The foundation of Yoruba healing ain’t something I picked up overnight. It took me nearly four decades to truly grasp the profound wisdom that my elders shared with me when I was just a young boy in training. Yoruba spiritual healing is built on a complex understanding of the universe that sees everything as interconnected—the physical and spiritual realms ain’t separate but constantly flowing into each other.
When I first began learning, I struggled to memorize the names of all the Orishas—those divine beings that serve as intermediaries between humans and the supreme creator, Olodumare. Each Orisha governs specific aspects of health and wellbeing. Orunmila oversees wisdom and divination, which we use to diagnose illnesses. Osun governs fertility and water healing rituals. Ogun relates to surgery and physical injuries. And Babalu Aye—him, I remember clear as day—he’s associated with infectious diseases and has taught me much about healing epidemics in our community.
The concept of Ase is something you really gotta understand if you wanna make sense of our healing practices. Ase is life force energy—similar to what some might call chi or prana in other traditions. It flows through everything living and non-living. When someone’s sick, it usually means their Ase is blocked, depleted, or imbalanced somehow. A big part of my job is figuring out where that imbalance is coming from and how to fix it.
I can’t tell you how many times people come to me thinking their problems are purely physical when the root cause is spiritual! In Yoruba tradition, illness can come from various sources that Western medicine doesn’t recognize—ancestral displeasure, broken taboos, spiritual attacks, or disharmony with one’s destiny path. I remember this one time when a whole family kept getting sick, one after another. Western doctors couldn’t figure it out. When they finally came to me, I discovered they had unknowingly built their home on land sacred to the ancestors without performing the proper rituals first.
Health in our tradition means balance between your head (ori), your destiny, your ancestors, the Orishas, and your community. When these relationships are in harmony, wellness follows naturally. This understanding has guided my practice for over four decades, and I’ve seen it work miracles when people open themselves to these ancient ways.
Essential Herbs and Materials in Yoruba Healing Traditions
Lemme tell you about the herbs—they’re not just plants to us! Each herb has its own spirit, its own personality. I’ve spent countless hours in the forests learning to identify, harvest, and speak with these plant spirits. You gotta approach them with respect, ya know? I always leave an offering before taking any plant for medicine. Didn’t do that once when I was young and stupid, and the medicine didn’t work at all! Learned my lesson fast.
Some of the most powerful healing herbs in Yoruba tradition include obi kola, which we use for divination and as an offering, but it also helps with digestive troubles. Then there’s ewe rere (basil), which drives away negative energy and purifies spaces. I use bitter leaf (ewuro) for cleansing the blood and treating fever. Whenever I prepare an herbal bath for spiritual cleansing, I always make sure to include efun (white chalk) and osun (camwood) for purification.
The way you harvest matters just as much as which herbs you use. You gotta gather most medicinal plants at specific times—some before sunrise, others under the full moon. And you always gotta speak to the plant, explain what you need it for, and ask permission. I remember this one client who tried to make her own remedies after watching me once. Her medicine didn’t do a thing because she harvested in the middle of the day when the sun had drawn out all the plant’s power!
Creating traditional remedies is an art form that’s taken me decades to master. Some herbs need to be dried, others must be fresh. Some are infused in water, others in palm oil or alcohol. The proportions matter too—I once used too much alligator pepper in a mixture and my poor client couldn’t stop sweating for two days! We laugh about it now, but it taught me to be more precise.
Beyond herbs, we use many sacred materials in our practice. Cowrie shells serve both as divination tools and as decorative elements on healing implements. The calabash gourd becomes a vessel for medicine and represents the womb of creation. I’ve got some calabashes that have been in my healing practice for over thirty years—they hold energy and get more powerful with use.
Getting these materials has become harder over the years. When I started, we could gather everything locally. Now with deforestation and urbanization, I gotta source some items from far away. I always tell my students to make sure they’re getting materials ethically. There’s no healing power in something that was harvested in a way that causes harm!
Divination Systems for Diagnosis in Yoruba Healing
Divination is how we figure out what’s really going on with someone—it’s like our version of medical tests, but it goes deeper than just physical symptoms. I use the Ifa system most often, which involves sixteen sacred palm nuts or the opele chain. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen doctors stumped by a condition that was clear as day through Ifa divination!
When I first started learning divination, I kept dropping the palm nuts during the ritual. My teacher would get so frustrated! “Your hands are clumsy, but your mind must be smooth,” he’d say. Took me years to develop the proper technique and focus. Now I can read the patterns like reading a book, each combination of marks revealing a different verse from the Odu Ifa—our sacred text that contains all knowledge.
I use my opele chain, especially for simpler questions or when I’m traveling and don’t have my full divination tools. You toss the chain and read the sacred geometrical patterns formed by the chain allowed to drop freely. The patterns tell a story about what’s happening with the person’s health or life situation. I remember this woman who came to me with terrible headaches. Western doctors had tried everything. When I cast the opele, it revealed an unresolved conflict with her late grandmother. After we performed the appropriate rituals to honor her ancestor, the headaches stopped completely!
The most important thing about divination is correctly interpreting what you see. It ain’t just about the physical pattern—it’s understanding the deeper meaning behind it. Each pattern connects to specific verses, proverbs, and recommendations. After the diagnosis comes the prescription—specific rituals, herbs, or lifestyle changes needed to restore balance.
Some folks think divination is just superstition, but I’ve seen it reveal things that couldn’t possibly be known otherwise—hidden medical conditions, family secrets affecting someone’s health, even environmental factors causing illness. I had a client once who kept getting sick in his new apartment. The divination showed a problem with water. Turned out there was hidden mold in his walls that later tests confirmed!
Modern folks are sometimes skeptical of traditional diagnostic methods, but I’ve had medical doctors come to me when they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with their patients. The wisdom of Ifa divination doesn’t contradict science—it just sees things from a different perspective, one that includes spiritual and ancestral factors that affect our well-being.
Common Yoruba Healing Rituals and Practices
Healing rituals are the heart of our practice, and I’ve performed thousands of them over the years. One of the most common is the spiritual cleansing bath, what we call omi ero. I made a mistake early in my career by giving the same bath recipe to everyone—learned quick that each person needs a custom preparation based on their specific situation! Now I carefully select herbs for each individual based on their divination reading.
Cleansing Bath
To prepare a proper cleansing bath, you gotta gather specific herbs—usually an odd number of them, often seven, nine, or sixteen depending on the situation. You boil them while saying prayers and invocations, then let the liquid cool under moonlight. The person bathes with this water, usually at a crossroads, riverbank, or special location indicated by the divination. I once had to prepare a bath that needed to be taken where three roads meet at exactly midnight—my client thought I was crazy until the bath cured an illness she’d had for years!
amulets
Protective amulets are another crucial part of our healing tradition. We call them “iferan” or sometimes “onde.” Creating them takes skill and spiritual authority. You gotta select the right materials, empower them with specific prayers and offerings, then seal them properly. I wear several that were given to me by my teacher when I completed my training. They’ve protected me when I’ve had to work with particularly difficult spiritual conditions.
Chanting
Chanting and sound healing might surprise people who think African traditions are all about herbs and rituals. But sound is powerful medicine! Specific tonal patterns and rhythms can shift energy and heal the body. When treating a serious illness, I often use a combination of drumming and sacred chants to the Orishas. The vibrations help dislodge blocked energy and restore proper flow. I’ve seen people literally shake off their illness during these sessions!
Ancestors
Ancestral communication is something I do in almost every healing session. Your ancestors are your first line of spiritual defense and support. Many health problems stem from disconnection from ancestral wisdom or unresolved issues with those who’ve passed on. I maintain an ancestral shrine in my healing space, and I make offerings there before beginning work with clients. One time, I skipped this step because I was in a hurry, and nothing I did for that client worked until I went back and properly honored the ancestors first!
Community
Community healing circles have always been important in Yoruba tradition. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—we’re social beings, and sometimes the medicine needed is the support of community. I lead healing circles during key lunar phases, where people come together to support each other’s well-being. The energy generated by a properly conducted healing circle can achieve what individual treatment cannot. I’ve witnessed seemingly miraculous recoveries when someone’s healing is supported by their community.
Integrating Yoruba Healing with Modern Wellness Practices
I ain’t against modern medicine—not at all! I’ve worked alongside doctors many times over the years. Yoruba healing works best as a complement to, not a replacement for, conventional healthcare. I tell my clients to keep taking their prescribed medications while we address the spiritual and energetic aspects of their condition. This integrated approach gives the best results.
Adapting these practices for city living is something I’ve gotten pretty good at over the years. Not everyone can go to a sacred forest or river for rituals! I teach people how to create sacred space in their apartments, use shower baths when bathtub rituals aren’t possible, and find local parks where certain practices can be done discreetly. I remember laughing with a client who lived in a tiny studio apartment when we had to clear space for a small ritual—we ended up moving her bed into the kitchen temporarily!
The mental health benefits of Yoruba practices are getting more recognition these days. Our tradition has always understood that mental, physical, and spiritual health are connected. Rituals provide structure and meaning. Divination offers clarity and direction. Community support prevents isolation. I’ve worked with people suffering from anxiety and depression who found relief through these practices when nothing else helped.
For non-Yoruba folks interested in these traditions, I always emphasize respect and proper learning. Cultural appropriation is a real problem. You can’t just read a book or watch a video and start practicing—these traditions require initiation and proper training. I’ve seen people cause themselves spiritual harm by dabbling without guidance. It’s like trying to perform surgery after watching a YouTube video—dangerous! However, there are appropriate ways for anyone to respectfully incorporate certain elements under proper guidance.
Creating your own healing practice means finding what resonates with you while respecting the traditions. I encourage my students to start with simple practices—maybe a small ancestral altar, learning about herbs that grow in their region, or practicing basic energy awareness. One of my students struggled with the traditional prayers because she didn’t speak Yoruba. I told her to speak from her heart in her own language—the ancestors understand sincerity above all.
I’ve been blessed to see these ancient practices bring healing to people from all backgrounds. The wisdom of Yoruba spiritual healing isn’t just for Yoruba people—it’s a gift to humanity that can help address the disconnection many feel in modern life. But it must be approached with humility, respect, and proper guidance. The rewards of this path are immense for those willing to learn properly.
Conclusion
Looking back on more than forty years as a Babalawo and healer, I’m still amazed at the depths of wisdom contained in our Yoruba healing traditions. These practices have survived centuries of challenge and change because they work—they address aspects of human wellness that other approaches often miss.
What I hope you take from this guide is not just information, but inspiration to explore these traditions with proper respect and guidance. Whether you’re of Yoruba heritage seeking to reconnect with ancestral practices or someone from another background interested in these healing ways, remember that this knowledge is sacred and should be approached accordingly.
Always seek out proper teachers if you wish to go deeper. Books and articles like this one can provide an introduction, but real learning happens in relationship with experienced practitioners and, ultimately, with the spirits and energies of the tradition itself.
If there’s one lesson my decades of practice have taught me, it’s that healing is never just about treating symptoms—it’s about restoring balance and harmony between all aspects of life: physical, spiritual, communal, and ancestral. When we remember this wholeness, we open doorways to profound healing.
I invite you to reflect on how the wisdom of Yoruba spiritual healing might complement your own wellness journey. Even small practices—like taking a moment to honor your ancestors or learning about the healing plants in your area—can begin to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern needs.
May the Orishas guide your path toward wholeness and health!
