CommonWealth Center for Herbal Medicine

Herbs and Movement for Plantar Fasciitis

CWH — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:23:57 +0000

Turmeric’s reputation as a systemic anti-inflammatory is well-deserved.

Plantar fasciitis is a common and often intractable problem that can make your every step an agony. Conventional approaches to resolution are well known to be limited, and in some cases can result in further degeneration of the tissues.

It is well established, though, that plantar fasciitis can be exacerbated and even caused by postural patterns. Furthermore, the inflammatory response is normally self-limiting, and persistent inflammation often indicates some deeper imbalance in the endocrine or immune systems. Taking these things into account, we are guided to rational interventions to help bring the body back into balance, and stop the cycle.

Co-taught by an herbalist and a body-worker, this class teaches methods from both worlds for resolving this persistent and painful problem. We’ll discuss anti-inflammatory herbs to be used both topically and internally, stretches to help open the areas that need to be opened, and functional exercises to strengthen what needs to pick up the slack.

Thursday, July 11th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

7 Herbs: An In-Depth Study

CWH — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:14:19 +0000

A favorite conversation among herbalists is a variant on the old desert-island game:

If you were stranded and could only have a few herbs with you, what would they be?

It’s a thought experiment that pushes us to deepen our relationships with the plants we depend on.

Sage’s many uses have earned it deep renown wherever it grows.

In studying herbalism, it’s common to focus on learning as many herbs as possible, and often only one use for each plant. You’ve got Ground Ivy for earache, Solomon’s Seal for sprained ankles, Feverfew for migraines – every herb in its box. But what if you really knew, and deeply trusted, just a handful of plants and could apply them to their full potential?

Don’t let your herbs be pigeon-holed! Every herb has a broad array of actions and uses in medicine, food, and magic.  In this class, we’ll cover seven of our most versatile and useful allies, plants we couldn’t live without.

We’ll study them, taste them, discuss and demonstrate the varieties of medicine we can make with them. We’ll look at science, we’ll tell stories, we’ll delve into myth and meditation and dreams – with every possible sense, we’ll begin to truly appreciate these seven herbs. And in the process, we’ll outline a method for coming to know any plant you’re drawn to – how to call on information from all points of the compass, and integrate it into a larger whole.

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Making Herbal Medicines: The Power of Powders

CWH — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:41:26 +0000

When extracting herbs into alcohol or infusing them in water, we can only pull a fraction of the plant’s constituents in either solvent. For many plants this suits our purposes fine, but some have both water- and alcohol-soluble constituents, and we’d like to keep both in our finished medicines.

Powdering herbs by hand is optimal meditation time.

Powdering is one of the best ways to preserve all the medicinal qualities of our plants, while also getting them into an easily-absorbed form. Taking a teaspoonful of dry powder, though, isn’t a very appealing prospect!

Come learn to make and use your own herbal powders – and how to blend them with nut butters, honey, and ghee to make tasty and healing edibles. Go beyond your standard Zoom Balls to nourishing, soothing, and vitalizing remedies. Put the power of powders to work for you!

No prior experience necessary. This class will be hands-on, simple and fun! We’ll have plenty of tastings and stories to share.

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Muscle, Bone, & Movement

CWH — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:23:32 +0000

Solomon’s seal helps to restore connective tissue health.

From the simple things like sports injuries and muscle soreness, to chronic back pain, arthritis, and osteoporosis, musculoskeletal conditions take many forms – and are increasingly common. We know that to keep the muscles healthy, they must move – but what if you’re in too much pain to move? What if you’re not sure how to start?

This class combines herbal medicine with primal movement principles. We’ll discuss herbs to reduce pain and inflammation, encourage healing, and improve endurance and performance. We’ll also cover practical strategies for building and sustaining a movement-rich lifestyle – something very different from an “exercise routine” or “workout habit”. Together, these two approaches can help you get back to play and put you on your way to a stronger, more flexible, pain-free body!

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Please register for class by emailing us at info@commonwealthherbs.com, or calling 617-750-5274.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!

Herbs for Pets

CWH — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:04:29 +0000

Cat[nip] medicine!

Wild animals are natural herbalists. From bears to panthers to deer, they have been observed selectively foraging for medicinal plants when ill or injured, able to recognize the appropriate medicines by instinct. Domestic animals, too, retain this affinity for herbal medicine, and respond well to the use of herbs for their own ailments.

Come learn safe, simple, and effective herbal and nutritional therapies for your dogs, cats, or other companion animals. We’ll discuss the use of herbs for behavioral problems, infestations (fleas, ticks, worms, etc), minor injuries, and common illnesses. Methods of preparation and administration will also be covered.

Join us for this class, and learn to give your furry friends a little love and care in a language their bodies innately understand!

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Please register for class by emailing us at info@commonwealthherbs.com, or calling 617-750-5274.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!

CWH at Herbstalk 2013!

CWH — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:39:22 +0000

We’re delighted to be teaching at Herbstalk again this year!

Working with Chronic Illness
with Katja Swift & Ryn Midura
Saturday June 8th, 4:00pm – 6:30pm

For a cold or the flu, you can probably send your client off with your favorite remedies and your job is done. But when you have a client with a chronic illness, your work is more complicated. The constitution of the client becomes a more important part of your herb choice, and the herbs are only part of the story. Chronic illness demands changes in diet and lifestyle, even in the way the client moves through their day. This class will focus on creating a whole protocol for clients with chronic illness, with specific information about how to choose the herbs, how to succeed with dietary recommendations, and how to get your client moving/exercising in appropriate ways for their level of health.

Men’s Reproductive Health: Vitality Instead of Viagra
with Ryn Midura
Sunday June 9th, 11:00am – 12:30pm

Men must have solid overall vitality for full sexual function: reproductive health is a barometer for the health of the entire body, and is one of the first things to go when there is a problem. Impotence and infertility are warning signs that point to a deeper disturbance, and our strategy in resolving them needs to take cardiovascular, nervous, hormonal, and emotional health into account just as much as it directly addresses the reproductive system. In this class, we will discuss herbal aphrodisiacs–but we’ll talk, too, about herbal support for soothing the heart, calming the nerves, mitigating stress, and maintaining emotional stability.

In addition to teaching we’ll have a table set up – stop by and say hello! Katja will also hold a plant story time in the kids area, time still TBA.

For more information about Herbstalk, click on the poster!

This event took place in the past. We look forward to next year!

The Beauty of Imperfection and a Tea for Gracelessness

katja — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:31:05 +0000

I teach, a lot. Life as a teacher essentially means being on stage, most of the time. My students and my clients have images of me in their minds, and I’m quite certain that those images are better than what I really am, or that they are taking their image of my Best Self and imagining that it is my Everyday Self.

Hawthorn teaches the heart courage.

I am not, by nature, a graceful person. I have a loud, big personality. I think faster than my second thoughts (those thoughts that say, “you probably shouldn’t say that out loud”) can keep up with. I am long and gangly, and a little clumsy. All of my life, even as a very young child, I have known that to be graceful in every situation was The Right Answer, and I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of energy trying to learn to appear to be graceful, with varying degrees of success. I can remember saying that I would know I was grown up when I became graceful. It turns out, “grace” doesn’t quite work like that.

Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this. More and more, I’ve had opportunities to see my teachers (herbalists always have teachers, no matter how long they’ve been doing this work) “off-stage”, to see them just being people. To see them cooing over their children, talking about their own lives, being whoever they are when a classfull of people aren’t watching. Tripping, gaffing, spilling their tea. Experiencing surprise or disappointment, and doing so gracelessly. And in those moments, I felt such relief!

I know that a younger me would have seen those moments and thought: Wow, this teacher is not what I thought at all! How graceless! I must now call into question everything they’ve ever said – how can it be true when seen in the light of this? I’m really glad I outgrew that younger me! (And I wonder to whom I might owe apologies for having thought such things!)

Today I see those moments of gracelessness, and they are beautiful. They are proof that we are all here together. We’re all on our paths – it doesn’t really matter what the Great Terrible Problem is this week. Everyone has Great Terrible Problems, and none is really any more difficult than any other, but that we see them to be so when they are in our own path. All troubles are troubles, and I am not any better than someone else just because I don’t cheat on my food allergens. Right now, someone learning to avoid food allergens might feel it is really difficult, terribly trying and uncomfortable. They might look at me and say, if only I were like her, it would be easier. Or, it’s so easy for her, but I will never be able to do it! And yet, I face my own struggles, which to me are just as large and looming and impossible as giving up cheese feels to someone else. (Which is why I try always to be really clear with my students and clients that I cried for an entire day when I figured out I had to give up dairy. I probably would have cried again the next day, but some big thing happened on the farm that day and I didn’t have time to cry.)

We are all on our paths, here together. And it turns out that grace, really, is just realizing that all paths are paths, that all troubles are troubles. Grace is the thing that wise old women (or wise old men) have – not because they’ve lived long enough to know the right answer, to know how to react in a not-embarrassing way to every situation. Grace is when you’ve lived long enough to see someone struggling and find it beautiful, because it’s real. To see someone struggling and be able to offer support – even to do it quietly, maybe offering them a little shelter from judging eyes who would say their struggle is awkward or embarrassing. To be struggling yourself and not to lose your center because of it, because by now you know how to struggle, and that it will pass.

Rose and Hawthorn are two really particularly wonderful herbs for these times. They are strengthening to the heart, they give courage and comfort. But more to the point, they have thorns: they offer protection. When you feel raw and wounded, when you’re feeling like everyone can see you struggling and certainly they are all judging you for it – when you wish you could just enclose yourself in a nest of barbed wire and be small and safe inside for a while: this is a time for Rose and Hawthorn. You can blend just those two up into a lovely tea – Rose petals and Hawthorn leaf, flower, and berry – and drink it as often as you like.

You could add a few other herbs in too – Linden and Violet are both soothing: I think of it as lining your barbed wire cocoon with silk on the inside. You could add Skullcap, to stop your mind from spinning around and around about what everyone must be thinking, and Wood Betony (stachys off.) to help ground you in your body. If it’s bedtime, you could add a bit of Passionflower and Wild Lettuce, to help you get to sleep and find rest. If it’s morning and you have to get up and face the day (ready or not!), you could add some Tulsi and Spearmint.

This is the base of a formula I call “Everything Will Be Fine”, which is one I use very frequently in my practice – but in reality, it’s one that I originally came up with for myself, in a time of struggle. I keep a jar of it at home and I’ll tell you, it’s the blend I go through the fastest and refill most frequently! It tastes quite nice, and it’s lovely to look at while it’s steeping in your cup or your tea press. You can find all the herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs, so why not blend some up today and have it ready for the next time you’re feeling graceless! In this particular case, the ratio is fairly simple: you could just use all equal parts. Or, if you need a little more barbed wire, then put in more Rose and Hawthorn. If you need more help with spinning thoughts, then increase the amount of Skullcap. If you just love the taste of Tulsi, then let that be the largest part of the formula. These herbs all play well together, so it’s a great opportunity for you to tune in to what you need most in this moment, and customize the ratios accordingly.

This weekend, my friend and mentor Cascade Anderson Geller passed away, rather suddenly. I had written this post a couple weeks ago, when I was feeling particularly graceless, and Cascade was who I held in my mind as I wrote about grace. She had amazing kindness and gentleness, and a deep strength. Moreover, wisdom, and grace. I am so sad to carry on without her, but I am so grateful to have known her, and to have her amazing beauty to hold in my memory as a role model.

Herbs and Movement for the Pelvic Floor

CWH — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:09:48 +0000

Angelica stimulates blood flow to the pelvis.

Weakness and tightness in the muscles of the pelvic floor can manifest as incontinence, impotence, hernia, chronic pain, even organ prolapse. But even before things progress to any of those embarrassing and painful conditions, there will be restriction of the flow of blood, lymph, and nervous system signals to the pelvic area, causing functional impairments that may be difficult to detect. More than one in three women is affected by these issues in their lifetimes. Figures for men are less widely discussed but likely to be nearly as frequent, as the primary causes can be traced back to movement habits shared between the genders.

Co-taught by an herbalist and a body-worker, this class will go beyond kegels and “herbal painkillers” to address the root causes of pelvic floor issues. Stretches and hands-on manipulations will be demonstrated, and changes in habitual movement patterns – as well as herbal teas and tinctures – designed to move blood, release tension, and disperse stagnation will all be covered.

Thursday, May 16th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!

Herbal Healing for Lyme Disease

CWH — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:47:09 +0000

Japanese Knotweed may be invasive, but it's also very useful in cases of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is ever more prevalent these days, and in many cases, insurance companies don’t cover treatment, even if there is treatment available. Some doctors and insurers don’t acknowledge Lyme as a chronic condition. Even the ones who do are often left at loose ends when the disease doesn’t respond to the drugs available.

But Lyme can be managed quite effectively with natural protocols. In this class, we will begin by discussing Stephen Buhner’s herbal protocol for Lyme, the modifications to that protocol as detailed by Tim Scott, and flower essence protocols developed at by David Dalton. We will also discuss our own approaches to the problem, including herbal and dietary guidelines for recovering from Lyme and mitigating its varied symptoms. You will learn how the different strategies address Lyme and its co-infections, how to implement them, and how to decide which one is right for you.

We will also cover preventative protocols, for folks who don’t have Lyme, so that you can go hiking without fear!

Don’t let Lyme ruin your life! Join us for this workshop and take control of your own health!

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Please register for class by emailing us at info@commonwealthherbs.com, or calling 617-750-5274.

We also have a recorded lecture on this topic available for download.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!

Alternative Approaches to Multiple Sclerosis

CWH — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:48:54 +0000

Lion's Mane mushroom has nerve-regenerative properties.

Multiple Sclerosis stinks, which I say from personal experience. Normally we write some witty stuff about our classes, but there’s just nothing funny I can think of to say about having MS.

What I CAN say about MS is: for the last 11 years I’ve been able to live almost 100% symptom-free, with no drugs and no medical interventions. And, that I know exactly what things will trigger my symptoms, and how to avoid them. And, that I don’t worry about having MS – I climb mountains and kayak and go to the rock gym and go dancing, I run a busy herb school and clinic, I home-school my daughter – I, with MS, do more than most people do without a chronic illness. Yes, I’ve had to change some habits, and make some new ones. But the trade-off is a normal, or even better than normal, active life.

So if that sounds good to you, come find out how I do it.

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline
* Please note – our office has stairs. If stairs are difficult for you to navigate, please let us know and we can make arrangements for you to have a recording of this lecture.

The fee for this class is $25.

Please register for class by emailing us at info@commonwealthherbs.com, or calling 617-750-5274.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!

DIY First Aid Kit

CWH — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:28:55 +0000

Yarrow can help stop bleeding.

First aid products available on the market are made with ingredients you really don’t want to have in your body: chemical alcohols, petroleum products, and anti-bacterial agents that are foreign and harmful. (A new study recently came across my inbox regarding triclosan causing muscle damage and endocrine disruption!) The stuff you put on your skin absorbs into the body – and the things you put into a wound, doubly quick!

The solution? Make your own! It’s easy, it’s cost-effective, and it’s even fun! Not only that – it’s sustainable. You can make up a kit that’s exactly what your family needs for the whole summer in just an hour or two!

So come join us and learn how to make your own salve for wounds and burns, bug-bite relief, antiseptic wash, sports liniment, styptics to stop bleeding, and more! We’ll even show you how to match it up with a few medical products like gauzes, wound dressings, and wraps. So whether you’re hitting the trail or preparing for the zombie apocalypse, we’ve got you covered!

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm
25 St. Mary’s Court, Brookline

The fee for this class is $25.

Please register for class by emailing us at info@commonwealthherbs.com, or calling 617-750-5274.

This class took place in the past. Interested in a re-run? Let us know!