Herbal Aphrodisiacs help to open the body, mind and heart to feelings of love and abundance. They can be worked with to inspire creativity, openness between oneself and others, dissolve boundaries, lift mood & spirit, instilling devotion and more. Herbal Aphrodisiacs fall into a few categories: Stimulating, relaxing and nourishing. We will review some favorites in each category and end class with everyone making their own herbal aphrodisiac cordial to take home!
Class size is limited to 12.
Pulse, tongue and facial evaluation dates back several thousand years and has been used by practicioners of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine as a diagnostic tool to help determine the condition of disease or health of an individual. The tongue, pulse and facial look can indicate a person’s state of health and provide vital cues on the degree of imbalance. Class is both lecture and hands-on.
Pain meds generally do not heal a problem and the pain persists. How do we achieve lasting, rehabilitating results? In this class you will learn remedies for the bone, muscle, tendon, extracellular matrix polymers and fluids, synovial fluids, cerebrospinal fluids, nerves (boneset, teasel, parsley, solomon’s seal, gotu kola, comfrey, pleurisy root, black cohosh, st. john’s wort, prickly ash, etc.), and analyze which are needed for what kind of injury is present.
The extracellular matrix is the ‘stuff’ between the blood vessel and the cells. It doesn’t just carry food and waste (which is a big enough deal in itself), but also signals. In fact, the cells are completely controlled by the matrix polymers—feeding, elimination, migration, and reproduction. Signals in the matrix simultaneously communicate with all cells, so they are unified into a single whole. In other words, they do not act as individuals; the cell theory is disproven, and the basic premise of holistic medicine is now ‘evidence based medicine,’ as they say. The matrix also interacts with the microbiome in the gut and elsewhere. The implications for holistic therapy is tremendous. We will particularly study the herbal mucilages, because they are basically matrix polymers/polysaccharides. Drawing agents, astringents, warming tonics.
This unique book develops themes that first appeared in Matt’s “Seven Herbs” book in 1987. He came to the realization that the seven major stories in Genesis did not just describe a spiritual path, in sequence, as outlined in that book, but that they described the seven primal lessons on the shamanic path. Indeed, the indications were not deeply buried, but are fairly easy to see.
Shamanism has always been associated with a ‘hidden language’ or ‘language of Nature.’ This is not an actual language, but a method of communication based on associations, inferences, and wordplays that lead the listener or reader to the experience of inner understandings. The book, in fact, is a detailed map of the unfoldment of the shamanic path, the Old, Old Way built into the pre-literary experience of the Living Nature and the Wisdom of Nature.
Wow! What a year. I last taught a week or two before the covid lockdown and now I am returning after (hopefully) the pandemic is fading into its omicron sunset. Or at least, after most of us have had it. We are all different. We all have had to deal with stress, depression, anxiety, and worry or even fear or anger in one form or another. In this class we will discuss the herbs, and some of the flower essences for these conditions. We will also include anger, exhaustion, and adrenal exhaustion. We will encourage the exchange of ‘covid stories’ and we can compare protocols for the disease and vaccine side-effects. Too much happened for anyone to claim to be an expert, the information is still in flux, so we will be in ‘sharing mode’ as we move through the material.
by Matthew Wood
Sunday Afternoon
January 29, February 5, 26, March 5, 12, 19 & 26
This class is intended for those who seek to be professionals in the field of herbalism, acupuncture, or feel a need to pursue education in holistic evaluation. We will look at tongues and faces of ourselves, and guests that want a ‘free evaluation’ and pictures. We will take pulses, learning the basic system taught in Chinese medicine, plus some of the pulses used in Greek medicine. Matthew Wood studied pulse diagnosis at the California School of Acupuncture, and has been practicing for over thirty years. He is the author of Traditional Western Pulse Evaluation, with Francis Bonaldo and Phyllis Light—book recommended but not required (we can order several at the same time).
2.5 hours. Minimum class size: 3, but Volunteers welcome for evaluation.
by Matthew Wood
Sunday Afternoon
January 29, February 5, 26, March 5, 12, 19 & 26
This class is intended for those who seek to be professionals in the field of herbalism, acupuncture, or feel a need to pursue education in holistic evaluation. We will look at tongues and faces of ourselves, and guests that want a ‘free evaluation’ and pictures. We will take pulses, learning the basic system taught in Chinese medicine, plus some of the pulses used in Greek medicine. Matthew Wood studied pulse diagnosis at the California School of Acupuncture, and has been practicing for over thirty years. He is the author of Traditional Western Pulse Evaluation, with Francis Bonaldo and Phyllis Light—book recommended but not required (we can order several at the same time).
2.5 hours. Minimum class size: 3, but Volunteers welcome for evaluation.