Balancing beauty: Herbalist Doug Simons

New Mexico may be famous for its vast desert and mountain ranges, but there is an underworld of beauty waiting to sprout. In reality, most of us would be surprised at the abundance of vegetation that flourishes in many parts of this arid state.


Doug Simons knows this fact better than anyone. Owner of Chanchka Remedios in Gila, NM for more than 20 years, Simons combines his passion for healing plants and people through herbal remedies. Chanchka is a Lakota word meaning “red-tailed hawk,” a sacred bird in many Native American cultures that can acclimate to all the biomes in his region. Remedios is a Spanish word for remedies or cures. As Simons states, “An imbalance in people can be healed or cured when they learn to harmonize their relationships within the plant kingdom.” http://www.blohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgger.com/img/blank.gif


After taking an humblecha, a ceremonial vision quest, at the age of 17, Simons knew he had a calling--to help connect people with the earth through the healing potential of plants.


Growing up in Colorado, Simon spent most of his childhood discovering and identifying plants with his mother and sister, who is also an herbalist. Years later, he moved to Gila, where he found an enormous selection of plants and herbs to use for his work, such as pinon, sage brush (along with other artemesias), juniper, and chaparral. It may come as a surprise that the majority of the plants Simon uses come from this southwestern region of the state, or as Simons refers to, “his backyard.”


Simons’ priority when working with plants is to leave them intact, using only what he needs, which is typically about 10%. In his workshops, he emphasizes this and educates his students to always ask the plants’ permission before taking them apart. This spirituality, coupled by a strong botanical knowledge, has made Simons a popular lecturer on the subject of plants.


Most of his clients come to him due to health and lifestyle concerns. Simons’ objective is not to replace Western medicine through his remedios, but rather to gently integrate components of plants into their daily routine. Simons believes that his clients can achieve balance once the healing power has shifted into a state of equilibrium.


Simons is available for consultations and gives workshops within the state and throughout the southwest. You may contact him at his website, Chanchka Remedios.