The flu is officially rampant across the United States, according to CDC reports stating the flu season started weeks early, and that 41 states have already reported a significant number of cases. While many opt to get vaccinated to protect against the flu, others do not, citing that the vaccine may not combat the strain wreaking havoc on their part of the country, or simply that they just take a more holistic approach to health. If you happen to follow the latter method, you may be interested in what goes on at Habanera Farm, a 21-acre refuge owned by Chris Himmel and Henriette den Ouden, ex-city dwellers from Beltsville, MD who came to the Eastern Shore seeking a tranquil lifestyle and a chance to put their unique skills in Applied Healing Arts and Herbal Medicine, to work.
Himmel and den Ouden both attended Tia Sophia Institute in Laurel MD, an accredited graduate school for wellness-based education. Himmel holds a Masters of Applied Healing Arts, and den Ouden a degree in Herbal Medicine.
Eight wooded acres at Habanera Farm, located in Tyaskin, MD, complete with a trail, function as an outdoor classroom for Himmel, who specializes in Grief Recovery, and also teaches spiritual and wellness coaching based on clarity and following nature’s rhythms. The path in the woods allows clients to experience themselves through the five seasons, which serves as a check back on their lives.
Clients tend to visit Himmel when in the midst of transition—something is lacking, or a necessary change needs to come to fruition; Chris helps them through the process, acting as a conduit between people and their innate needs, or even purpose. She often asks clients one simple question,
When are you still? And most can’t recall a time when they are in fact, still.
“You have no momentum going through life, if you don’t pause. The fields know this, it’s the season of winter,” says Himmel, indicating a major problem in our too busy lifestyles, and why we should pause and take a cue from nature. If not, we find ourselves stressed, overworked, unable to sleep, or just plain sick, which is where den Ouden’s work in herbal medicine comes in.
The farm’s remaining acres are devoted to herb and vegetable gardens, with ten acres serving as an antioxidant field. Den Ouden uses the herbs in custom teas and tinctures for her clients. It’s a constant work in progress planting and moving various gardens and figuring out which herbs grow best in Eastern Shore soil. Holy Basil for instance, used in many remedies and especially effective for Diabetic patients, is especially difficult to grow, but it tends to thrive on the farm.
Walking through Habanera Farm’s herbal gardens with den Ouden is an education in the natural approach to health. Every herb grown on the property has at least one medicinal quality; lemon balm is especially effective in calming hyperactive children; Motherwort, known for centuries as the mother’s herb, can calm anxiety, ease menstrual issues, and aids the heart.
Herbalism, an ancient medicine practice that carries with it the wisdom of the ages, can be used to treat many of the common maladies and disorders of modern times. Den Ouden sees many clients for food related issues. As she states, clients often seek out her services saying, I don’t feel well after I eat.
Clients in the local region also tend to visit most frequently for help ridding their daily regimen from various prescription drugs, Thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, and lymes disease. Den Ouden also has remedies for common ailments like allergies, colds, and flu, and treats patients with cancer by providing herbal additions to strengthen their immune systems while undergoing traditional cancer treatments.
For services offered, a personal consult, or more information in general visit Habanera Farm’s website or find them on Facebook.
