The Healing Powers of Incense and Aromatic Medicine with Evan Sylliaasen

REGISTER FOR THE HANDCRAFTED INCENSE WORKSHOP SERIES

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Evan Sylliaasen, founder of The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine & Higher Mind Incense. He delves into the world of incense and aromatic medicine and discusses their healing properties.

For a limited time, enroll in Evan’s FREE workshop series: the Hand-crafted Incense Workshop Series.

Incense is such an overlooked modality in today's world. Everyone focuses on tinctures, teas, and essential oils, which are all great, but they're missing a crucial key component of aromatic medicine. 

Imagine having the ability to tailor your own unique herbal incense blends for medicine and healing, or for sacred ritual, or simply for pleasure.

For a decade now, Evan Sylliaasen has been crafting aromatherapeutic and ritual blends for his company Higher Mind Incense, one of the top producers in the US. He's definitely seen what works best, and what doesn't work when it comes to incense crafting.

As there's a bit of art and science to this craft, Evan knows the pitfalls and common mistakes most people make when they're just starting out making incense. 

And he can help you avoid them!

Which is why he's put together a special complimentary gift for you, the new Hand-Crafted Incense Workshop Series. 

These training session videos offered through his school, The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine, will teach you step-by-step how to successfully make your own natural incense at home for healing, fragrant enjoyment, or spiritual purposes.  

Join us in the Hand-Crafted Incense Workshop Series Today, Evan's gift to you!

In this workshop series you'll learn:

  • The traditional key to aromatic medicine and the roots of aromatherapy

  • The many virtues and uses of incense and plant smoke

  • The various types of incense and their specific qualities

  • The 4 basic building blocks of incense crafting that every recipe needs for success

  • Plus Evan will walk you through each step of the incense crafting process from raw ingredients, to finished product

Whether you're a professional or at-home healer who uses herbs and essential oils, an incense enthusiast, or a beginner in the world of herbs or aromatics, this workshop series will help you take your practice to new levels of healing and beauty.

Join us this week only for the series and get started on your path to making your own incense for yourself, family, or those you serve today!

Sign up for this complimentary gift and watch the first video here 

Enjoy!

Herbs for Smoky Skies with Rosalee de la Forêt

With wildfires still smoldering across Western states, many are enduring a blanket of unhealthy smoke. What herbal companions can we enlist to help us through the poor air quality? Today we’ll hear guidance from herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt to find out!

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Rosalee de la Forêt, RH, is passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. She is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and the Education Director at LearningHerbs. She is also the author of the online courses, The Taste of Herbs and Herbal Cold Care. She is the creator of the Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel. When she is not immersed in herbs, you can find her taking photos of nature, kayaking with her husband, or curled up in a hammock with a good book.

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To stay informed on the 6th Annual NorthWest Herb Symposium, visit www.NWHerbSymposium.com. Located at the Camp Casey Conference Center in Coupeville, Washington, teachers will include Eaglesong Gardener, Ryan Drum, Denise Joy, Netta Zeberoff and more!

For many more great recordings like you’ve heard today, visit Tree Farm Communications where you’ll find quality audio of lectures, workshops, and conferences on topics like herbalism, integrative health, nutrition and more!

Uprooting Racism in Agriculture with Leah Penniman

Today we’ll hear from Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm and author of ‘Farming While Black.’ Originally recorded at the 2020 MOSES Organic Farming Conference, her keynote address discusses uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in our food system. Join her for a journey through history to understand how we arrived here, and learn about the work going on to heal, repair, and create justice.

For more for Leah, visit her at:

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Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol educator, farmer/peyizan, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, NY. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2011 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. As co-Executive Director, Leah is part of a team that facilitates powerful food sovereignty programs – including farmer trainings for Black & Brown people, a subsidized farm food distribution program for people living under food apartheid, and domestic and international organizing toward equity in the food system. Leah holds an MA in Science Education and BA in Environmental Science and International Development from Clark University, and is a Manye (Queen Mother) in Vodun. Leah has been farming since 1996 and teaching since 2002. The work of Leah and Soul Fire Farm has been recognized by the Soros Racial Justice Fellowship, Fulbright Program, Omega Sustainability Leadership Award, Presidential Award for Science Teaching, NYS Health Emerging Innovator Awards, and Andrew Goodman Foundation, among others. Her book, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land is available here.

3rd Annual Spiritual Herbal Conference: The Structure of Dreams

Today we’ll hear about the upcoming 3rd Annual Spiritual Herbal Conference: The Structure of Dreams!

Workshops this year will call us all into the activation of dreaming toward practical strategies for liberation and abolition. Teachers will consider Indigenous and Ancestral technologies to return to, to prepare us with magic, inspiration, knowledge, and tangible skills to co-create structures of collectivity, equity, and abundance. This year, virtual technologies will serve as a space for us to challenge what it can mean to mobilize, connect, and find rootedness within the context of a global pandemic.

Join in virtually October 3rd and 4th to hear from the keynote speaker, Karen M. Rose, and attend workshop offerings from a diversity of fields.

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Nourish Yourself with Brighid Doherty of The Solidago School of Herbalism

Today we’ll hear from Brighid Doherty of The Solidago School of Herbalism on her upcoming online course, Nourish Yourself. This course teaches you how to incorporate common herbs, in simple ways, into daily life. Brighid inspires people to be more self-reliant in their health and healing process, and she teaches the home herbalist how to bring herbal medicine into their lives by relating to plants in their bodies, kitchens, gardens, and the wild.

The next course starts October 6th and runs through mid-December.

For more from Brighid, visit her on Facebook and Instagram.

Brighid Doherty is an herbalist honoring the Wise Woman Tradition. She resides on Deer Isle, a bridged-island in Downeast Maine. Brighid is a passionate herbal health educator and a professional gardener. She is the founder of The Solidago School of…

Brighid Doherty is an herbalist honoring the Wise Woman Tradition. She resides on Deer Isle, a bridged-island in Downeast Maine. Brighid is a passionate herbal health educator and a professional gardener. She is the founder of The Solidago School of Herbalism. Brighid began her connection with herbs while playing in her mother’s gardens as a child, their scents and beauty attracting her curiosity. For the past two decades, Brighid has worked with medicinal plants in a variety of ways; as a student and a teacher, a gardener and a forager, a medicine maker and health consultant. She received a BA focused in Organic Agriculture and Herbal Medicine from Evergreen State College. She has had many wonderful herbalist mentors including Susun Weed, Rosemary Gladstar, Katja Swift, and KP Khalsa. She teaches a variety of workshops for the home herbalist, including medicinal plant walks, herbal spas, an Herbs for Health series, and hands-on medicine making. Brighid also offers an online course, called Nourish Yourself.

REPLAY | How to Forage Healing Foods & Herbal Medicine with Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han

FREE Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel by LearningHerbs!

In today’s episode we’ll hear a chat between herbalists and authors Rosalee de la Forêt and Emily Han.

Rosalee and Emily have spent the past couple of years collaborating to write the book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. And that’s what we’ll get to hear about in this episode! You’ll learn about the origins of the book, the writing process and so on. They also cover a few of the featured plants from the book such as chickweed, violet, elder, and more. Emily and Rosalee also teach us about harvesting techniques and even give us some recipes. 

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REPLAY | Hops Monograph with Rosalee de la Forêt

FREE Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel by LearningHerbs!

Listen in as herbalist and author Rosalee de la Forêt talks all about the hops (Humulus lupulus).

Before trendy bars started highlighting their hoppy brews, the hop plant was used as a traditional herbal medicine. With their aromatic and pungent scent, hops strobiles have been prized for their ability to help people relax. This use dates back thousands of years, at least since the ninth century.

Check out Rosalee’s monograph HERE.

 
Rosalee de la Forêt, RH, is passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. She is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and the Education Director at LearningHerbs. She is also the author of th…

Rosalee de la Forêt, RH, is passionate about helping people discover the world of herbalism and natural health. She is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and the Education Director at LearningHerbs. She is also the author of the online courses, The Taste of Herbs and Herbal Cold Care. She is the creator of the Taste of Herbs Flavor Wheel. When she is not immersed in herbs, you can find her taking photos of nature, kayaking with her husband, or curled up in a hammock with a good book.

 

Great Lakes Herb Faire: Free Online Event

Anna Fernandez joins us today to share details on the upcoming Great Lakes Herb Faire virtual event, being held free of charge September 12th-13th. Through the weekend, until September 27th, you also have free access to video classes as well as past recordings from the Faire. Don’t forget to stop by their virtual marketplace to pick up handcrafted goods from artisans in the Great Lakes region!

Visit their website: www.greatlakesherbfaire.org/
Find them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/greatlakesherbfaire/

Concert in the Forest with Johanna Warren

On today’s special episode, join the talented Johanna Warren near her home in Wales for a private concert. Enjoy her plant-inspired lyrics as she is surrounded by the sounds of the forest.

Johanna recently lent her voice to Netflix series ‘The Midnight Gospel’ and released her fifth solo album Chaotic Good on Carpark Records. Beyond her musical artistry, Johanna is a mystic, herbalist, Reiki Master, and advocate for the healing powers of Nature.

For more from Johanna, catch her upcoming livestream concert on October 1.

“I’ve been thinking of life as one big roleplaying game,” Johanna Warren offers when asked why she chose to title her new album after a Dungeons & Dragons reference. “There’s chance, there’s choice, and there’s alignment—what forces in the universe do I choose to align myself with?” 

Chaotic Good is Warren’s fifth full-length album and first for Wax Nine/Carpark Records. It represents a moment of rupture in the singer-songwriter’s career as she transitions away from the quiet, folk-adjacent work that defined her early solo albums with a bold statement piece that demonstrates the breadth of her ambition. Here, Warren flits between crushing admissions set to spare piano solos and muscular declarations of independence that have more in common with grunge acts of bygone years than anything we’ve heard from Warren in the past. “The last few years I’ve had an urge to change my name, or create some alter-ego,” she says. “But I’ve come to realize that ‘Johanna’ is already just a character. We think we know who we are based on what’s already happened, but we’re allowed to make new choices.” The oceanic, soothing single “Bed of Nails” illustrates that realization perfectly when Warren sings: “I tried a little bit too hard to be myself/It turned me into something else.”

Recording Chaotic Good was an exercise in self-reinvention. Warren decided to produce the album on her own, borrowing recording equipment from a friend to do much of the preliminary tracking alone in a garage. She enlisted a few key collaborators to fully enliven her vision, most notably former Sticklips bandmates Chris St. Hilaire and Jim Bertini. On the raucously resilient “Part of It,” Warren is joined by her musical brethren as she addresses a noncommittal narcissist and—a trademark of Warren’s work—the narrator’s complicity in her own suffering: “Don’t look at me like I’m the one holding you back/and I won’t look at you like you have something I lack.” Adding to the album’s dynamism is the fact that it took shape over the course of four years in studios across the United States while Warren was touring her most recent albums Gemini I and II. Warren uses words like “patchwork” and “scrapbook” to describe Chaotic Good; it is a collection of sonic snapshots that transport her to specific places in time with each listen.

“This album is about learning how to be with myself after a lifetime of codependent relationships,” Warren says. You can hear that especially well on “Twisted,” which finds her confronting a former lover, and ultimately, letting them go. “I’m a warrior, but I give up,” Warren howls, the surrounding production warping and distorting as her raw vocal crests to an acidic scream. Though her lyrics are resigned, her delivery is anything but. It is a moment of total abandon, when the multitudinous aspects of a personality coalesce to form something at once dazzling and monstrous. “Chaotic Good is a metamorphosis,” Warren says. “It’s my phoenix moment. Everything I’ve done before was just building the funeral pyre.” 

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Johanna Warren is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who began her career as a singer/songwriter in the Brooklyn-based psych folk band Sticklips. The group released two albums before disbanding in 2012, and after a stint performing backup vocals for Iron & Wine, Warren self-released her debut solo album, Fates, in 2013. The album prompted her to tour nationally under her own name, and since then, she’s led a nomadic existence, calling cities across the United States home for short periods of time.

Over the past few years, Warren has toured alongside Mitski, Julie Byrne, and Marissa Nadler, but a life on the road hasn’t slowed her output. In 2015, she released her sophomore album nūmūn to acclaim, propelling her to the forefront of artists to watch in the second half of the decade. Warren dedicated the spellbinding collection of acoustically-driven songs to the phases of the moon and to the divine feminine — forces of great power and consequence that are all-too often overlooked.

The following year, Warren announced a twin set of albums released on her own label Spirit House, which promoted a radically inclusive, artist-friendly ethos. Each of the songs on Gemini I corresponds with a song on Gemini II, which debuted later, in 2018. The two albums are in conversation with one another, offering up a character sketch of dueling personalities vying for acceptance. To contrast nūmūn, which was rendered using a simple palate of acoustic instruments, the arrangements on Gemini I and II integrated a wide array of instrumentation and more palpable percussion, furnished with help from a small cohort of Warren’s longtime collaborators.

Following the release of Gemini II, Warren embarked on her extensive Plant Medicine Tour, during which she invited local herbalists, farmers, and activists to come and share resources with attendees about alternative remedies. In the spare moments between tour stops, Warren recorded her latest album in studios across the United States. Entirely self-produced, Chaotic Good is Warren’s first album for Wax Nine/Carpark and it is her boldest to date, finding her in a state of transition as she introduces listeners to a new phase of her artistry.

Part II: What is an Adaptogen Anyway? with Heather Irvine

Herbal Academy is having their back-to-school sale through
September 13th with savings up to 35% off courses!


In this episode, we’ll hear from Herbal Academy in a spoken lesson about adaptogens with herbalist teacher Heather Irvine. The episode is a blend of Heather’s impressions of adaptogens and seven specific adaptogenic herbs — what they do, how they work, which herb to choose for who — and it also provides you an example of the balanced information, from introductory to advanced, you’ll find in Herbal Academy’s courses, particularly the Stress Management Course. 

You’ll learn a bit about how herbs can gently and positively influence the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system (as well as how these work together.) She’ll talk about the nuances and some common constituents of many adaptogens; saponins, complex polysaccharides, and antioxidants such as flavonoids in herbs like ashwagandha, eleuthero, gotu kola, licorice, reishi, holy basil, and rhodiola.

Here are a few of Herbal Academy’s course offerings, deeply discounted through September 13th:

And as the fall season is nearly upon us, not to be missed is my personal favorite:

To learn more about the Herbal Academy’s courses or stay in the loop about deals and freebies, sign up for their newsletter. You’ll also receive a free ebook, ‘9 Familiar Herbs for Beginners.’

Thanks for listening!

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Botanicals, Biofilms, & Chronic Infections with Paul Bergner

Herbal Academy is having their back-to-school sale through
September 13th with savings up to 35% off courses!

On this episode, we’ll sit in on a class from Paul Bergner at the NorthWest Herb Symposium. Join him as he covers concepts in microbiology, the human microbiome, new understandings of infection, and a scientific overview of botanicals in treatment of related pathologies. Topics discussed include ulcers, oral biofilms, bacterial vaginosis, chronic ear infections, topical wounds, and gut biofilms. This is a technical one, but fascinating and packed with useful information. It’s not to be missed!

*As this lecture involves infection pathology, PDF includes graphic images.


For more from Paul, visit him at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism where you’ll find a treasure trove of audio classes, lectures, digital downloads and more.

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Paul Bergner is a medical herbalist, clinical nutritionist, educator, author, and naturalist. Director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, he has studied and practiced natural medicine, nutrition, and medical herbalism since 1973. He has published the Medical Herbalism journal since the founding of the NAIMH in 1989, and has written seven books on medical herbalism, nutrition, Chinese medicine, ethnobotany, and naturopathic medicine.

Paul has taught all aspects of clinical herbalism and clinical nutrition since 1996, and has taught nutrition academically at both the university undergraduate and master’s levels. He has mentored more than 400 students through 8-month clinical residencies in integrated herbalism and nutrition. He is currently a clinical faculty mentor to students at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism in Boulder and the Vital Ways herbal school in Portland, OR.

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To stay informed on the 6th Annual NorthWest Herb Symposium, visit www.NWHerbSymposium.com. Located at the Camp Casey Conference Center in Coupeville, Washington, teachers will include Eaglesong Gardener, Ryan Drum, Denise Joy, Netta Zeberoff and more!

For many more great recordings like you’ve heard today, visit Tree Farm Communications where you’ll find quality audio of lectures, workshops, and conferences on topics like herbalism, integrative health, nutrition and more!

Sage Monograph by Jiling Lin

On today's episode you'll hear from Jiling Lin as she shares her Sage (Salvia spp.) Monograph. Don’t miss this overview of medicinal and culinary preparations as well as tips on cultivation and processing. She also shares a bit about the Salvia species native to her southern California home.

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Jiling Lin, LAc is an acupuncturist, herbalist, and yoga teacher in Ventura, CA. She empowers community resilience through clinics, classes, and retreats. Jiling cultivates thriving health through nature connection, patient education, and accessible healthcare. She specializes in treating pain, trauma, and complex chronic conditions. Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com , Instagram, and Facebook. 

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For more monographs, visit www.herbrally.com/monographs.


Thanks for listening!

Connecting Herbalism with GaDangme Cultural Practices with Naa Adjeley Gborjor

In today’s episode we’ll hear from herbal student Naa Adjeley Gborjorr discussing the seamless link between her heritage, her study of herbalism, and how she infuses the two in what will be her future practice - Tsofanye, meaning ‘medicine mother.’

For more from Naa Adjeley, find her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Born and raised in the UK, Naa Adjeley Gborjorr is a researcher of GaDangme (Ghanaian ethnic group) Culture, who has now embarked on a journey to becoming a herbalist. The practice of herbalism and other nature-based activities in her tradition have inspired her throughout her life journey. Her current work includes linking herbal knowledge with cultural practices that are centuries old, and can provide much wisdom for our modern problems, as well as highlighting and embracing the spirituality behind the practice of herbalism.

Protecting the Joshua Tree with Christina Sanchez of Every Leaf Speaks

Today you’ll hear from Christina Sanchez, of Every Leaf Speaks, as she lends her voice to preserving the Joshua trees. Learn about these beautiful plants, the challenges they face with human development, and what you can do to help.

Resources:

Update: The decision of the Fish and Game Commission has been delayed until September, so there’s still time for you to make your voice heard.

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To learn more about protecting the Joshua trees, find Christina at www.everyleafspeaks.org and @everyleafspeaks.

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Christina Sanchez has a special connection with the desert, originally from a small community named Oasis in Eastern Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert she now calls the Morongo Basin in the Mojave Desert her home. Christina is the founder of Every Leaf Speaks Botanical Studies, she takes folks out into the desert to teach about and have them experience the diversity in desert ecosystems and encourage being stewards. In addition, Christina teaches bio-regional herbalism courses and encourages cultivating native medicinal and wild food gardens. Christina is an environmental activist, passionate about stewarding the land and being voices for the earth.

THE CONTENT ON THIS WEBSITE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL and entertainment PURPOSES ONLY.
it IS NOT INTENDED TO cure, DIAGNOSE, TREAT, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.
THIS INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION.