The American Herbalists Guild - Herbal Study Hall

Working with classical Chinese theories on Shen (spirit, consciousness), this class explores trauma within the context of both allopathic and Chinese medicine. An introduction to pattern diagnosis and Chinese medicine theories like Daoism and five elements will be included. Several categories of herbs will be discussed, from adaptogens and nervines to herbs that nourish blood and calm the spirit.

Participants will be introduced to classical Chinese herbalism and will be provided with Western and Chinese formulas and essences to work with those experiencing isolation, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health concerns. Qi Gong, dietary, and lifestyle recommendations will also be shared.

With the advancements in modern medicine and the phytochemistry of plants, is there still a place for traditional systems of energetics in modern clinical herbal practice? With over 60 years of clinical practice between them, Danny O’ Rawe and Keith Robertson will discuss their experience of using an energetic framework to enliven and enlighten a series of case histories with therapeutic strategies using a Celtic inspired Elemental framework from their own phenomenological research.

Borike is the original name for the island of Puerto Rico, an island that was first met with slavery over 500 years ago when it was first colonized. It remains a colony today, also known as a territory of the US. The land is occupied by many settlers and entrepreneurs who seek tax exemptions without understanding the sacredness of the land and the people who tend to it. Even with climate change, land occupation, and land abuse, plant medicines continue to resist through the cracks of rocks, synergize with native and introduced trees, help till and fertilize the soil, and seduce us with the medicines of the land.

This class will discuss how the following plant medicines, which Ola has come to most admire as they persist in growing everywhere and are used by people native to Boriké: morivivir (Mimosa pudica), curujey (Tillandsia spp.), mato (Mucuna urens), romerillo (Bidens pilosa), bledo (Amaranthus spp.), Santa Maria feverfew (Parthenium hysterophorus), anamu (Petiveria alliacea), and verdolaga (Portulaca spp.). Ola has witnessed these plant medicines in the form of weeds as resilient companions tending to people and the earth. They symbolize the Afro indigenous legacy of resistance of the land.

It seems almost everyone in our country is either depressed, anxious, or both.  We live in a very stress-filled time and society's mainstream solution is to take a pill or talk to a therapist. Both of these approaches can work, but what if you don't want to take an SSRI or anxiolytic medication or if orthodox therapies haven’t worked for you? In some cases, there are other options to help restore our emotional foundations and improve our psychological state.

From an herbalist's perspective, we understand that impaired mental health is more than an imbalance of neurochemicals. In this class we will discuss the more than 14 underlying causes of depression (inflammation-induced depression, GI -based depression, blood sugar dysregulation-induced depression, hormonal depression, etc) and 11 causes of anxiety (thyroid-induced anxiety, GI-induced anxiety, old-age induced anxiety, etc) and how mild to moderate cases can be often be effectively helped using the appropriate herbs. The common misconception that St. John's wort or any one herb is 'the depression herb' is untrue and we will look at the specific indications of emotional dysfunction and the specific remedies to treat them.

Hispanic herbalism has long recognized that depression can be relieved with the use of herbs, talking, sunshine, ritual, color, and even diet. Although there are times that therapy and medications are called for, sometimes you need more. In this session, you’ll learn how to use heart-centered herbs like lemon balm, tilia or linden, orange blossom, bleeding heart, anemone, rose, skullcap, and others to lighten the heart even in the darkest times.

Since Galen and Dioscorides, Greek healing practices using herbs native to the Mediterranean have shaped Western botanical medicine. While herbs are still a part of everyday life in Greece, it is a form of herbalism deeply rooted in Orthodox rituals and culinary tradition. We will look at how medicinal preparations like teas, oils, and liqueurs are made with herbs you may already know, like sage, rosemary, and thyme, and how bitter greens and aromatic herbs can be integrated into healing protocols.

Drawing on her Greek heritage and years of traveling and teaching in Greece, Patricia will inspire attendees to rethink the way they use aromatic herbs, along with practical suggestions for incorporating them into their herbal practice and kitchen.