Roots, Barks & Berries of the Pacific Northwest
A 5-Week Herbal Medicine Series
Autumn is one of the most rewarding seasons for herbal medicine. As plants draw their energy inward, their roots, bark, and berries become rich with medicine and nourishment.
Join me for a five-week immersive journey exploring four of my favorite medicinal plants of the Pacific Northwest. Together we'll study these remarkable plant allies through the lenses of Western & Traditional Herbalism, Ayurveda, medicine making, along with direct personal experience.
This course is designed to deepen your relationship with our local medicinal plants—not only through study, but through observation, practice, and firsthand connection.
Week One: Foundations
We begin with an introduction to several foundational Ayurvedic concepts that will be woven throughout the course. Ayurveda offers a beautifully simple framework for understanding plants, people, and balance.
Topics include:
The Doshas
Agni (digestive fire)
Dipana- digestive stimulants
Ojas and vitality
Basic Ayurvedic energetics
We will then explore traditional herbal medicine making, including:
Tinctures
Decoctions
Herbal infusions
Nourishing infusions
Syrups
Oxymels
Herbal oils & medicated ghee
Salves
Poultices
Simple ways to incorporate herbs into everyday cooking and spices
We conclude the evening with a guided blind plant meditation.
Rather than beginning with information, we begin with experience. The plant remains unknown while we spend 10–15 minutes quietly observing it with our senses, allowing us to set aside preconceived ideas about what the plant "does." Afterwards, we'll share our experiences together and reveal the identity of the plant.
Each participant will receive a tincture of that week's featured herb along with a few herbal gifts to continue working with at home.
During the week, I encourage you to spend time with the plant before researching it. Taste it, smell it, sit quietly with it, journal your observations, and notice how your relationship develops through direct experience.
Weeks Two Through Five
Each class follows a similar rhythm:
Guided meditation with the plant you've been working with
Group discussion and sharing circle
In-depth plant monograph discussion including-
Western & Traditional uses and historical context
Herbal energetics
Ayurvedic understanding of the herb
Medicine making preparations
Herbal formulations
Safety considerations and contraindications
Questions
Each class concludes with a new blind plant meditation, introducing the next herbal ally for the coming week.
You'll Receive
Digital monograph for each featured plant
Herbal medicine making handout
Introduction to Ayurveda handout
Four handcrafted herbal tinctures (one for each plant)
Additional plant materials to work with throughout the course, which may include fresh or dried roots, bark, berries, or other seasonal herbal gifts
Tuition
$325 for the complete five-week series.
Participants enrolled in this course will also receive 20% off the Elecampane Harvest & Medicine Workshop. The two classes complement one another beautifully, offering additional hands-on experience harvesting, preparing, and working with medicinal roots.