Learning to Use Plants for Health and Wellness

Description

This course is for your personal use, this course does not qualify you as an Herbalist Practitioner

The relationship between plants and humans is as deeply intimate as it is utterly unique. The great mother of human life, plants have nurtured and sustained us with their essences and energies for as long as we have lived on Earth. Whether it be through the foods and herbal medicines they provide, or their role in maintaining the air we breathe, plants are essential for our very existence. They are also central to rejuvenation: The perfect mediators of yin and yang, plants, especially Chinese herbal medicines, are full of the qualities and substances that make the regenerative life possible.

When our ancestors needed to attend to the bumps, bruises, fevers and other illnesses their family suffered, they didn’t have a corner chemist (drugstore). Instead these good women relied on simple wisdom, common sense, and pantries well stocked with herbal remedies. With few exceptions, these herbal remedies were made from plants and herbs that grew in the kitchen garden or were gathered in the fields and woods surrounding their homes. There is a growing awareness of the importance of returning to the use of whole foods and healthy herbs into our modern lives.

It is with this view in mind that this course has been written – there are many, many herbal books available – many of them written from the perspective of the author’s experiences, some jumping straight into culinary or medicinal herbs, very few starting at the beginning – where I believe we should start, with the History of Herbalism. Then we take a slow journey through the various classifications of herbs and using them in therapeutic purposes.

Anatomy & Physiology for Herbalists is integral to understanding how herbs work in the body.

We learn about 100 herbs and their uses (yip, you heard right – 100 herbs) – I feel 10 to 20 herbs is not enough – whereas 1000 is too much..

We then go on to herbal preparations and how to make them.

The journey continues … we even get to read King’s American Dispensatory as an online read.

Jump right in to explore the whole course …

Course Content:

31 pdf modules

15 videos

Extras include 6 books, one of them called the Giant Book of Herbal Teas

3 Attunements (value $100)

Module 1

Introduction and History

Birth of Herbal Medicine

Dioscorides

Hippocrates

Galen

Ayurveda

China

Herbalism Outlawed

Modern Times

Module 2

Classification of Herbs

What is an Herb

Therapeutic Constituents

Aromatic Herbs

Stimulant Herbs

Nervine Herbs

Astringent Herbs

Bitter Herbs

Laxative Herbs

Diuretic Herbs

Saponin-containing Herbs

Alkaloid -containing Herbs

Mucilaginous Herbs

Nutritive Herbs

Alkaloids

Anthraquinones

Annual Herbs

Perennial Herbs

Biennial herbs

Herbal Glossary

 

Module 3

Using Herbs for Therapeutic Purposes

What is Herbal Medicine?

Benefits of herbal medicine

Simpling

Video: 20 Healing Herbs for Men and Women

 

Module 4

Parts of a Plant

What are the Different Parts of a Plant

 

 

Module 5

Basic Principles of Herbal Medicine

Energetics or Patterns of Disease

Heat / Excitation

Wind / Constriction

Dry / Atrophy

Damp / Relaxation

Damp / Stagnation

Cold / Depression

 

Module 6

Anatomy & Physiology for Herbalists

Human Body Structure

Body Functions and Life Process

Summary

Skeletal System

Muscular System

Circulatory System

Respiratory System

Digestive System

Endocrine System

Physiology of Stress

Urinary System

Lymphatic System

Nervous System

Integumentary System

DNA

 

Module 7

Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and Flower Remedies

Videos:        Homeopathy

Aromatherapy

Flower Remedies

 

Module 8

Medicinal Herbs Safety Guidelines

Research the Herb

Standards for Herbal Supplements

Dosing Safety

Using Herbs During Pregnancy

Herbs Considered Safe During Pregnancy

 

 

Module 9

List of 100 Herbs and their Uses

 

Module 10

Types of Herbal Preparations

Bolus

Capsules

Compress

Cream

Decoction

Diffusion

Extracts

Fomentation

Glycerides

Herbal Cough Syrup

Hydrosol

Infusions (water)

Infusions (oil)

Liniment

Oils

Percolation

Poultice

Powders

Salve

Teas

Tinctures

Videos:        How to make a Cold Infusion

How to make an Oil Infusion

Percolation Tutorial

How to Make a Poultice

How to Make Herbal Salve

Herbal Tea Preparation

How to Make an Herbal Tincture

 

Module 11

Properties and Actions of Medicinal Herbs

Adaptogenic

Alterative

Analgesic

Antacid

Anti-allergic

Antiasthmatic

Antibacterial / Antibiotic

Anticatarrhal

Anticonvulsant

Antidepressant

Antidiarrheal

Anti-inflammatory

Aromatic

Astringent

Bitter

Carminative

Circulatory

Demulcent

Digestive

Diuretic

Fungicidal

Hypertensive

Hypoglycemic

Hypotensive

Immune Enhancing

Laxative

Lymphatic

Nervine

Sedative

Tonic

 

Module 12

Culinary Herbs across the World

 

Module 13

Medicinal Herbs across the World

Africa

India

China

 

Module 14

Wildcrafting

What is wildcrafting?

Tips for Ethical Foraging

How to Start Ethical Foraging

Advantages

Disadvantages

Identifying herbs for wildcrafting

Drying and storing wildcrafted herbs

Video: All you Need to Know about Dandelion

 

Module 15

Materia Medica

What is materia medica?

The index card system

Creating your herbal reference sheets

Name of the plant

Video: Creating a materia medica

 

Module 16

Contraindications

Understanding why Drugs and Herbs Interact

Common Herb-Drug Interactions

5 Herbal safety topics

Serving sizes

Potential Drug/Herb interactions

Potential allergies

Parts used

Precautions

The Herb Safety Scale

The Herb Safety Continuum Scale

Herb Listings by Classification

 

Module 17

Reishi – Mushroom of Spiritual Potency

Reishi Mushroom benefits

How the Reishi mushroom works

Reishi in traditional Chinese medicine

Historical use in Asian cultures

Types of Reishi Mushrooms

How to use

Reishi Mushroom dosage

Where to purchase Reishi mushrooms

 

Module 18

Benefits of Moringa

What is Moringa?

Growing your own Moringa

What does Moringa taste like?

Natural Anti-inflammatory aid

Moringa Seed Uses

Whole Moringa Pods

Moringa Root Uses

Types of Moringa leaves

How to Use

Video:          How to grow Moringa

 

 

Module 19

Holy Basil

Holy Basil Benefits

Holy Basil Uses

How it works

How it is Used

History of Holy Basil

 

Module 20

Anti-aging Herbs

 

Module 21

Home Start-up Guide

The very basic list

Branching out gear

Getting fancy

 

Module 22

Poisonous Herbs

Video:          Foxglove

 

Module 23

Herbal teas

The History of Herbal Tea

How to Make Herbal Tea

The most popular Herbal Teas in Western Countries and their benefits

Extras: Giant book of Herbal Teas

 

Module 24

Children and Herbs

Safe Herbs for Kids

Nourishing Plants for Kids

Examples of Nourishing Plants

Gentle Nervines for Kids

Examples of Gentle Nervines

When things go Amiss

Helpful Herbs to Use with Sick Children

Appropriate Dosing of Herbs for Children

The Scratch Test

Extras:         Link to Herb Activities for Children

 

Module 25

Drying and Freezing Herbs

Air Drying

Oven Drying

Freezing

Videos:        How to Dry Herbs: Harvesting, Drying and Storing Herbs

How to Freeze Herbs in Olive Oil

 

 

Module 26

Kitchen Herbs

What is the difference between herbs and spices?

How to use Fresh Herbs

Videos:        Tarragon Vinegar recipe by Chef Eric Arrouzé

How to Cook With Basic Herbs

 

Module 27

Herbal Remedies for Pets

Potentially Unsafe Herbs for Pets

Possible Side-effects of Herbs on Pets

Interference with Conventional Medicine

Safe Herbs for Dogs

Standard Infusion for Pets

Strong Infusion for Pets

Putting Herbs in Food

Herb Doggy Bites

 

Module 28

Herbal First Aid Kit

Emergencies

Non-emergencies

What Goes inside the kit

Video:          Herbal First Aid Kit

 

Module 29

How to make Herbal Smudge Sticks

The Magic of the Pineal Gland

Smudging

Smoke

Making Smudge Sticks

Using a Smudge Stick

Smudging a House

Smudging a Person

What herbs are available for use in the making of smudge sticks?

Precautions

Video:          How to Make Smudge Sticks

 

Module 30

King’s American Dispensatory (online read)

 

Module 31

Ailments and Corresponding Herbal Treatments

Attunements

Ethereal Herbs

Burdock and Charoite (value $100)

Etheric Herbal Remedy

Extras

Herbal Recipe book – various recipes to make your own salves, tinctures, decoctions etc.

Botanical Safety Handbook

Giant Book of Herbal Tea Remedies

Herbal Tinctures in Clinical Practice

Moringa: A Tree giving life to Rural Communities

Useful Measurement Conversions

Herbal Remedies from Mother Earth

Extra Videos – the rest are embedded in the manuals

 

Building Your Home Herbal Medicine Cabinet

What is a poultice and how to make one

The Power of Herbs – Full Herbal Medicine Documentary

Herbs for Health

Edible & Medicinal Herbs

How to Make an Herbal Salve with Natural Herbs