Resources
Herbal Medicine
At Ritual Health, we are passionate about the healing offered by the right herbal formula! We source the highest quality herbs, using pesticide-free and organic when possible, sustainably harvested herbal medicines. If we can’t find an herb that we don’t feel great about, we will not carry it! Our Chinese, Tibetan, and Ayurvedic herbs are traditionally harvested, traditionally made, and subjected to quality control testing at various steps along the way, including outside third-party spot testing.
Most of our medicines are customs which are available only at our own clinic (and sometimes Z’ev Rosenberg’s) made by Far East Summit up in Oregon. We take traditional herbal formulas, customize them to make the best recipe, and have them processed as shelf-stable liquid concentrates. These are much more powerful medicines than a one-note tincture which uses just alcohol extraction. Our herbs are cooked and worked and developed so that the robust plant intelligence makes it into the bottle.
Supplements
Ritual Health is devoted to offering the highest quality supplements to our patient population. Past and current patients for whom supplements are appropriate receive a HIPAA-compliant account in our online apothecary on Fullscript with a special client discount code. (Fraud alert: we do not sell on Amazon. Please don’t call us with complaints about Amazon sellers who have similar company names!)
Supplements can be a very strong, very serious intervention. Please don’t take supplementation lightly! Discuss your supplements with your licensed acupuncturist to make sure it is appropriate, that the form you are taking is bioavailable, and that your digestive capacity can manage breaking down the product well. We often see people come in oversupplemented by other practitioners. This can create dampness and phlegm and other issues in the body.
Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and even psychogenic microdosing substances each have a unique imprint, taste, temperature, and energetic! Check with us to make sure what you are taking is helpful and not at cross purposes with your formula and acupuncture treatment plan.
Cooking
Well-made and home-cooked food is fundamental to health. Consider these resources as support and inspiration for your meal planning at home:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
A reference book as much as a cookbook, Nourishing Traditions is based on the work of Weston A. Price. Recipes are simple. The articles preceding each section are clear, concise, and well-researched and function as a primer for all the essential knowledge for nourishing oneself. This is a must-have for anyone interested basic dietary conduct.
An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
Chez Panisse alum Tamar Adler's beautiful prose-poetic ode to cooking with basic instructions for culinary freehanding. Learn how to make one recipe roll over into the next for economical, easy home-cooked cuisine. Really yummy and inspiring.
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz A simple handbook for fermenting your own foods making your own pickles, yogurt...even wine.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan Already a classic.
Understanding Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine by Daniel Keown, MD
An exploration of the Western science behind Chinese medicine.
Cross Currents: The Perils of Electropollution, The Promise of Electromedicine by Robert O. Becker, MD
Written by a two-time Nobel Prize nominee and orthopedic surgeon, this book explores the concept of life based on electro magnetism. (Relevant to acupuncture, but not directly about it.)
Healing
The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra & Matthew Blakeslee
The Heart's Code by Paul Pearsall
Discover the intelligence of the heart organ and its implications for self-healing from a psychoneuroimmunologist. The medical science and the personal experiences of the author are both beautiful.
Human Heart, Cosmic Heart by Thomas Cowan, MD
An exploration of the human heart written by a doctor who was influenced by the work of Rudolf Steiner and Weston A. Price. What if the heart isn't a pump? Entertaining, scientific and personal writing.
The Alchemy of Illness by Kat Duff
A moving read about the path of illness. Excellent for those with chronic conditions or healers.
Women's Health, Prenatal & Postpartum Care
7 Times a Woman by Dr. Lia Andrews, DAOM, LAc
Think of this book as the Chinese Medicine manual for the female-bodied. It offers lifestyle practices and dietary guidelines according to physiological requirements by age. Women cycle in 7 year progressions: ages 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and post-menopause.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin
Get stoked about natural childbirth. See that it is really doable. Learn about sphincter law. Half of the book is devoted to birth stories written by new moms. Read the second half first!
After the Baby's Birth: A Woman's Guide to Wellness: A Complete Guide for Postpartum Women by Robin Lim A field guide to the postpartum period, including a small listing of herbs for reference.
Natural Health After Birth: The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness by Aviva Jill Romm
Ayurveda
Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Robert Svoboda
An introduction to Ayurveda. This book gives a basic understanding of doshic theory and its practical applications.
Ayurveda: Life, Health & Longevity by Robert Svoboda
A little deeper, a beautiful read.
Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Dr. Vasant Lad
A home how-to reference with many useful remedies that empower the reader to address common conditions with small adjustments to diet, lifestyle and safe herbs.
Dharma Reading
Dragon's Play by Liu Ming (listed as Charles Belyea & Stephen Tainer)
This elegant Orthodox Daoist teaching of the Twelve Stage View is beautifully rendered and easy to understand. The illustrations inspire the reader to take time reading it and duly contemplate each stage.
Women of Wisdom by Tsultrim Allione
The untold stories of notable female Dzogchen practitioners through history. The autobiographical introduction explains the inspiration for the book and is a moving standalone read.
Training the Mind by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
This teaching on the precepts is one of my faves. The subtitle is, "Training Loving-Kindness."
Not For Happiness by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
An excellent refinement of our orientation to practice, geared toward the beginner but relevant to the experienced practitioner. This enjoyable read gets into many common pitfalls and offers advice and inspiration on engaging the practices.
Yoga
Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Sarasvati
A Bihar School classic reference book for the postures written by an unfortunately shady yogi. This is a really a mixed recommendation because the yoga is great in this book.
Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Sarasvati
This book explains the structure of the practice of yoga nidra and has sample scripts so that you can record your own. Expand from this foundation to construct your own script more relevant for your healing goals. Empower yourself to explore your deeper consciousness and heal by gaining confidence in a personal yoga nidra practice.
Kids & Parenting
A Kid's Herb Book by Lesley Tierra, LAc, AHG
Help your children learn about the wild and wonderful world of herbs by making yummy and effective teas, linaments, formentations and more. Learn to recognize herbs and make your own lozenges, herbal baths, mouthwashes, even medicinal cookies!
NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
This is not a how-to parenting book, but an enjoyable, readable window into the fascinating world of childhood behavioral science. It pays off with applicable lessons to bring home.
Grief & Loss
The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Frances Weller, MFT
About the 5 Gates of Grief and the way in which loss is a doorway to feeling more alive and interconnected.
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Meditations and anecdotes about embracing reality as it is, not necessarily as you want it to be. Embrace the power that is
Film
Ayurveda: Art of Being Curious about Ayurveda? This excellent film captures the beauty and power of Ayurveda in its traditional context and usage, demonstrating its relevance to the modern world. This film was instrumental in giving me respect for Ayurvedic medicine when I was first studying it. I've found it on Netflix and Youtube.
Favorite Health-Related Podcasts
Freakonomics: Bad Medicine A three part series investigating the story of 98.6 and the intersection of science and art (and myth) in modern medicine.
Charles Eisenstein's A New and Ancient Story Listed here because the health of our society, environment and economy are reflected in our individual health.
Online Resources
Weston A. Price Foundation
A nonprofit health and nutrition foundation, based on the work of doctor and researcher Weston A. Price
Cultures for Health
Supplies for fermenting, cheese-making, etc. including pickle presses
National Center for Home Food Preserving
The timing/recipes to make home canning safe