Why Plant Medicine?
Far removed from the modern “natural health” trend of replacing pharmaceuticals with herbal remedies, real Plant Medicine harnesses a near unlimited potential for healing through a partnership with Nature and a fundamental understanding of the root cause of dis-ease.
Miracle Makers, Personal Development for extraordinary people and Living with Tolle present a method of herbal medicine. We invite the practitioner to step away from the conventional model of “Herbs = Substance” and into the realm of Plants as living, intelligent beings that we can commune with for unsurpassed health and wellbeing.
We will be exploring ancient Ethnobotanical and Shamanic healing traditions; experiencing how they interface with our modern understanding of plants and their medicinal uses for a new paradigm that is healthful to both humankind and the planet.
CLASS 1
In this class we will explore the relationships that people, throughout history, have cultivated with plants and herbal medicines, through the physical senses, generational wisdom, experimentation, and shamanic practices.
You will learn how to:
- Identify medicinal herbs commonly found wild in the South West
- Connect and communicate with plants using ancient Shamanic processes
- Ethically harvest and process herbs for storage and medicinal preparations
- Use wild herbal medicines for a variety of situations
- Modify wildcrafted medicines to better suite specific needs
Class 2
The combination of the primal element of Fire and herbal formulations is sacrosanct in ceremony, ritual, and the preparation of herbal remedies.
In this workshop, you will:
- Learn how the direct application of fire changes the basic qualities of herbal medicines
- Practice the ancient art of moxibustion within Asian meridian energetics
- Understand the medicinal, spiritual, and energetic properties of incense and smudges
- Formulate and craft your own fire based herbal medicines
- Make your own incense
Class 3
We generally choose to use hand tanned buckskin leather from wild or certified organic animals to honor and include the Animal Medicine that plays a vitally important symbiosis with Plant Medicine. The leather used for this is made the traditional way and is truly and intensive labor of love and way of full circle living. Vegan options will also be available for our vegan and vegetarian friends.
In this workshop, you will:
- Craft your own medicine pouch from hand tanned organic buckskin leather (vegan option available)
- Learn to identify wild, native plants medicinals
- Utilize powerful cross cultural Shamanic practices to connect with the plant people
- Apply the fundamentals of Plant medicine to formulate your own personalized medicine pouch
Class 4
The external application of herbal formulations as poultices, powders, and plasters to protect, detoxify, and promote healing has been a staple medicinal practice of shamans and medicine men and women since time immemorial.
In this workshop, you will:
- Learn how to use fresh and dried herbs as poultices to soothe and promote healing
- Understand the appropriate applications of medicinal poultices, plasters, compresses, and powders
- Practice the fundamentals of external medicinal herb formulations
- Craft your own herbal medicines
Class 5
As technologies and foundational understanding of health and healing evolved among ancient peoples, so did medicines. The use of alcohol and other natural solvents to extract medicinal constituents from herbs that water and oils could not, allowed for new possibilities in potency, delivery, and portability of traditional herbal medicines.
In this workshop, you will:
- Explore the special properties of medicinal tinctures within the scope of traditional remedies
- Formulate and take home your own tincture, made with high quality, organic, and wild crafted ingredients
- Learn about how and why to use various mediums used in hand crafted tinctures
- Incorporate native plant medicines and traditional healing lore for powerful remedies
Class 6
In this class we will explore medicinal preparations with wildcrafted herbs and water.
You will learn to:
- Ethically harvest and process herbs for storage and medicinal preparations
- Identify key herbs used in water based medicinal preparations
- Formulate basic decoctions, hot and cold infusions, solar infusions
- Prepare and use Medicinal washes for hygiene, and external ailments
- Connect and communicate with plants using ancient shamanic processes
- Charge Wildcrafted medicines with the power of intention
Class 7
In modern times, we the convenience of pre-packaged first aid kits from the pharmacy or drug store, however our self reliant ancestors knew how to meet basic basic medical needs using only the resources available in the wild.
In this workshop, you will:
• Learn how to use commonly found herbs to soothe and promote healing
• Understand the appropriate applications herbal medicines in the field
• Practice identification and processing of wild plants for emergency first aid
• Build your own portable herbal first aid kit
Class 8
Plant medicine making tutorial based on my more than 30 years of making herbal remedies.
In this workshop, you will:
- Tincture – A tincture is an alcohol extraction of some medicinal alkaloids and antioxidants of a plant. Alcohol acts against a cell wall by its very drying nature to pull out the water within a cell through the channels by a dehydration process. In the water can be alkaloids and antioxidants, although some minerals such as iron may be extracted as well.
- Elixir – An elixir is simply an equal part alcohol/honey extraction of plants’ medicine and nutrition. Honey is hygroscopic which means it draws water to it. What I appreciate about honey is its ability to pull both the alkaloids plus the nutrients from a plant’s cells. Elixirs are my personal favorite way to make herbal medicine. The resulting remedy is not only medicinal and nutritional, but tasty as well. For those who ingest alcohol, but don’t always like the taste of tinctures, they get the double bonus of a great tasting remedy with the addition of all the nutrition of the plant used.
- Herbal extracted honey – Super tasty and versatile, herbal extracted honeys are a perfect fit for those who don’t/won’t ingest alcohol. The herbal honeys can be used in teas, on toast, oatmeal, licked from the spoon – the possibilities are many.
- Oxymel – The Greeks invented the oxymel. Very smart, those Greeks! An oxymel uses equal parts apple cider vinegar and honey to extract the medicine and nutrients from plants. Brandy and honey make an elixir, apple cider vinegar and honey make an oxymel. Drying and heating plants destroy the flavonoids in plants! Oxymels, herbal honeys, and elixirs are rock stars at preserving the immune supporting and antiviral vitamin C complex and flavonoids.
- Herbal Vinegar – Vinegar extracts the vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, essential oils, and some alkaloids from plants as well flavors. The acidic nature of vinegar assists in the uptake of calcium and iron into our cells. For those dealing with health issues such as anemia, arthritis, and bone loss, herbal vinegars can be helpful in restoring health.
- Medicinal Oils – Medicinal oils can be used as is, are easily absorbed by our skin and/or can be made into salves and creams. Medicinal oils can be made with herbs for pain relief, to soothe dry, itchy skin, relieve congestion, kill fungus, heal wounds, alleviate inflammation and much more. The medicine from plants is commonly extracted into oil by 2 processes: heat process and cold maceration. I prefer using fresh plants with the heat process, as the tendency towards molding that often happens with cold maceration is minimal to none with the heat process, if done correctly.
- Herbal Salves – Salves are made with medicinal oils and some kind of wax or thick fixed oil, such as beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter to make a thick consistency. They are crafted to be very moisturizing to the skin, and depending on the plants used, can be a natural vapor rub, pain relief, antibacterial, antifungal salve, etc.
Class 9
Rediscover the ancient wisdom of natural, holistic medicines as we explore how fats, oils, and waxes may be combined with the power of our plant friends to modify and augment the qualities of medicinal preparations.
In this workshop, you will:
- Understand how different fats and oils change the properties of herbal balms and liniments
- Hand craft your own healthy, organic, remedies
- Learn the fundamentals of formulating your own recipes and their most effective applications
- Explore ceremony, intention, and other ancient energetic practices used to infuse herbal remedies
Class 10
The conventional modern lifestyle has made the home a significant source of an individual’s toxic load. Industrialized chemical cleaners and personal care and hygiene products increase our risk for disease and pollute the environment.
We can draw from ancient and traditional methods to lead healthier, more sustainable, and regenerative lifestyles by combining ancestral wisdom with common and inexpensive tools and ingredients.
In this workshop, you will:
- Learn how to prepare your own safe and healthy grooming products
- Clean your home and living area with basic, earth friendly products
- Cut through media hype and social conditioning to reduce stress, save time, money, and increase health
Class 11
The five basic human senses are not only the way we perceive the physical world, but are also a powerful pathway to health and healing.
Using the extracted essences of aromatic plants, we will explore the basics of gently harmonizing the body, mind and spirit through Aromatherapy as we learn to use and craft, essential oils, hydrosols, and aromatic waters.
Class 12
All traditional cultures approached food as both a source of sustenance and also medicine. By incorporating ancient traditions in food preparation with plant medicine fundamentals, we open a virtually unlimited potential for health and healing through daily nourishment and the practice of simple culinary principles.
In this workshop, you will:
- Explore the basic nutritional and energetic properties of common foods
- Learn how to change and enhance the healing properties of foods using traditional techniques
- Apply plant medicine principles to transform simple meals into powerful remedies for health
PROGRAM BENEFITS
12 Plant Medicine Workshops
Over 50 hours of online training
Plus Plant walks in our local Wilderness
You can submit photos from your local wilderness walk
(Each hour is $2000 X 50 Plus hours = you do the math!)
Online Course Study Guide
High definition photos, class notes, and study exercises ($120 value)
Member Only Forum
Receive peer and instructor guidance outside of class ($50 value)
Plant Medicine Certification
Online Course Certification Exam with Plant Medicine
Certificate of Completion pending oral and written exam
