ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism

Pulse diagnosis is another diagnostic tool utilized by our students to reveal patterns like stagnation, excess, and deficiency correlating to the organ systems. Since we haven’t found a way to virtually take the pulse yet, we’ll hold off on that portion of the consult for now. Our student-led, faculty-supervised clinic is here once again with spaces filling up fast! Whether you’re interested in gearing up for Spring or addressing long-standing health concerns, our clinic of...fers dietary, lifestyle, and herbal recommendations for all. These consultations are confidential, free, and hosted virtually! Click the 'Student Herb Clinic' link in our bio to learn more. Availability is limited, please book by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Student Clinic and include: - Name and Phone number - A brief (one paragraph) description of your health goals and condition(s) Please note, you must select a date and time slot from those listed to include in the initial email. We look forward to helping to guide you towards your health goals!

Join us next Tuesday, March 23rd from 6:30-8pm EST for our last virtual open house before the April 1st application deadline! Learn more about our three year professional program and to envision your future as an herbal practitioner! ArborVitae’s directors Claudia Keel and Richard Mandelbaum will discuss our curriculum and answer any questions you may have. This is a great opportunity if you are considering applying, or have already applied to our professional program that be...gins in September. Prior to the webinar, an email will be sent to all registrants with the link for the webinar. Register via link in bio. Your future herbalist self will thank you!

Grab your loupes and field guides, Spring is upon us and that means more botany fun! We are eager to put our plant identification skills to the test just as everything blooms anew. Our favorite way to ID is through utilizing all of the senses, or organoleptically (if you’re fancy). We get to know the plants by taking in their immediate surroundings and distinct features. Perhaps your new plant friend has a fragrant (or foul) aroma, or is fuzzy to the touch. When considered ...safe, perhaps a small nibble will provide further insight on the plant’s flavor and subsequent actions on the body. Lastly, sound can be transmitted when sitting with the plant, as the vibrational energy can be detected by our ear drums, transferring sound waves and other subtle signals. This is a way of familiarizing ourselves with plant ancestors in their natural habitat. We use nonverbal communication to call forth that which cannot be written or spoken. Botany field trips are now socially distanced and masked up for our students. Where’s your go-to spot for meeting new plants local park, cultivated garden, or forestland?

The Divine Feminine is a spiritual concept rooted in ancient wisdom. The idea pertains to energy associated with nurturing, intuition, and empathy. In seeking to balance feminine and masculine energies, we maintain equilibrium. In addition to other modalities (Ayurveda, Tissue States, and Western Herbalism), a portion of our program explores concepts based in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here we find Yin and Yang, the two fundamental polar forces that organize the universe ...and draw directly on the notion of the Divine Feminine and its long held patriarchal counterpart. In a recent class with our faculty teacher and practitioner of over 30 years, Kat Maier,(@sacredplanttraditions ) we discussed the energies of Yin and Yang in relation to The Energetics of Moontime. While Yin is typically associated with darkness, water, cold, rest, and female, Yang manifests as light, fire, warmth, activity, and male. However, all things containing yin also contain yang energy and one could not exist without the other. In celebrating Women’s History Month, we recognize the Divine Feminine in all beings and honor all women, their many accomplishments and the work still needed to pursue equilibrium within and without.

For many of us, the snow is melting and the buds are eager to bloom! In a recent intro Ayurveda class, @annemcintyre64 described how the 3 doshas are affected by the seasons and can be aggravated as a result. Late Winter/early Spring is a time where Vata is calm, Pitta accumulates, and Kapha is aggravated. Perhaps this means that it’s a time for Vatas to follow a protocol with sesame oil massage and breathing exercises to ease anxiety and restlessness. Pittas may want to intr...oduce meditation and sweet, bitter, and astringent foods and herbs to release suppressed emotions and clear toxic heat. During this time of year, our Kapha folks tend towards increasing exercise and steam inhalation to promote movement and reduce stagnation. As always, herbal protocols are not one size fits all and the doshas have been used for centuries as guides based on the elements responsible for all bodily functions. Do you know your dosha, and what changes do you introduce for transitioning between seasons? @ayurveda_with_anne_mcintyre is a Fellow of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and a Member of the Ayurvedic Practitioners’ Association. She’s practiced herbalism for over 35 years, integrating Ayurvedic teaching into her work based in Gloucestershire and London. As a faculty teacher at ArborVitae, our students gain invaluable wisdom from her integrated approach. She’s authored several books (a few of which are probably in your home library), and more recently has made her renowned reference book, Dispensing with Tradition available as an e-book. As herbalists, this means avoiding ripped and stained pages from medicine-making and taking your resource book on the go!