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23^rd ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND WOMEN'S HERBAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
August 20 ~ 22, 2010  

We wish to thank each and every one of you for joining us for the 23rd Annual NE Women's Herbal Conference. We hope that your experience will be a rich and rewarding one and that you return home renewed, inspired, and full of enthusiasm for the beauty of the green world. We also wish to thank the teachers who have come to share the teachings of their hearts with us. It is an honor to have such a gifted group of women healers and teachers with us.

And, finally, we want to extend a heart felt Thank You to the following businesses that sponsored this event:
New Chapter, Mountain Rose, and Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center.
Without the help & support of these farsighted and progressive businesses this event would not have been possible.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

Wherever you stand be the soul of that place ~ Rumi

10 - 1 REGISTRATION ~ NL-DH (PORCH)

1 - 2 OPENING CIRCLE ~ Creating Sacred Space ~ OM

Oh, Great Spirit, I am the woman
Walking in the fields collecting plants to heal the people.
I give thanks to the spirit of this plant
And I have faith with all my heart
That these plants will heal the sickness of the people.
Great Spirit, Amen
~ Belizean Plant Gathering Prayer

2:30 - 4 EARLY AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

1. Women as a Garden of Flowers w/Grandmother Dona Enriqueta (Mexico). The Zapotec healer offers us a wonderful way of viewing ourselves, women, as a garden of flowers each with her own unique properties and aspects. She also looks at the causes of illnesses based on emotions and the function and healing of our organs with colors and flowers.

2. Aromatherapy vs. Infection w/Kathi Keville. Aromatherapy boasts some of the plant world’s strongest anti-infection agents. Safe and effective ways to treat all sorts of infections, including urinary tract, vaginal, candida, flu, and respiratory. Do essential oils like oregano and tea tree live up to the hype? Intermed/Adv

3. Reproductive Health and Gut Flora: Beyond Yeast Infections w/Camille Freeman. We will explore the roles of healthy gut flora in reproductive health, including recent research on how healthy gut bacteria are related to fertility and miscarriage prevention. We’ll also review practical dietary and herbal approaches to encourage healthy bacteria growth and promote fertility. Intermed/Adv.

4. BioRegional Herbalism w/Peeka Trenkle. A truly visionary public health policy would include the model of bioregionalism - the idea that the regions we live in can and do provide for our needs if we live in right relationship with the earth. Bioregional herbalism is a good place to start to implement this vision. This workshop will explore this issue - looking at practical ways to live, eat, and thrive - and make medicine - within our own regions.

5. The Importance of Sleep w/Donna Bryant Winston. Sleep problems affect virtually every aspect of day-to-day living, including mood, mental alertness, work performance, and energy level. In this class we will describe the complex nature of sleep, the factors that can disturb sleep, and, most importantly, what one can do to get the sleep they need for optimal health, using herbs and natural therapies.

6. Tranquil Heart and Mind through Ayurveda w/Anne McIntyre (UK). Using the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda we can discover much about our mental constitutions and gain more understanding of our inner selves. We will discover how balancing our Doshas in a very practical way through herbs, foods and lifestyle can help us to find inner calm and happiness and free us from suffering the pain of low self esteem, phobias, anxiety and depression.

7. Flower Essence Energetics for Herbalists w/Claudia Keel. The actions of flower essences can dramatically expand our understanding of the healing plants offer. Yet often flower essences are presented as just a list of emotional indications with no clear way to use them wisely for healing of the body and psyche. With an energetic system to help us understand patterns, we not only can have a system to effectively formulate essences, but also expand our understanding of illness and herb formulation the profound healing the plant world has to offer. Intermed/Adv.

8. Explore your Scentuality; Making Natural Incense w/Joann Darling. In this hands on workshop, participants will learn the basics to blending natural, locally available ingredients for creating incense. We will create cone and loose incense blends. Includes samples and handouts. $5 material fee.

HW. 9. Beyond Dandelion and Plantain: A plant walk of the unusual plants of New England w/Bevin Clare. Explore the forest, shores, and fields at Sargent Camp looking for less common medicinal plants and learn about their uses and identification strategies. We can look around for gold thread, skullcap, Indian pipe, partridge berry, bugleweed and many more treasures of New England. Intermed/Adv.

 

4 - 4:30 TEA BREAK

4:30 - 6 LATE AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

Please note: those workshops marked w/** will end at 6:30

**1. Women and Shamanism w/Rocio Alarcon (Ecuador). Women are the center of shamanism in the tropical rain forest. In this workshop, Rocio will share about the plants that are important during shamanistic ceremonies, different songs, and Gods and Goddesses of the plants and forest. (

** 2. Kitchen Cosmetics & Herbal Skin Care w/Dina Falconi. A feast for the body! In this ‘hands on’ workshop we will make face creams, lip balms, aromatherapy oils and more. Become familiar with herbs and other healthful ingredients used in creating excellent non-toxic personalized skincare care products.

** 3. Cholesterol; Getting to the Heart of the Matter w/Kathleen Maier. Many people today are faced with challenging questions about their cardiovascular health. The medicalization of our hearts is taking away our confidence in our ability to sustain our own health. This class looks at the myths of hypertension, high cholesterol and statin drugs. We will talk about cholesterol as our primary anti-oxidant for dealing with stress and look at the deep reaches stress plays in our world today.

** 4. Reading and Interpreting the Pulse w/Kate Gilday. The Art of Pulse Reading is an ancient method of diagnosis very helpful in understanding more about a person. The pulse holds the person's life story and essence, and can even direct you to the appropriate remedies. In this workshop you will learn the basics of reading the 12 pulses and practice interpreting one another's pulses as you become more comfortable in "listening" to the language of the pulse. Intermed/Adv.

** 5. Backyard Medicine w/Gale LaScala. How to use that Free Medicine growing in your yard. In this informative, fun and hands on workshop Gale will discuss the plants found commonly throughout New England and then she’ll demonstrate how to make herbal oils, salves, syrups, tinctures, and teas made from these plants. Handouts included. Excellent class for beginners.

6. Nourishing the New Mom; Holistic Care for the Postpartum Women w/Mary Niles M.S. Postpartum is a time of enormous physical, emotional, and spiritual upheaval. Join us as we discuss the passage from birthing into motherhood. We’ll address healing birth trauma, breast feeding, healing from caesarian, hormonal balancing, postpartum depression and other issues that surface at this powerful time in a woman’s life.

7. The Secrets of Using Chinese Herbs to Enhance Fertility w/Amelia Hirota. When prescribed correctly, Chinese herbal medicine effectively treats a range of infertility issues. Learn how to use common Chinese herbal formulas to enhance fertility and correct underlying imbalances. Will include dosages and various herbal options.

8. Spirit Drum Circle w/Mz. imani. Mz. imani instigates ways to explore speaking with drum, through the action of doing. Spirit Drum Circle relies on the premise that rhythm is an ancient language of the soul that we all have access to. It is an expression of “art in action” exploring our personal and collective voices through group drumming and singing. Please plan to attend this class if you would like to join the chorus of drummers that play for the community during the conference. Bring drums, rattles and a willingness to make a joyful noise!

HW 9. Making an Herbarium and Wild Plant Walk w/Julie Mitchell. This wild plant walk includes a special emphasis on ways to collect plant specimens, record information and the use of herbariums in plant study.

6 – 7:30 DINNER

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

7 – 8:30 MORNING ACTIVITIES

1. Morning Yoga: Savoring Summer’s Abundance w/Lydia Russell-McDade. Savor the ripeness of this harvest time through a delicious morning yoga flow with certified Anusara-Inspired Yoga teacher and herbalist, Lydia Russell-McDade. A gentle, yet uplifting series of yoga postures. All levels welcome; but not appropriate for those with serious injuries or limitations. Please bring a yoga mat or blanket, as well as any other props you might have.

HW 2. Tree Medicine and Essence: an Introduction to the trees of the northeast w/Kate Gilday. On this walk Kate will share her experience with the trees that grow here in New England. Come learn how to carefully gather and use the gifts of these tall ones, to use in your healing practice, or in your kitchen, enhancing your relationship to the wild along the way!

HW. 3. Goin’ a Gatherin’, an herb walk w/Tina Marie Wilcox. Accompany Tina Marie Wilcox on a nature hike to forage for wild edible plants. This is an instructive class which will help you identify edible wild weeds and their medicinal characteristics. Bring your scissors or knives since we will gather wild edibles and then prep them for a Cooking with Edible Wild Weeds class to follow. Beginner

7:30 - 9 BREAKFAST

 

9- 10:30 MORNING WORKSHOPS

1. Cooking with Wild Edible Weeds & Seasonal Greens w/Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox. Join Susan and Tina Marie for a fun tasting and cooking class based on weeds we’ve foraged from the wilds of NH and seasonal greens. We will discuss the nutritional and health benefits of our green bounty while preparing a Cucumber Yogurt Soup, Salsa Verde, and a Wild Weed Garden Salad w/Dill Vinaigrette. begin/intermed

2. Natural Pain Management w/Kathi Keville. Herbs and aromatherapy are useful to alleviate all types of aches and pain, both chronic and acute, from arthritis and PMS headaches to menstrual cramps and tight muscles. We’ll cover natural anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, nerve remedies, and tonics, and getting to the source of the problem. Intermed/Adv

3. Now That You’ve Made Your Herbal Product, What are the Rules about Labeling it for Sale? w/Maureen Burns-Hooker. In this class, we’ll review the Federal Labeling Laws, GMP’s that just went into effect, and discuss wording, nutrition fact issues, and other requirements. A must attend class for those interested in selling herbal products.

4. Infant and Child Care Nature’s Way w/Mary Niles M.S. In this workshop Mary will discuss safe and effective recipes and remedies for infants and children. Class will include a children’s materia medica of safe ‘child proof’ herbs, dosages, and best preparations for infants/children. We’ll also discuss common childhood ailments and appropriate herbal treatments.

5. The Teaching Circle: A Round Table for Women who Teach Herbal/Holistic Medicine w/Camille Freeman. Many teaching methods are hierarchical, with the instructor unilaterally bestowing information upon his/her students. We will explore other ways to teach, effectively, methods that honor and acknowledge the life experience, innate wisdom and varied learning styles of our students. Participants are invited to share experiences, teaching methods, experiential ways of learning, and to ask and answer questions of sister teachers. Advanced

6. Tools of Assessment: Reading the Body w/Margi Flint. Learn to read the indications of lines, colors and markings of the face, tongue, and nails and their organ/body correspondences. What is the significance of tissue color, depth of line, what are signs of hot, cold, damp and dry conditions, and of course, elimination analysis? Are crows' feet bad? Intermed/Adv.

7. Sacred Teachings of the Plants, a Plant Spirit Journey w/Amy Goodman Kiefer. This is an experiential workshop, an adventure into a state of open communication with the green world. The plants are trustworthy guides; they have much to share with us, and can lead us home to the deepest parts of ourselves. Come spend time outside and drink from this deep well of connection that is our birth rite. The nourishment is there for us all in the most simple of ways.

8. Make Delicious Homemade Cordials and Elixirs w/Gale LaScala. Using Fruits, herbs and spices, we’ll make a variety of cordials both for pleasure and ‘medicine’. These are delicious and make lovely gifts. Learn to make them this year and enter yours in the WHC Cordial Contest next year! Recipes, samples, and handouts included.

9. Pravada Shamanic Sound Healing; Speaking With The Earth and Spirits Through Sound w/Nina Umai Spiro. Pravada Shamanic Sound Healing helps you to become more present in each moment through your own vocal sound , and creates a natural altered state of awareness that enhances all levels of communication. Once you arrive in the present moment, it is easy to receive sound healing and teachings from the spirits in nature, as they are patiently awaiting connection with us, and delight in re-awakening our natural state of oneness.

HW 10. Benevolent Weeds; A Wild Food & Medicine Walk w/Dina Falconi. Learn to identify plants using basic sensory skills and discover how they are used for food, medicine & Pleasure. All welcome, but especially suited for beginners.

10:30 - 11 TEA BREAK

11- 12:30 LATE MORNING WORKSHOPS

Please note: workshops marked with ** will finish at 1

**1. Recipes to Heal w/Crystal June Maderia. Learn and explore recipes created to compliment and strengthen during a health transition. Whether you are nurturing a new mother or caring for arthritis, newly diagnosed with food allergies, or entering a long-term cleanse, these wheat, gluten, dairy, corn, citrus, soy and nightshade free recipes are inspiring and flavorful. We will use wild local plants and herbs and there will be recipes to take home. Crystal is owner/chef of one the most popular restaurants in Montpelier, VT.

** 2. A Women’s Materia Medica w/Bevin Clare. Let’s visit some of the most useful herbs in women’s health. Through a thorough discussion of each herb we will learn to understand these incredible plant medicines in terms of their traditional use, modern clinical use, research and evidence, medicine making and their “specific indications” in a woman’s body. Intermed/Adv.

** 3. Energetics 101 w/Betzy Bancroft. Traditional medical systems are based on the qualities of heat, cold, dampness and dryness inherent in Nature. Learning to recognize these qualities in herbs and in people’s constitutions and symptoms gives us a simple, yet powerful understanding of how we can help balance both chronic and acute health problems. Energetics gives herbalists a foundational theory that we can use to be much more accurate in our choice of herbs.

** 4. Building a New Body w/Nicki Scully. Join Nicki for an experience of regeneration and renewal. During this taste of the shamanic mysteries of Egypt, you will step onto the potters’ wheel at the temple of Khnum, the ram’s headed god who is said to create the bodies of all of Earth’s creatures. This rite of passage heals and renews the body, and invests it with Ka, the life force energy and intelligence that permeate the field of consciousness that surrounds and infuses our physical reality.

**5. Pine Needle Basketry w/Kate Gilday. People have been weaving containers and stories for time beyond time. Today we will begin to craft a basket of fragrant pine needles that you can work on throughout the event and teach others how to make. Each spiral basket is unique, especially as you weave in your dreams and prayers creating a treasure from the pines. $6 material fee. 6. Herbs and Natural Therapies for Dental Care w/Sandra Lory. Find out how oral health relates to the health of your entire body. Learn supportive treatments and recipes for dental health maintenance, common oral health issues and empowering tips for dental visits. Sandra will also share recipes for oral health care including toothpaste and mouth wash. 7. Food, Flower Essences and Herbs for Digestive Ailments w/Claudia Keel. Food allergies and sensitivities, IBS, Crohn’s disease, gastric reflux are common ailments today and can be challenging to heal deeply. In this workshop we will consider a faceted approach with herbs, food and flower essences as integral to healing digestive ailments. Intermed/Adv.

8. Honing Your Intuitive Skills with Plants & People w/Kay Parent. A subtle, experiential opportunity to explore the unique skills that each of us have in understanding plants and people. Come prepared to use all your body and energetics senses. Cultivation of this innate skill helps us know what the next step is for ourselves, our families, and is a powerful tool when working with our clients.

HW 9. Earth Centered Herbalism; a Medicinal Plant Walk w/Micki Visten. Some of our most common “weeds” are our best medicine, not only helping to heal us but the earth itself. On this walk, as we’re learning plants we’ll also discuss Earth Centered Herbalism ~ using plants to heal the earth. Learn who these dynamic healers are in our gardens and wildlands and how they can be used to help rebuild soil and restore comprised ecosystems.

“Remember, the active ingredient in plants is friendship” ~ Kathleen Maier

12:30 - 2 LUNCH

 

1:45 – 3:15 AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

1. Our Bodies as Sacrament w/Kathleen Maier. Today they are called entheogens (the God within). In the sixties they were called hallucinogens. A thousand years ago, they were known as sacraments. This class will explore the nature of shamanic plants such as psylocibin and ayahuasca and see what Gaian intelligence lies within their medicine. We will then see how women’s cycles, hormones and journeys are similar terrain in aiding in ego dissolution and moving toward ecstatic states of being.

2. Trauma and the Body w/Peeka Trenkle. Trauma’s impact on the body can be a lifelong legacy. This workshop will show how trauma affects the nervous system, the endocrine system and the body in general and explore the physiology of anxiety, low energy, eating disorders, insomnia and addiction. We will cover various ways of regaining health, vitality and resilience through the use of herbs, foods, and homeopathic treatment.

3. Charting Your Way to an Empowered Pregnancy w/Amelia Hirota. Charting your cycles is a powerful way to allow your body to communicate clearly with you. Charting is so much more than just tracking your morning body temperature. Learn how to evaluate your choreography of ovulation and how to diagnose PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid disorders and more from your chart.

4. Making Delicious Herbal Vinegars for Home Use and Unique Gifts w/Joann Darling. Cider vinegar and fresh herbs are a supreme nutritional supplement. Vinegars have an amazing ability to dissolve nutrients, in particular vitamins, minerals and trace minerals. In this workshop we will explore how to harness this ability to extract vitamins and minerals from herbs and wild foods to make delicious and nutritious vinegars.

5. Blessing Way Ceremony for Mothers to Be w/Gale LaScala. This will be both a Blessing Way ceremony for Pregnant Mothers as well as a demonstration on how to create a blessing way. Will include pampering, stories, songs, poetry and ritual. Come participate and learn how to create this ancient/modern ceremony, the forerunner of the ‘shower’.

6. Flower Essences, Support thru the Great Turning w/Fearn Lickfield This time of the Great Turning is full of great challenges and amazing opportunities on all levels. Our planet is showing many signs and symptoms of dis-ease and imbalance and our political leaders refuse to take the actions required to ensure a sustainable future. What can we do ? Gaia needs us now and the flowers can show the way. Come learn and experience the healing power of flower essences

7. Weeds in the Kitchen w/Monica Giacomin. One of the best ways to incorporate the nourishment and vitality of herbs into our daily lives is to add them to our meals. I’ll share my recipes for astragalus porridge, nettle-kopita and nettle soup. We’ll learn how to make, and enjoy a taste of, nettle flat-bread with hawthorn jelly and herbal honey, burdock/ginger/garlic pickles and other delicious recipes.

8. Helping the Heart of Humanity Heal w/Mz imani. By taking the time to explore our authentic natures and co-create internal and external environments where we express sacred art, we engage in a Passion Play. A play that transforms our inner (and outer) critic. This workshop will focus on the influences an individual can make on the collective, through play, dance, chanting, & drumming. We will draw circles in the dirt and build our intention to define each moment as sacred. This workshop will run into ‘Free Thyme’ as we will set the space for the Fire Circle. Bring drums, rattles, sacred objects for the altar, a bag of cornmeal, and 1-3 seven day candles

HW 9. Weeds of Wonder & Delight; a wild plant walk w/Rosemary Gladstar. Join Rosemary for a stroll through meadow and forest, learning common wild edible and medicinal plants and enjoying the energy infusing through all. Bring songs and offerings…we’ll leave them for the wild ones.

 

3:30 - 6 SATURDAY AFTERNOON FREE THYME & GREAT ACTIVITIES

Visit the Exhibit Tent; you’ll find a wide variety of herbal items, woman made crafts and books, many written by the speakers.

• Free Herbal Facials & Skin Care at The Relaxation Oasis. Don’t let the weekend go by without a good pampering. Bring a friend! Stop by and receive a free facial, hand and feet rub, and pure relaxing bliss at the Relaxation Oasis. Bring a towel and/or headband.
• The Great Barter & Trade Faire: If you've brought any goodies to barter, sell, and trade, this is the time to set up. Set up under and around Meadow Tree by Exhibit Hall to make a large circle. Items will only be able to be displayed during Saturday Afternoon from 3 - 6. Bring your herbal wares, hand made clothing and crafts and/or your favorite old clothes, jewelry and books to barter, trade or sell. If weather is really hot and/or raining, can set up in back of Tent A and under Shade Tree.
• Canoeing; this is a great time to enjoy the peace of the lake. Be sure to wear life jackets.
• Add Your Photo and Phrase to Our Commemorative Collage! It’s located in the Herbal Emporium. Pens, paints, glitter, glue, etc are there for you to add your touch of creativity. This is a must ~ you mustn’t leave the WHC without adding your memory….!

3:30 – 5 HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATIONS

These are all hands-on demonstrations and provide the opportunity to play and learn in a small group with gifted herbal teachers. Please show up on time so teachers don't have to keep repeating instructions ~ Thank You!

• The Henna Queens are Back in Town, ready to transform you hair (maybe your life!) Join Penny Clare for an afternoon of colorful fun. If you’ve ever wanted to henna your hair this is your opportunity. We have all shades of henna from neutral to strawberry blond to blazing red and our `henna queens’ will guide you in the best color selection for your hair. Wear an old T-Shirt and bring an old towel (one that you don’t mind retiring afterwards). $5 material fee. Please note: if you wish to do your hair, you must be at the demonstration when it begins at 3:30. Latecomers cannot be accommodated.
• Ceremonial Mask Making w/Sarah Avalon. Honoring the Goddess and the Green Nations, we will make plaster of Paris masks that are molded in the exact replica of your own face. Truly beautiful sculptures and ceremonial objects to treasure. The masks are made with a partner. Wear an old T-shirt; bring a scarf to cover hair and towel. $5 material fee
• you may have. Intermed/Adv. (Where??) Equipment needed: A warm indoor space.
• Who will Hear my Story? w/Kay Parent. In this discussion group, we’ll follow unusual stories of ordinary clients from 14 yrs of practice. Explore the thread of their story through body readings, time-lines, false starts, formulations and my humbling at surprises. Explore what it is go with gut feelings and grope in the dark for answers, always with humor. Advanced/ especially for Herbalists in Practice (No taping, please)

· Create and Surprise Yourself: Needle Felting w/Amy Goodman Kiefer. Let your creative self out to play! Needle felting is so fun. Wool has life, texture, color, It is sculptural. The possibilities are limitless, while the techniques are simple. Learn thru creating simple projects such as a lavender sachet, a sacred pouch, or a small wall-hanging. Everyone can do it! Amy Goodman Kiefer has been a fiber artist for 25+ years. $5 fee for supplies. Please note; this class may go longer.

 

5:15 – 6:45 MORE WORKSHOPS & HANDS ON DEMONSTRATIONS

• The Herbal Nurses Forum: Building a Professional Practice with Nurse-Herbalists Bonnie Kavanagh & Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower. The focus of this open forum will be to update on professional practice issues and continue dialogue for nurses who wish to include herbs and herbalism in their practice.
• rEvolutionary Art of Hoop Dance; freedom through movement w/Lizzie Brood. Hooping is an expressive art, a healing and spiritual practice and a tool for consciousness. Movement gets us flowing! As hooping evokes flow n our lives, we become flow*ers ~ Hoop Flowers. Come have fun! Move! Shake! Find freedom of expression in the Hoop Dance. Hoops will be provided.
• Plant Spirit Yoga Journey to the Heart of the Rose w/Lydia Russell-McDade. Together we will flow through a graceful and strengthening series of yoga poses, designed to reveal the heart-opening nature of the Rose and to bring alive its healing essence within our own bodies. This will be a moderately challenging yoga practice and is not recommended for beginners or those with serious injuries or limitations. Please bring a yoga mat, if you have one, a blanket, and any other props.
• The Art of Mehandi ~ Temporary Henna Body Art w/Melissa Morrison. Middle Eastern Countries and India, henna is used to create intricate designs on the skin for celebrations and rituals. Learn a short history of henna’s use and how to apply henna designs on the skin that will are temporary and healing. Henna Body Art kits will be available for purchase so you can play with henna at home too
• Join Jill Frink Thompson as she creates highly medicinal herbal oils in a variety of fashions. From maceration to alcohol extraction, in this hands on demonstrations, students will assist in making an herbal infused oil and from that create a healing salve to take home!

6 – 7:30 DINNER

Please note: we'll need the large tent cleared of all diners by 7 to be ready for the Evening’s Activities. If you’re eating after 7 please dine in the dining hall or picnic tables ~ thanks for your help!

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

7 – 8:30 MORNING ACTIVITIES

1. BEE Nourished! Anusara-Inspired Yoga w/Lydia Russell-McDade. Celebrate community and the sweetness of life through a nourishing morning yoga flow. We will explore the alchemy of our honeyed hearts and the nectar of transformation through a series of gentle, yet strengthening postures. This is a mixed-level yoga class open to beginners, but is not appropriate for those with serious injuries or limitations. Please bring a yoga mat/blanket, as well as any other props you might have.

2. Common Weeds of the Northeast, plant ID walk with Sandra Lory. A beginner's primer on the common wild herbs found around us here at Sargeant Camp. Walk will emphasize safe uses, and proper identification using all the senses, not just sight.

3. Eco-Logical Herbalism, a Wild Plant Walk w/Micki Visten. Some of our most common “weeds” are our best medicine, not only helping to heal us but the earth itself. On this walk, as we’re learning plants we’ll also discuss Earth Centered Herbalism ~ using plants to heal the earth. Learn who these dynamic healers are in our gardens and wildlands and how they can be used to help rebuild soil and restore comprised ecosystems.

7:30 - 9 BREAKFAST

9 - 10:30 MORNING WORKSHOPS

1. Clinical Approaches to Women’s Wellness Care w/Bevin Clare. A clinical practice for women’s health should be based on wellness care and not just the treatment of disease. In this class we will examine a model of clinical care based on principles of assessment followed by the creation of goals and strategies. Through the application of this model any women in any health situation can be provided individualized herbal medicine care. Intermed/Adv.

2.).Synergy of Herbal Blending; Making your Own Fabulous Tea Blends w/Maureen Burns-Hooker. What specific herbs blend together to create supportive, synergistic teas? This class will cover energetics, chemical compounds and attributes of herbs, teas and spices. Participants will have the opportunity to do hands on blending and will take home their own creation.

3. Ayurvedic Herbs for Cancer w/Anne McIntyre. The world of Ayurvedic herbs offers a wealth of support in cleansing toxins, enhancing immunity, supporting specific tissues involved and rebuilding health and “ojas”. This class will focus on rejuvenating techniques for people with cancer

4. Running a Practice w/Peeka Trenkle. Peeka brings her 30 years of experience as a practitioner (in various capacities) to this workshop - exploring many of the psycho-spiritual and pragmatic issues that arise in running a long-term, committed, non-medical, alternative healing practice. Intermed/Adv.

5. Using Herbs to Do Spiritual Healing and Massage w/Rocio Alarcon. This is a special type of massage using plants to cleanse and purify the body. This treatment will help to reinforce our energy and lower the stress of normal life. The class will include guidelines on how to prepare the plants, which plants to choose, and the technique of the massage. Bring your favorite cologne, and/or essential oil and some fresh or dried herbs (Melissa, Feverfew, Lavender, Marigold, etc

6. Pravada Sound Flower Essences ~Shamanic Sound Bridging With Flowers, Plants and All Other Living Beings in Nature w/Nina Umai Spiro. When you sound bridge (tm) with a flower, a plant, or any other living being, their healing essence lives within you forever from that moment on. You have welcomed their vibrational signature sound into your cellular structure and re-awakened their holographic memory that already lives within, which allows you to receive their energetic healing treatment and teachings through vibrational pitch.

7. Celebrating Your Power with the Goddess Sekhmet w/Nicki Scully. The lioness goddess of Egypt represents the feminine face of the sun. Her name means Power, or Mighty One. Her fiery energy and fierce compassion become accessible through connecting with her in this workshop as you own your abilities, overcome fear, meet your needs, and claim your personal power and identity.

8. Ancient Food, Ancient Wisdom: ‘old time’ foods to treat modern ailments w/Claudia Keel. We will look at research of a number of healthy isolated tribes with ancient food traditions. While the diets are diverse, there are common qualities that are almost completely absent from modern diets. We will consider these ancient dietary practices to restore immune, digestive, metabolic and musculo-skeletal health along with specific indications for a number of ailments.

HW 9. Seeds as Medicines w/Julie Mitchell. The seed is the whole potential of the plant contracted to a single point. The essential inner life impulses are concentrated in the seed- it is the beginning of the plant and the manifestation of the fruit. We will talk about seeds as medicine of restoration for many health challenges followed by an herb walk to identify plants and seeds.

 

10:30 - 11 TEA BREAK ~

11 - 12:30 WORKSHOPS

1. The Nervous System Connected to the Digestive System w/Betzy Bancroft. Our digestive systems have a mind of their own! Learn a little about the physiology of the enteric nervous system and a lot about how bitter, demulcent and carminative herbs affect it. We’ll then relate this understanding to effective herbal approaches to digestive complaints like gas, irritable bowel and more. Intermed/Adv.

2. The Glycemic Index (GI) of Foods for Treatment and Prevention of Chronic Conditions w/ Sylvia Gaboriault. The glycemic index is a way of rating foods by their impact on blood sugar levels. It is useful in the dietary management of blood sugar & satiety when treating many conditions such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, binge eating disorders, obesity & cancer. Join Sylvia as she explains the pros and cons of the GI and practical ways to optimize its value in clinical practice. Intermed/Adv.

3. Connecting with Mother Nature w/Grandmother Dona Enriqueta. Our fast and furious world has succeeded in disconnecting us from our natural roots. Dona Enriqueta focuses on resurrecting our connection with nature, plants, trees and all that surrounds us by looking at their souls and t heir capabilities to help us heal our souls. This workshop includes a meditation that includes the participation of nature in an unforgettable ritual experience.

4. The Menstrual Cycle: a 21^st century understanding w/Camille Freeman. In this class, we will review the basic physiology of the menstrual cycle, and then explore factors that influence menstrual physiology in today’s world, including environmental impacts, exercise, stress and nutrition. Intermed/Adv. (

5. Finding your Inner Herbal; Creative Expression from Journaling to Reference w/Susan Belsinger. Susan has been creatively writing for 30 years. In this workshop she will discuss many different venues of creative expression from keeping a journal, a gardeners notebook, pressing botanical specimens, how to put together your own materia medica, and assemble a recipe book. Each participant should bring a blank notebook. Art supplies supplied. This class requires no artistic talent (though you all have it), just a desire to unleash your own creativity.

6. Anxiety Attacks and Disorders w/Donna Bryant Winston. It's normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming, interferes with relationships and activities, then it must be addressed. Join us as we examine the signs and symptoms of several anxiety disorders and explore self help herbal and complimentary treatment options

7. Cooking with Sea Vegetables w/Crystal June Maderia. Learn how delicious and nutritious sea vegetables are. They are some of the most nourishing plants on the planet! In this workshop, you’ll learn how to incorporate a variety of sea vegetables into your daily meal plan. Recipes are all dairy free, gluten free, soy, yeast, nightshade and citrus free so can be adapted to any diet. Recipes and samples shared. Crystal is a chef at the popular Kismet restaurant in Montpelier

8. Ogham, a New England Tree Oracle and Healing System w/Fearn Lickfield. Druids love the trees. We know them as close kin, rooted elders, doorways into the otherworld, those who hold great wisdom and healing powers. This ancient tradition has great potential for healing and transformation when applied to our local landscape. Come with us into the forest, find your tree, listen deep, take its essence, and add your insight to a growing body of tree lore!

HW 9. The Wonder of Weeds, a Walk on the Wild Side w/Monica Giacomin. Do you ever stop to admire the beauty, tenacity and potency of the wild plants growing on your lawn or neighborhood green spaces? In this walk we’ll learn how to identify, harvest and prepare a variety of wild and cultivated plants in order to nourish ourselves and enhance our health. We’ll also appreciate how “weeds” promote earth-friendly gardening practices in these environmentally challenging times

12:30 - 1:30 LUNCH

1:30 - 3 CLOSING CEREMONIES & CELEBRATIONS

Join us as we celebrate the ever-spiraling energy of the sacred circle. We will weave much of what we've done over the week-end into the magic of our closing ceremony including offering the prayers contained in the Goddess to the Goddess of the Lake; dancing to the beat of the sacred drum; honoring our Goddess masks and Medicine Shields, our brightly painted hennaed hair; honoring the children, the young women, and the magnificent spirit of each and every

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