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Amy Lichty's introduction to natural medicine began mid-life through her desire to be more proactive with her health and wellbeing. After working with a naturopathic doctor, she studied with a highly respected Maya Traditional Healer in Central America. She documented and researched over 75 medicinal plants in the Masawal Maya Medicine Garden.
Amy then spent four years formalizing her education under the guidance of David Winston RH(AHG), completing the two-year clinical herbalist training in 2016 followed by an additional two years of graduate therapeutics. She is an Associate Member of the American Herbalists Guild. Her herbal practice is VitalityNow
Can you share a brief overview of Mayan tradition medicine?
Maya traditional medicine is an oral tradition that is passed down from the healer to a family member or respected student. The challenge is it takes many years to obtain this knowledge and today’s younger generation isn’t willing to make the time investment. There are three types of healers in the Maya tradition, the herbalist, the bone setter, and the snake doctor.
There are depictions in archeological artifacts (codices, pottery, stelae) which have survived over a thousand years of the medical treatments administered by ancient Maya physicians. Passion Flower (Passiflora) has long been used for medicinal purposes in Belize and its portrayal as an ear flare (earring) may be an indication that it was used as medicine by the ancient Maya. In the book of medicines, Chilam Balam de Ixil, cures were arranged according to the ailment, plants used, how to prepare the medicine, and patient instructions.
Today, acupuncture, or “pirish” in Maya, is used to let out bad blood or toxins. Like the ancient Maya physicians, traditional healers continue to use thorns, spines, and quills (porcupine) instead of metal pins. Acupuncture is commonly used for paralysis, headaches, and pains, often followed by cupping to draw out the tension or pain.
While herbal medicine is gaining popularity in the industrialized world, in some developing countries like Belize, there continues to be a conflict of beliefs between Western trained health care providers and traditional healers. In more rural areas, traditional medicine helps to meet the primary health care needs where the distance to health clinics is too far and the costs for doctors and medicines are too expensive.
What health care modalities does your practice include?
I’m strictly an herbalist. In my back pocket I can pull out my experience as a Master Career Counselor if I have a client who is unhappy or stressed in their career, but I live in Palm Desert, California, where retirees go to escape the winter, so I don’t anticipate having to use that skill too often.
How did studying with David impact your herbalist practice?
I am very proud to be one of the many herbalists trained by David – his knowledge is so remarkable. Because I completed my training in 2019 and didn’t begin my practice until I recently retired, I enjoy attending the Herbal Salons as my refresher training. I’m always reminded of what a gifted and gracious teacher he is.
What was my greatest take-away? In addition to looking at the whole person, I appreciate the evidence-based approach to herbal medicine I learned. Research is a natural part of how I operate as a practitioner, and there is so much information available that it’s almost overwhelming. During the short time I have been in practice, I have had several clients with very rare syndromes, and through research, I have been able to identify valuable ways that I can incorporate herbal medicine into their health improvement strategy.
David may be happy to know that I’m committed to using the triune formula. At this early stage of my herbal career it takes a little more time for me to research the herbs that will work within the structure of the triune model, but I have seen the positive results for my clients and that’s what matters most.
What are some of your favorite H & A products and why?
Depending on what I’m addressing with a patient, I often compliment a triune formula with one or more H&A therapeutic formulas. For example, for one client, in additional to her triune formula, I added the Grief Relief formula (for the death of her daughter), Phytocalm (to address her sleep issues), and Osteo Herb (for healthy bones). One of my pickleball mates was experiencing tennis elbow and other aches and pains so I gave her the Muscle/Joint Tonic, along with a mixture of Gotu Kola and Sarsaparilla (for hot and red tissue, of course!). I keep building my herbal inventory and it seems like I have an H&A shipment delivered at least once or twice a month.
Anything else you would like to share?
Yes! It’s never too late to become an herbalist. I tell everyone that being a clinical herbalist is my ‘encore career’. I didn’t hesitate enrolling in David’s program when I was 60 years young because I knew that I wanted to be intellectually challenged during my retirement years. And here I am, learning new software platforms to operate my business, and helping my clients live healthier lives. I balance that with pickleball, golf, and hiking. It doesn’t get much better than that!
