Blending The East and West; Mary Boulding, RHT a Herbalist Holding Down The Sunshine Coast in BC by David Shaw, past CHA of BC Student Subcommittee Representative

We began our telephone interview with warm introductions and Mary Boulding’s facilitating people healing drew me into her world of plant medicine. Mary has been volunteering with the Canadian Herbalist Association of British Columbia (CHAofBC) as the Board member for the last two years. It was important to the Student Subcommittee of the CHAofBC to introduce a board member to lead off our spotlight interviews. Mary has walked an interesting path as a practitioner. Her experiences blend multiple practices that began in Toronto, ON and have led to her East/West Clinical Herbal practice , Medicinal plant walks and ongoing Herbal Education on the Sunshine Coast.

Prior to becoming a Registered Herbal Therapist Mary practiced Shiatsu for 27 years. Herbs were a part of her practice for 15 of these years as she began to apprentice with her colleague Herbalist Oryane Belair (Owner operator of Herbal Energetics), who was also a graduate of the East West School of Planetary Herbology founded by Michael and Leslie Tierra. As the apprenticeship developed Mary decided to take the course herself 6 years ago to expand on her knowledge. It is important to Mary to give back to the community and is now a mentor herself, bringing up the next wave of herbalists. Although she specifically focused her later practice on Herbal Medicine, Mary still practices Shiatsu for her regular clients. By integrating Chinese Medicine energetics with Western Herbal medicine and using both eastern and western plants, Mary is able to help facilitate healing many ailments that present themselves in her trusting clients.

Mary said she treats all who walk in her doors, from children to the elderly, with the same philosophy: “to help facilitate the wellbeing of the person rather than treat a disease.” Hearing this warms my heart as I see this is a fundamental principle lacking in conventional medicine. This strong belief Mary brings to her practice is the beginning and continuation of how and why an herbalist exists; these are words from a healer.

If Mary could give one nugget of advice to an up and coming Phytotherapy practitioner it would be: “stick to it!” She explained that it takes time to develop a practice and at times it can be slow going. Teaching has been a huge part of her practice and is something she also

recommends to upcoming herbalists. Her vision is to create an educated public that understands our practice as well as the effectiveness and beauty of herbs. Mary is achieving this by reaching out to patients, by guiding medicinal plant walks as well as through teaching herbal workshops in her community which embolden her higher purpose of educating people. Mary is quick to share her knowledge and also how she learns it. One of her most influential teachers and practitioner are Michael and Leslie Tierra, “Any book by Michael and Leslie Tierra is a great reference book.”

I had the privilege of learning from Mary when I tagged along on one of her educational plant walks in July. The biggest impression I walked away with besides her vast stores of plant knowledge, was that she was open to hearing input from the people walking with her. This in my opinion is the mark of a true teacher; one who listens as much as they lecture; one who is always learning from those around them.

 

About the Author: 

David began his journey as a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner graduating from Bauman College in 2015 with a focus in emunctory support & gastrointestinal health.  He is now completing his second year in the Diploma of Phytotherapy program at Pacific Rim College.