Aralia School of Herbal Medicine
Herbal education based in physiology, grounded in experience
Ready to think like a Clinical Herbalist?
Hi Reader, In my last email, I shared how and why I am transforming the way I teach herbal medicine online. Instead of lecturing at you over Zoom, or sending you hours of passive video lectures to memorize alone, the Aralia Student Membership combines on-demand lessons with dynamic, live discussion sessions. So what does that actually look like in practice? When you join this new cohort by May 25, you will dive right into our first session: Digestive Lab: Fueling the Body (Live May 31). We...
The teaching model I always wanted (Enrollment is open)
Hi Folks, I'm excited to announce the opening of a new cohort for the Aralia School of Herbal Medicine! I'm excited because with this cohort, I will finally be incorporating a way of teaching that I always wanted when I was a student. My teachers were great at presenting an incredible amount of detailed information and insights that they had gathered throughout their careers to us in class. It was phenomenal. But what was missing for me was time to sit and talk with them. Time to put out...
New year, new announcement!
First year complete, new beginnings So much has happened this year at Aralia School of Herbal Medicine. I moved everything I own and my entire apothecary (twice!) and finally settled in a beautiful house in Hardwick, Vermont. This lovely spot has room for teaching classes, making medicine, seeing clients, and housing all of my herbs. I took a big leap and started a uniquely accessible online school and community platform. With new classes each month the library of recordings has expanded,...
Is depression a gut problem?
Reader, The problems of disconnection In school, a lot of us got an education that was divided by “subject”: Math, science, history, and so forth. These divisions left many of us feeling like the information we were being taught wasn't relevant to our lives. In reality, of course, these subjects aren't separate at all. Math is related to music and art, and music and art are related to history, and history is related to science. Seen this way, it's hard to find it boring or irrelevant. When we...
Is the remedy worse than the disease?
Hello Reader, One thing that I've noticed over the years is that the majority of us were never taught how our bodies work, almost at all. It seems like a huge oversight! That knowledge can allow us to understand ourselves better, to tell when things are going wrong, and to make more informed choices around our health. Understanding how the processes of our bodies work is also critical to using herbs effectively. One of my big goals through my school is to help students to re-imagine the way...
Herbal Medicine as primary care?
In this modern era, it's common to distinguish between herbal medicine and conventional medicine. But not so long ago, conventional medicine was herbal medicine, even in the United States. If you take a look at an old United States Dispensatory, the standard reference book for pharmacists, from as recently as the early 1900's you'll see that herbal medicine was in widespread use at that time. 1866 US Dispensatory Herbal Medicine is primary care About 80% of the world's population still relies...
The Importance of Clinical Practice
Before starting the Aralia School of Herbal Medicine, I was a clinical herbalist for twenty years. This meant that several days a week, I'd work with clients all day, talking with them about their health concerns and developing strategies for improved health. On the days that I wasn't seeing clients, I was making medicines and preparing formulas for them, based on what I had learned during the consultations. Herbal Lineage It's actually pretty unusual in the herb world for an herbalist to...
When things go sideways
Herbal First Aid in Action Thirty years ago, I was an herb student in Oakland, California. Some of my fellow students and I were in the middle of a wildcrafting field trip in the mountains when an RV slammed broad side into my little car. The car was crushed, with me inside of it, with many broken ribs, a concussion, and kidney damage. First responders had to cut me out of that car before whisking me away in an ambulance. But before leaving the scene, my friends were able to give me a dose of...
Herbal education based in physiology, grounded in experience