in constant conversation, and when that conversation becomes disrupted, symptoms arise, and it’s not always physical such as in the gut, showing on the skin, or hormones, but in one’s mood, one’s energy, one’s drive, one’s clarity of thought.

I have always sworn by the Hippocratic reasoning that “All disease begins in the gut”. I hate to refute the God of medicine, but the more I see in clinic, the more I think that, whilst I absolutely look to address digestion as a priority, to treat the gut without consideration for the mind is to fall short. In my experience, no intervention—nutritional, herbal, or lifestyle—will truly work unless the brain is nourished.

That doesn’t mean “just think positively.” It means we need to work with the body in a way that feels good to the nervous system. If you’re flat, overwhelmed, wired, foggy, or unmotivated, even the most well-crafted programme can feel hard to engage with.

Sometimes, the most effective place to start is with focus, energy, and emotional resilience—so that the rest of the work becomes easier to do. And yet, the diet can support that too, both are most powerful when they work in sync.

This is where traditional systems like Ayurveda add something profound. They remind us that different people respond differently to the same stress, the same foods, the same pace of life. I see it with my husband, a natural born extrovert, who is refuelled by parties. Whilst I love a party just as much, my different constitution means that I need refuelling with a quiet evening and a good book. Your energetic constitution shapes your experience of the world—and your path to balance.

For some, the mind needs calming.
For others, it needs firing up.
Some need grounding, others need movement.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mental clarity, motivation, or emotional ease.

Herbs and foods can be tailored not just to your symptoms, but to your state—and that’s when they truly begin to support change.

Many of the herbs and practices we use to support the mind also work deeply through the body—especially through the gut, which houses its own complex nervous system. When we choose a herb for the nervous system, we’re often supporting digestion, immunity, hormone balance and mood at the same time. Here’s how:

• Adaptogens help us respond more gracefully to stress. But they don’t stop at the brain—they help regulate cortisol rhythms, which improves insulin sensitivity, supports the integrity of the gut lining, enhances bacterial balance, and promotes a shift into the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state where healing can actually happen.
• Nervines are often used to ease anxiety, overstimulation, or mental restlessness—but they also act on the enteric nervous system (the “second brain” in the gut). By soothing nervous tension, they ease digestive spasms, reduce bloating, and relieve discomfort that often flares up during emotional stress.
• Warming herbs, known for increasing focus and mental clarity, also stimulate digestion and circulation. They rekindle digestive fire while increasing blood flow to the brain—helping us feel both energised and grounded.
• Grounding herbs aren’t just for calming a racing mind. They often moisten, nourish, and soften the gut—settling dryness, tension, or hyperactivity that’s often more than just physical.
• Nourishing foods support both energy and emotional stability—especially when they help balance blood sugar. And when blood sugar is balanced, mood follows.
• Simple rhythms—like regular meals, rest, time outdoors, and bedtime rituals—soothe the nervous system, support digestive motility, and bring a sense of inner coherence that no supplement can match.

When we support the mind through the body, and the body through the mind, healing becomes not only possible—but sustainable.

This isn’t about diagnoses or big declarations. It’s about noticing when your spark feels dimmed, your thoughts feel scattered, or you just don’t feel quite yourself. Maybe you're wired, tired, flat, or fluttering from one thing to the next. That matters too.

When we work together, I consider your mental energy, emotional tone, and constitutional tendencies—because they all shape how you respond to the world, and how you heal.

You don’t need to push yourself into wellness. You can be gently guided back to centre, with the right tools, the right rhythm, and support that meets you where you are.

Sometimes, that starts with something as simple as a quiet cup of tea.

I formulated a tea I call Frayed Nerves, with herbs chosen to comfort, calm, support digestion, and gently warm the system. This is perfect for the cold and dry vata constitution. It’s a soft nudge toward presence, especially when you’re feeling scattered, stretched, or slightly over everything. Not a fix—but a beautiful beginning.