Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurence Layne.
Hi Laurence, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I became interested in alternative medicine when I was 13 years old and encountered a book about Edgar Cayce entitled The Sleeping Prophet. This book taught me about holistic healing and treatments such as herbal oil packs. After this, I looked for books on yoga and reincarnation and read influential books such as The Magic of Findhorn and Das Energi. Since I grew up in the South, there were no classes on yoga, healing, and such things, so I had to wait until I moved to larger cities like Knoxville, TN, and Atlanta, GA.
In my early twenties, I met people doing “healing,” such as energy healing and reflexology. By then, I had become a vegetarian and meditator and dabbled in remedies. In the early 1980s, there were no professional alternative healers except chiropractors. It is hard to imagine that now, but there were virtually no acupuncturists, naturopaths, herbalists, and a few massage therapists. Finding a medical doctor who believed in any alternative treatments was rare. Organic food was practically non-existent except in certain places, and nothing like Whole Foods existed. So the world has changed a great deal!
I was very interested in becoming a Chiropractor, but I first chose to attend an incredible massage school in Atlanta. There, I learned many types of hands-on healing and a system of Deep Tissue Therapy. This served me and my patients very well for many years. I also met my first herbalist, Steven Horne, who knew what they were doing! Over time, I have realized some of the greatest learning and growth comes from meeting the right person at the right time. After meeting a real herbalist, I jumped right into learning herbal healing and made my first steps into Chinese Medicine.
In 1990, I moved to St. Augustine, Florida, where I began working in a busy Chiropractic clinic. At that time, I was also exposed to Osteopathy, which is another hands-on, manipulative treatment similar to Chiropractic, except that it works with the whole body, not just the spine. Added to this unique mixture, I found the teachings of Michael Tierra, a famous herbalist in California, who became my primary teacher of herbs and Chinese medicine for decades. My first Osteopathic mentor was also a well-known international practitioner, Leon Chaitow, DO, who wrote many books on Osteopathy; he would come to Florida occasionally to teach classes. In 1994, I founded an interdisciplinary holistic clinic, Healing Waters Clinic, in St. Augustine. Over the years, we have had all kinds of practitioners work at the clinic, including Chiropractors, Medical Doctors, Acupuncturists, Physical Therapists, Nutritionists, Speech Pathologists, Rolfers, Herbalists, and Massage Therapists. The clinic still exists. In 2000, we added an herb shop and an herbal dispensary to make unique formulas for patients. As the herb shop grew, we added more and more herbal remedies, and now we have the largest selection of herbs in North Florida.
I continue to practice and learn, even after all these years. I have made two trips to China to study herbs and teas. After exploring all the Osteopathic techniques from 1989 to 2009, I decided to attend classes offered by the Osteopathic College of Ontario. I obtained a Diplomate in Osteopathic Manipulative Theory and Practice (DOMTP), similar to a clinical doctorate or board certification. I have no plans to retire and hope to practice until I’m 100!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Everyone in any field of endeavor who strives for excellence or knowledge or creativity and who seeks to live with integrity and learn how to “walk their talk” is going to have challenges, “struggles,” and a learning curve in how to attain mastery of their art, and become good at what they do. Even in business, working with people, things, and money is a spiritual education and, to some degree, a path to personal growth.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am foremost a natural health practitioner. My methods include Traditional Herbalism, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Manual Osteopathy, Bodywork, Naturopathy (Hydrotherapy), and Holistic Nutrition. I have worked with a diverse population of all age ranges, many of whom can not find help with regular medicine. I am most known for Cranial Osteopathy (Craniosacral Therapy) and Osteopathic Manual Therapy. These techniques not only help relieve pain and biomechanical dysfunction but also assist the body in improving immune function, digestion, posture, breathing, migraines, and circulation to the extremities. Typical applications could be pediatric sinus and ear infections, adult and childhood asthma, concussions, trauma, and all the typical injuries like torn rotator cuff, knee injuries, back and neck pain, etc. My other specialties encompass restoring the body to a functional level using herbs, supplements, and diet. Most of what is termed “illness” is the body’s inability to absorb nutrients to build healthy cells and tissues and the lack of elimination of metabolic waste products when absorption is incomplete. Chinese herbal medicine and Western herbs do a great job of correcting these metabolic imbalances. Most patients benefit and are indeed very happy to have these non-medical and holistic methods available as they work in ways prescribed drugs do not.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
We are all living on this earth for a short time. We become healthier, happier, and have a more enjoyable and meaningful life if we have an attitude of thankfulness, serving, and giving to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://healingwatersclinic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingwatersclinic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealingWatersClinicAndHerbShop/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-layne-7a287330/
- Twitter: https://x.com/HerbDoc1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HWCHerbShop
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/healing-waters-clinic-saint-augustine
- Other: https://integrativemeds.com/
Image Credits
Laurence Layne
