The dog taken by fever seeks rest in a quiet corner, but is found
eating herbs when his stomach is upset. Nobody taught him
what herbs to eat, but he will instinctively seek those that make
him vomit or improve his condition in some other way.
- Henry Sigerist, American physician 1951
A sick animal retires to a secluded place and fasts until its body
is restored to normal. During the fast it partakes only of water
and the medicinal herbs which inherited intelligence teaches it
instinctively to seek. I have watched . . . self-healing so often.
- Juliette de Bairacli Levy European traditional herbalist 1984
When the kunkis (tame elephants) are sick, the mahouts take
them to the forest where the elephants pick the herbs or plants
they need. Somehow they're able to prescribe their own
medicine.
- Dinesh Choudhury, Indian ElephantHunger 2000
2005 found me in Vermont, walking side by side with Juliette de Bairacli Levy.
I was one of the fortunate few attending an intensive workshop she was teaching
that year. At the time she was 93 years old. She died in 2009.
You can read her biography on-line.
As we walked, I could hear the sadness in her voice. She spoke of how the earth used to be
so vibrant and the animals never knowing of the diseases now prevalent among them.
She started her career as a veterinarian and made a rather brave change early on in her life.
I use her teachings and experience everyday - primarily by restoring health through proper nutrition
and Canine Natural Rearing, i.e., natural medicine from nature, and the canine.
| "My husband and I were told by two different veterinarians that our 3 year old male Airedale Terrier was too heavy and needed to lose weight. Unfortunately, they insisted on highlighting the issue with no real solution other than, just trying to cut down on his kibble. We did blood work, all normal. We hiked and jogged with Quincey and he tried to keep up, but we noticed he would get tired easily when playing with the other dogs and his weight crept up to 101lbs suffice to say, we were gravely concerned about his welfare and longevity. I attended a seminar and met Diane Mayer, after which we connected, so began the journey for Quincey who is now down to 88lbs in just three months! Through working with Diane, we learned the value of feeding Quincey whole food, we visit Gentle Spirit farm frequently where Diane works with us not only on nutrition but also bonding and 'working' which has helped Quincey's disposition greatly. Bottom line is that working with Diane proved so much more valuable on so many deeper levels of bonding that nutrition and weight loss was merely the tip of the iceberg. I highly recommend Gentle Spirit Farm and the work Diane does.It has made such a huge difference in the health of our amazing dog and given us such a deep respect for the human animal bond." -Lauren C. |