The Herbalist’s Way: Knowledge, Craft & Practice

CoursesPlant Spirit MedicineHerbal HealingHerbal Medicine

26 Jan

Do you want to know how to use herbs confidently at home — for everyday complaints — rather than automatically reaching for pharmaceuticals?

Would you like to understand which herbs support things like digestive upsets, coughs and colds, hormonal swings, inflammation, poor sleep, or stress — and how to prepare them safely, effectively, and in forms that actually fit into real life?

Have you ever wished you knew what to do first, what’s appropriate to handle yourself, and when it’s time to seek more help — instead of guessing, Googling, or doing nothing at all?

The Herbalist’s Way: Knowledge, Craft & Practice was created for exactly this reason.

This course teaches you how the body works, system by system, and how to support it using herbs in practical, grounded ways. Each session combines clear biological teaching, hands-on medicine making, and real-world application, so you leave not just informed, but skilled.

You’ll learn how to make and use remedies you can trust — including teas, tinctures, oils, syrups, capsules, and food-based medicines — alongside clear guidance on safety, dosage, and suitability for home use.

This isn’t about rejecting modern medicine. It’s about expanding your toolkit. About understanding when herbs are appropriate, how to use them well, and how to build a small, reliable home apothecary that supports everyday health with confidence and common sense.

The course is rooted in human biology, physiology, and clinical herbal practice, and follows a structured journey through the body across the seasons. It is designed to help you care for yourself well when you can — and to make informed, responsible choices when additional support is needed.

It is also the revival of a course I have taught, refined, and lived with for many years — now renewed with updated science, deeper clinical insight, and a dedicated teaching space that allows the work to be held with clarity, comfort, and care.

Here’s how that journey unfolds, month by month…

**🌱 April — Digestive System & Diet**

**Foundations of health**
We begin where health begins: digestion, absorption, and elimination.
You’ll learn how the digestive system functions from mouth to gut, how the microbiome, liver, and pancreas contribute, and why so many modern digestive complaints arise. Teaching is grounded in clear physiology and practical observation.
**You’ll craft:**
a bespoke digestive herbal tea
a herb-infused oil
**Herbs include:** wormwood, dandelion root, mint, marshmallow, chamomile, meadowsweet, garlic, thyme, and oregano.
**Lunch as teaching:** a warming digestive soup, bitter greens, and gentle grains — demonstrating how warmth, bitterness, and rhythm support gut health.

**🌞 August — Cardiovascular & Lymphatic System**

**Flow, regulation, and longevity**
August explores circulation, heart health, lymphatic flow, and vascular tone — separating myth from evidence around blood pressure and cholesterol.
We also explore emotional heart health and traditional approaches to longevity.
**You’ll craft:**
a herbal oxymel (with vegan option)
experience lymphatic foot baths using different salts and herbs
**Herbs include:** hawthorn, yarrow, hydrocotyle, passionflower, rosemary, horse chestnut, cleavers, and calendula.
**Lunch as teaching:** warming spices followed by cooling, hydrating foods — illustrating rhythm and regulation in action.

**🌸 May — Gynaecological & Urinary System**

**Cycles, hormones, and pelvic health**
This month explores hormonal rhythms, menstrual cycles, peri-menopause, fertility, libido, urinary health, and prostate support — with teaching relevant to **all bodies and life stages**.
We examine how hormones, kidneys, bladder, and pelvic tissues interact, and how emotional stress and trauma can affect these systems.
**You’ll craft:**
urinary and reproductive herbal teas
a soothing herbal bath blend
tinctures for targeted support
**Herbs include:** cornsilk, dandelion leaf, uva ursi, nettle, chamomile, cramp bark, raspberry leaf, mugwort, calendula, lemon balm, rose, and damiana.
**Lunch as teaching:** blood- and mineral-nourishing foods that support hormonal balance and circulation.

**🍂 September — Nervous System**

**Calm, clarity, and resilience**
This month brings everything together through the nervous system.
We explore sympathetic and parasympathetic balance, sleep rhythms, stress physiology, adaptogens, and gentle herbal support for trauma-affected and neurodivergent nervous systems.
**You’ll craft:**
cacao and coconut truffles
custom herbal capsules (“happy capsules”) for calm, focus, and emotional balance
**Herbs include:** oat straw, lime flower, lemon balm, chamomile, skullcap, rosemary, peppermint.
**Lunch as teaching:** grounding, mineral-rich, soothing foods that signal safety and support regulation.

**☀️ June — Skin & Gentle Detox**

**Elimination, boundaries, and repair**
The skin is explored as an organ of elimination and communication, closely linked to the gut, liver, lymph, and immune system.
Rather than extreme detoxing, we focus on gentle, sustainable support for elimination pathways and skin repair.
**You’ll craft:**
infused oils
a healing herbal ointment
Using fresh and dried herbs harvested from the garden.
**Herbs include:** comfrey, cleavers, calendula, nettle leaf, chickweed, red clover, and chinacea.
**Lunch as teaching:** fibre-rich salads and warming soup to support liver function, lymph flow, and skin health.

**❄️ October — Respiratory System & Immunity**

**Preparation, protection, and trust**
We close by preparing for winter.
You’ll learn how immunity actually works, how mucous membranes and fever responses protect us, and how to support respiratory health and allergies intelligently.
**You’ll craft:**
a herbal cough syrup
immune-supportive gummies
to stock your home apothecary for the colder months.
**Herbs include:** thyme, liquorice, marshmallow, elderflower, plantain, echinacea, elder, nettle (with Ephedra discussed as a historical teaching herb).
**Lunch as teaching:** warming stews, fermented foods, and spiced drinks that protect respiratory barriers and immune tone.

**🔥 July — Musculoskeletal System**

**Structure, repair, and movement**
July focuses on bones, muscles, joints, fascia, inflammation, and recovery.
You’ll learn the difference between pain and inflammation, how tissues heal, and when to support internally versus externally.
**You’ll craft:**
a herbal vinegar extract
a bespoke massage oil
and learn a **simple, effective massage practice** for your own hands and body, as well as for supporting loved ones.
**Herbs include:** celery seed, turmeric, devil’s claw, rosemary, cayenne, nettle, comfrey, rhodiola, and holy basil.
**Lunch as teaching:** protein- and mineral-rich foods that support tissue repair and elimination.

More Than a Course

Each session is designed to be immersive, nourishing, and restorative — a day where learning, making, and enjoying healthy food together are integrated. A chance to step out of daily demands and return with practical skills, remedies, and renewed confidence.

This is not about doing everything yourself.
It is about knowing what you can do, doing it well, and understanding when to seek further support.

It is about coming back into a relationship with the body and the natural world — informed by science, guided by care, and shaped by shared knowledge.

And it is a joy to be teaching it again, in a space built for exactly this kind of learning 🌿