Meet the ancient mystic who could be a trending wellness influencer today…
In an age of wellness gurus, herbal remedies, and mindfulness apps, it might surprise you to learn that one of today’s “trending” voices comes from nearly 900 years ago.
It might also surprise you that the voice belongs to a saint.
Her name? St. Hildegard of Bingen.
Born in 1098, Hildegard was a Benedictine abbess with an astonishing range of talents.
It is really shocking to read about all she was able to accomplish: she was a visionary who recorded breathtaking mystical experiences, a composer whose chants are still sung today, and a spiritual writer who counseled popes and emperors.
But what might be most shocking to Catholics of today would be her approach to wellness. Sometimes wellness can get a bad reputation from today’s Catholic culture. A lot of the so-called wellness influencers engage in a shallow and vain form of wellness that forgets to acknowledge our deeply spiritual nature–but not St. Hildegard!
Hildegard understood that the human person is both body and soul, created to live in relationship with God and His world. In her famous work Physica, she carefully described the properties of herbs, plants, and remedies, showing how the gifts of creation could be used rightly for health and healing.
For her, caring for the body through natural remedies wasn’t about vanity or even just survival—it was about prayerful appreciation for God’s creation. She believed the health of our bodies, the peace of our souls, and the balance of the natural world were all bound up together in God’s design.
When we hear about Hildegard now, we might think that she was way ahead of her time. But really, she was simply rooted in the eternal truth of how God created us. She reminds us that wellness isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about living in harmony with the One who made us.
Her music invites us to lift our hearts to God.
Her wisdom shows us how creation itself points toward healing.
Her courage calls us to live authentically, even against the current of culture.
It’s no wonder Pope Benedict XVI named her a Doctor of the Church in 2012. She doesn’t just belong to the past; her wisdom belongs to us.
There is no better time dive into St. Hidegard's wisdom. On this feast of St. Hildegard, you can step into her garden yourself. Her timeless insights on food, herbs, and remedies have been gathered into a beautifully practical volume, St. Hildegard’s Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul.
Inside, you’ll find her holistic approach to wellness, blending natural wisdom with a deeply Catholic vision of life. It’s the perfect way to bring her voice into your own home—and to rediscover what true harmony between faith and daily life can look like.
Explore St. Hildegard’s Garden here.
