Maka-Hiya--"Live" Herb for Kids' Therapy

Overcoming Diseases

De-Stressing Kids

Modern kids in Deep Asia spend a lot of time on the computer and lesser time having adventures outdoors. So one day, I took my kid and his young cousins out for a walk where there were wild shrubberies and grass. Sure enough there were maka-hiya weeds (Mimosa Pudica Linn.), which are now considered herbal remedies for many ailments. Of all wild herbs here, kids consider maka-hiya as "live" herb.

When they touch the weed, it slowly closes and bends down. This makes maka-hiya "live" herb to kids and they're amused at the sight of its small leaves slowly closing. They would re-open after a while, and this gives kids double fascination. They get doubly amused and happy if there's an entire plot or area of the weeds and they indulge in a touching-spree. They love seeing a while crowd of the herb gently bowing down and closing their leaves in poetic motion.

I have featured maka-hiya somewhere here on this blog, but thought of doing another one to highlight a bit how kids marvel at it. Maka-hiya is used in a lot of ways as a herbal medicine, especially for asthma, cough, and sore throat. Some folks even use the decocted leaves for their diabetes. But I think the benefit it mostly gives is entertaining kids.

Kids amused by the maka-hiya "live" herb can be relieved of stress, and such relief could lead to therapy that could result to healing especially of the emotions. Some psychology experts say watching nature like animals, trees and plants, can relax the mind and relieve stress. I believe having an area of school grounds planted to maka-hiya can help special children; gently stroking the weed is like gently stroking dogs or cats which does wonders in relieving stress.

Or probably, an area of school premises could be devoted to amusing arrangements of small colorful hanging pots planted with maka-hiya "live" herb for kids to enjoy, something like a maka-hiya nursery also functioning as a butterfly nursery.

My kid and his cousins could not believe a "live" weed existed in our community. They thought live plants--if there was one--could only be found in really wild jungles. That's the good news: this plant easily grows, thrives, and spreads. That's among the wonders of this PhilAsian herb--easily spreading its charm anywhere it is.