Commonwealth Podcast For Holistic Herbalism

What do we want to build in place of the unjust systems we are living in? Everyone plays a role in deciding. Let’s do it consciously. The role of herbalists and of herbalism in mutual aid is to share knowledge, skills, and materials – and there are lots of ways to do it.Community care systems have lots of moving parts, lots of places you can contribute. If we can all learn the basic skills required to care for regular problems – common infections, minor wounds, daily management of prevalent chronic illnesses – that counts for a lot. If we can also grow, share, and work with accessible herbs in every community, that’s mutual aid for real.Herbalism as mutual aid might look like making tea and sharing it with neighbors. It might look like welcoming community members into your garden. It might look like sharing One Cool Herbal Trick that really works! But it’ll always look like a team effort if you look closely, because none of us are in this alone, and that’s the whole point.Mentioned in this episode:CCHH Schola

America is blanketed in righteous protests against police brutality and impunity. This is necessary. In the course of this work many people are being traumatized, whether through direct violence or by observing violence inflicted on their friends, comrades, and communities.Herbs can’t solve systemic racism, but they can support recovery and build resistance. We can work with herbs for trauma processing and stress reduction, we can work with herbs for pain relief and tension release, we can work with herbs for comfort and self-care, and community care.Take this information, use what helps you, share it with anyone who might need it. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, drink some tea – and keep up the good fight.Mentioned in this episode:Donate to Black Lives MatterCampaign Zero#8cantwaitOutdoor AfroDiversify OutdoorsHerbs discussed include: plantain, nettle, blue vervain, linden, wild lettuce, California poppy, tulsi, eleuthero, rhodiola, st john’s wort, yarrow.As always, please subscribe, rate,

Our model of the primary determinants of health is the Four Pillars: food, sleep, stress, and movement. These things are in our individual control – or at least, that’s how we think of them and talk about them, most of the time. But the truth is, there’s a fifth pillar, and it can directly impact how an individual person eats, sleeps, and moves, as well as what stressors they are subject to. It’s community.In our society, systemic oppression in the form of racism, sexism, heteronormativity, ableism, and other such forces mean that minorities and oppressed groups are subject to greater health risks than their privileged peers. This remains true even if we compare individuals with similar socioeconomic status, health history, etc. The health impacts of systemic oppression are something that holistic practitioners cannot ignore if they truly want to work to heal “the whole person”.Our work must go beyond the individual, and address injustices at the community and societal levels.A small sample of the research on

The pharmaceutical model is the dominant paradigm for medicine in our culture. For those of us who grew up in this culture, it shapes our expectations of what medicine is and how medicine works. Everyone is susceptible to this, including herbalists and students of herbalism. Even if, in the front of our minds, we recognize the limits of a drug-oriented approach, it lurks in the mental undergrowth. It shapes the way we form our questions and the types of answers we look for.In herbalism, though, we are doing something different. Herbs are not drugs, they’re herbs. Herbalists are not doctors, they’re herbalists! Understanding the differences is important because it allows us to better assess when each strategy is most appropriate. Sometimes, you do need a pharmaceutical. Sometimes, a diet change and a daily pot of tea would actually be more effective. Being able to tell the difference is what allows us to integrate holistic and conventional methods successfully.Mentioned in this episode:The Holistic Herbalism P

Finding a tick embedded in your skin is distressing, even without the spectre of Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens. But if you find one after your next hike in the woods, don’t panic! A simple herbal tick bite protocol like the one we outline in this episode can put your mind at ease and give your body the best fighting chance.Herbs discussed include: cat’s claw, astragalus, oregano, thyme, propolis, pine resin, echinacea, poke root, garlic, cedar/thuja, blue vervain.If you want to learn more about our methods of working with Lyme (and other tick-borne illnesses), check out Katja’s course A Holistic Approach to Lyme Disease. It outlines strategies for all stages of the illness, from prevention through post-Lyme syndrome / chronic Lyme presentations, based on building resilience and adaptability in the body.As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.Support the show (https

Happy mother’s day, 2020! The truth is, any herb could be an herb for moms, because not all moms are alike, in their needs or their preferences. These four, though – linden, dandelion, yarrow, and violet – are really worth knowing and sharing with the mothers in your life.These plants are abundant, so you know you’re being sustainable and responsible. They’re resilient, and can pass that resilience on to us when we work with them. And they’re especially relevant to a mom’s life in the world today, too! Linden can help us release tension in the body and in the mind, and soothe frazzled nerves. Dandelion is irrepressible and sunny, and provides rooted nourishment when you’re feeling trampled. Yarrow is a warrior’s herb, and sometimes moms need to put on their armor and go to battle – whether that’s for the kids, or against them!

The battle’s done, and we kind-of won… Well, actually, the battle’s not entirely done either. But things are certainly shifting into a different mode. So, here are our top five everyday things you can do to stay healthy as this pandemic shifts into a new phase.Eat good food.Get more sleep.Move your body.Get herbs into your everyday life.Do an herbal steam occasionally (or frequently).Sounds pretty boring, right? But everyday stuff should be boring – because it’s for every day. And that foundation of good habits is what everything else depends on.We don’t know exactly what form the next crisis that affects each of us will take. It could be the same old ‘rona, it could be a new pandemic, it could be a natural disaster or something entirely personal. To prepare for the broadest array of possibilities, we need to support the broadest forms of resilience.Herbs discussed include: nettle, calendula, reishi, angelica, elecampane; sage, oregano, thyme, & other aromatics; hibiscus, rosehips, sumac, & other “vit

The pandemic has got all of us in a heightened state of alert. The news changes fast, stories come and go before we can fully process them, and every day there’s another set of statistics that are hard to mentally translate into real human lives. It’s stressful. Even if we’re not actively doomscrolling through Twitter, this background noise of fear and worry is elevated. So, this week, we’re sharing some of our favorite herbs for COVID anxiety – for any kind of anxiety, really, but specifically the ones we ourselves have been relying on lately.Ryn has been making a daily tea for himself with st john’s wort and friends, and has found it helpful in steadying out emotional peaks & valleys. He’s also been making sure to get some preparation of marshmallow in every day, because as a person with a dry constitution, it’s easy for him to get frazzled and frayed when anxiety is elevated. And when things are most acute, he’s turned to kava for a quick and comprehensive relaxant effect, often in the form of a rich h

Last week we urged you to look at learning herbalism like learning a language or instrument – something that requires daily practice. This week, we’re sharing some specific practices you can do to build your herbal skills on a daily basis!You can take lessons in herbalism, and study to learn – but the key here is, a little bit each day is better than “a lot” which happens only rarely. Building a habit of reading a few pages of an herb book, watching a half hour video lesson, or listening to an audio lesson on your commute every day will serve you well.Another way is to make space to experience your herbs daily. Drink tea, take tincture, taste them, smell them. Even better, do this while you’re studying to enhance your learning, to root it in your body and give your mind a touchpoint to return to. This strengthens memory!A helpful motto (especially for those who are allergic to regimentation) is “Don’t miss an opportunity.” Whenever something new-to-you comes up, take the chance to come up with an herbal plan

Herbalism is experiential: you have to DO it to KNOW it.It’s like learning to play a musical instrument – you’re going to sound bad at first! That’s necessary. If you refuse to play anything that isn’t perfect, you’ll never play anything. In herbalism, if you wait until you know everything there is to know, or until you’re 100% sure “it’s going to work”, you’ll be waiting all your life!Learning herbalism is also a process similar to that of language acquisition. No one can absorb all the grammar and tone of a new language without speaking it. As a beginner you’ll stumble over words, conjugate wrongly, and need a lot of slow, patient repetition from native speakers. As a new herbalist, you’ll mix tea blends that don’t taste good, or try to make a tincture that just doesn’t come out strong enough. That’s ok! In fact, it’s necessary for you to make mistakes to learn well.A lot of hesitation and uncertainty is driven by negative self-talk, so identifying and quarantining those thoughts is an important skill to de

It’s not just coronavirus, there’s a lot going on right now! Between the usual circulating strains of flu, some spring colds, and the stirrings of allergy season, plenty of folks are feeling rough. But it’s up to all of us to reduce strain on the medical system right now, so it’s more important than ever that we learn some herbal home nursing basics. These skills can help us to deal with minor issues on our own, so the health care workers can focus where they’re really needed.Staying hydrated is super important, and herbs can help the water to “stick” much better than plain water on its own. Managing fever is another key function that herbs can support – and these don’t need to be “fancy” herbs, either! Garlic, lemon, ginger, and thyme are enough to cover a lot of bases. A dry cough with a hot fever might mean COVID-19, or it might not, but either way, common herbs and kitchen items can help to relieve the symptom and address the root cause of it.The core of herbal home nursing basics is to keep vigilant, or

Whew! There’s a lot going on right now. Between coronavirus, the election cycle, and the approach of spring, we’ve been extra busy and under more stress than usual. This week we wanted to share with you some of the herbs we’ve been relying on to get through. It’s a bit of a smorgasbord!First up, a friend of ours is undergoing laser eye surgery, and we have some herbs to help make the healing process as quick & comfortable as possible. Supplements, compresses, and gentle healing sprays are all part of the plan.Then, there’s been a death in Ryn’s family – his grandfather passed away. There’s grief, as well as other emotions, to process and work through. There’s also the funeral! With family & friends coming in from across the country and the world, we’re looking at a large gathering – and of course this is during the coronavirus outbreak. So we’re thinking a lot about community immunity, and daily active immune defense measures we can put into place. Herbs are coming in as steams, decoctions, infusions,

The new pandemic coronavirus, COVID-19, is on everyone’s minds lately. As herbalists, we’ve been asked a lot about our thoughts on working with herbs for coronavirus preparedness, so that’s our topic today!First, we try to understand the virus and some facts about the illness it causes. How does it compare to “normal” flu, to H1N1, to SARS? Estimates and projections are in flux and will continue to evolve, but we share what seems most clear so far about the potential risks & severity of corona.There’s no benefit to be gained from a panic about pandemic. (Remember, the term “pandemic” doesn’t actually say anything about the severity of an illness – only its novelty and rapid spread.) The best way to avoid panic? Be prepared!There’s a lot more than herbs for coronavirus preparedness, though. We discuss why handwashing is so important (and why masks aren’t), and why it’s good to be ready for a period of self-quarantine. To that end, we cover how to stock up with immune-boosting nutrition – more than just cal

Join us for a discussion with our friend Rebecca Altman about the importance of self-awareness in the practice of herbalism – but also an exploration of vulnerability and in rebuilding our connection to the natural world.Some of the things we discuss are what it means to take responsibility for our health, how to build trust for experimenting in our lives, and the trouble with living in a society that prioritizes productivity over curiosity and wonder. We also focus on the importance of allowing ourselves to start from scratch and learn slowly, and to cultivate ever-expanding relationships with plants, instead of “knowledge” about them. These are important issues for any herbalist to explore, and especially for those interested in clinical practice.Mentioned in this episode:Wonder Botanica – get on Rebecca’s newsletter today, so you can be notified as soon as enrollment is open for the next round of The Wonder Sessions!The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, episode 65: How To Not Be A GuruHerbalism and the Law: The

This week we took a trip to New York City, because we were invited to teach a workshop on formulating cocktail bitters for our friends at Kindred, a restaurant in the East Village. Our social media posts about it were popular, with lots of commenters saying that they would love to learn how to make their own bitters. Well, you can!The process of making herbal cocktail bitters isn’t too complicated: make a tincture, decoct the marc, mix the liquids and add a little sweetener. Today we want to get past the basics and talk a little bit about the way we formulate cocktail bitters. In some ways, it’s not too much different from other kinds of herbal formulation (and we have a whole online training course about herbal formulation for those who need it), but there are some special considerations for cocktail bitters.First of all, it ought to taste good! Building your formula around flavors is the standard way bitters blends are invented today, in the hip bars and restaurants that are reinvigorating cocktail culture.

It might seem difficult to grow your own herbs, but like so many things in herbalism, it’s all about being open to experimentation and maintaining good observation. And for the herbalist, there are great reasons to do it! Not only will you be sourcing your herbs as local as it gets, you’ll learn a lot about the plant from tending it, supporting it, and nourishing it as it grows. Then, when you make medicines from it later, it will tend, support, and nourish you in turn – an intimate cycle of life.Growing herbs for yourself can be simple, especially if you start with the “easy mode” herbs and methods. There’s no shame at all in having your garden live in 5-gallon buckets, whether you live in a city apartment and have only a small porch to work with, or because you’re new to some land and not sure how its ecosystem works yet. Prolific, weedy herbs are not only very easy to grow, they’re also some of our best medicine plants – so they’re a great choice for beginners too.In this episode we share some experiences

Pain is complex. Many factors can contribute to pain, or worsen it, including the food we eat, the sleep we do or don’t get, and the stresses we experience in our lives. When pain is chronic, we need to think outside the “painkiller” box and think more broadly. This is also the best method of working with herbs for chronic pain conditions. Herbs with anti-inflammatory effects might achieve this by nourishing, improving digestion or circulation, or supporting specific needs in a particular body. To choose the right one for the person in front of you, you need to know their whole context – more than “where does it hurt?”Moreover, from the perspective of your cells, pain itself is not a single state with a single cause. A sprained wrist may involve tissue swelling, stagnation of fluids, nerve impingement, and of course, inflammation. Awash in this complex context of states, the nerve sends a pain signal to the brain. If all we do is “kill the pain” at the nerve, without correcting any of those other states, the

There are a lot of myths about herbal aphrodisiacs – they don’t make you into an irresistible sex monster, let’s get that out of the way right up front! But they do help you release tension that can distract you from your partner or from the present moment. And they do help you feel more comfortable in your own body, so you find & share enjoyment with yourself & others.In this episode we share some of our favorite valentine treats. We’ve got recipes for a lovely damiana-cacao-cayenne infused wine, a rose-chamomile elixir, a raspberry-chocolate cordial, some lovely truffles, and a sun-kissed massage oil. And, just in case Cupid hasn’t visited lately, we have a tea formula for broken & healing hearts.

It’s really hard to really take a break these days – with smartphones and connected devices everywhere, the pressure to use our time “productively” is pervasive. But that doesn’t mean humans can actually keep up that pace, and it has all kinds of health effects to try!So this year one thing that we’re doing to stay centered is building a New Moon tradition. The idea came out of the way that we celebrate Solstice: we don’t use any electric lights all day, lighting candles in the evening and leisurely talking, reading, daydreaming, knitting… anything but working. This year we realized, we could do it every New Moon!In this episode we share our reasons for totally unplugging for one day every month, and the plans (and plants!) that help us pull it off. Our hope is to inspire you to see if you can fit something similar into your own life. One day with no media, no electronics, no work, no “real” “productivity” (according to post-industrialized consumer-culture standards, that is).Herbs discussed include chamomile

There are many facets to sustainability for herbalists to consider, from maintaining your personal energy reserves to establishing sustainable working conditions for the workers who bring herbs to us.  Today we’re focusing on direct sustainability of the plants themselves. How can we make sure that, as interest in herbalism and demand for herbs grows, we’re not exhausting our plants and soil?We start with a cautionary tale from 200 BCE, in which poor soil quality, degrading growing conditions, overharvesting, and “trendiness” all came together to result in the first documented extinction of a medicinal plant. There are lessons to be learned here that apply directly to our world, and to considerations about sustainability for herbalists, today!Have you ever heard the rubric that suggests you “take 1/3 for yourself, leave 1/3 for the animals, and 1/3 for the plants to grow back”? It’s been a mainstay in herbalism schools for several decades. Today we’re recognizing that some harvesting practices and wildcraftin