Winter is the Fennel time of year! Fennel is a warming […]
Blog
1 If you listened to last Friday’s podcast, you know that Ryn […]
Elecampane: Herb of the Week
Ashwagandha is one of my very favorite herbs: it supports the […]
Ashwagandha: Herb of the Week!
Pain in your toe? It could be gout. This relatively common […]
Gah! Gout! Simple Herbs for Gout and Kidney Support
2 Hawthorn is often categorized as an “exhilarant” in old herbal literature […]
Hawthorn: Herb of the Week
OMG, these are delicious! This all started because I saw a […]
Pretty Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
Self Heal, Prunella vulgaris, is one of those plants that seems […]
Self-Heal: Herb of the Week
1 Winter’s coming here in the Northeast, and along with that comes […]
Herbs for Colds and Flu
Excited about the prospect of going to Herb School, but not […]
How to Pay for Herb School: Herbal Support Boxes!
Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, is a small, unassuming little plant. You […]
Ground Ivy – Herb of the Week
I didn’t really understand Angelica until I went to Iceland, but […]
Angelica: Herb of the Week
as herbalists, we are closely tied to the plants, and to […]
Dying Back
2 A lot of people think of Roses when they think of […]
Rose – Herb of the Week
Nettle is one of the most loved herbs – and there’s […]
Nettle: Herb of the Week!
3 Mullein is a fuzzy plant that starts out small, but in […]
Mullein: Herb of the Week!
Thyme remains one of my very favorite herbs for colds, the […]
Thyme: Herb of the Week
2 There’s so much to say about Ginger, so I’ll start with […]
Ginger: Herb of the Week
1 Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is a warrior’s plant. Named for Achilles, the […]
Yarrow: Herb of the Week
5 I once had a client who said, “and don’t you go […]
Chamomile: Herb of the Week
Goldenrod, Solidago spp., is a super important herb in our apothecary. […]
Goldenrod: Herb of the Week
1 Elder, Sambucus canadensis, nigra, is one of our favorite herbs. You […]
Herb of the Week: Elder
Purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, is an under-appreciated herb, and it’s been […]
Herb of the Week: Purple Loosestrife
Calendula is the herbal (and botanical) name for pot marigold: Calendula […]
Herb of the Week: Calendula officinalis
Last year Ryn went to Coal River Valley, West Virginia as […]
Boston for West Virginia
Fiona Apple says, i’ve got my feet on the ground and […]
Mugwort for Dreaming
5 Who’s Afraid of Phytochemistry? part 1 of ? Don’t let […]
Savoring Salicylates
I recently told a friend that I’m getting braces and I […]
I Can’t Believe I’m Getting Braces
I LOVED Take Your Daughter To Work Day when I was […]
Herbs for National Take Your Daughter To Work Day!
Check out the whole Herbal Holidays video playlist here!
Herbs for Passover: Horseradish, Parsley, and Chicory!
2 A good herbal joint liniment can make the difference between a […]
Go-To Joint Liniment
An herbal tribute to the Spring Equinox! There are more free […]
Ostara and Nettles: An Herby Holiday Video!
1 For those of us who are actively experimenting and taking action […]
Not Everything Is Going To Be Perfect.
2 Even if you avoid gluten and dairy products, sometimes you still […]
My Favorite Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Substitutes
This year, we’ve been making short herbal videos to celebrate every […]
Fun Free Videos!
As an herbalist in these times, the reality is that we […]
Trauma and Story
Ok, you guys. I’ve been eating WAY too much sugar lately, […]
A Tea for Change
2 If the first thing we think when we hear the words […]
De-stigmatizing Self-Harm
2 Usually, when you hear the words “harm reduction”, you’re thinking about […]
Harm Reduction for Everyone
2 As promised in the post about moving your body in spite […]
notCoffee is notBad!
2 I LOVE Katy Bowman. Like, a lot. Like, I wish I […]
Movement for People who Hate to Move
2 Ginger Chamomile is my favorite after dinner or bedtime tea. Today […]
Ginger Chamomile Cookies
Yesterday, we were really craving oatmeal raisin cookies, but I typically […]
N’Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
OMG. This morning I was getting some groceries, and there were […]
Paleo Apple Fritters
Gluten free? Dairy free? Paleo? Yup! These Raspberry Cream Cheese Danishes […]
Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish. Really.
1 When someone starts to talk about detoxification or cleansing, I often […]
Toxins and Terrain
Even the most assiduous label-readers among us sometimes miss “barley malt” […]
What to Do When You’ve Been Glutened
1 Why should you carry a first aid kit? Think about the […]
First Aid Kits For Everyone!
2 Hi. My name is Katja. I’m a total Trainwreck. Hi, Katja…
You’re a Trainwreck.
Well, the February Farm Food project is over. Our meat still […]
Farm Food February: The Wrap Up
10 The original varicose veins post is by far the most popular […]
Varicose Veins: The Updated Post
Standing desks are all the rage, and we love ours. Recently […]
Don’t Just Stand There!
Well, it’s the middle of the month, and this project has […]
Farm Food Update #2
I was just writing to a client about ways to increase […]
Coconut Treats
The first week of our Farm Food February project has been […]
February Food Project Update: Week One
1 Each year, our students do projects related to food, lifestyle, sleep, […]
Farm Food February
Whether you’re an herbalist or a parent (or a teacher, or […]
Motivation to Succeed
3 The most common way an herbalist can find herself in a […]
Herbalism and the Law: The Practice of Medicine in Massachusetts
Tonight, we’re teaching our Food Allergies for the Holidays class – […]
Phoenix Cookies
1 Our dog… You know, some people love fine wines. Some people […]
Tapeworm? No problem!
You can tell a lot about a person from what’s in […]
Tea of the Month: April
4 Love muffins? Tired of eggs and bacon for breakfast? Committed to […]
Muffin Madness!
[For the purposes of this discussion, let’s use fire cider to […]
Trademarking Tradition: the Fire Cider® Controversy
1 It’s almost Thanksgiving and that means, among other things, PUMPKIN! Pie […]
Paleo Pumpkin Muffins!
Often, discussions of “women’s health” or “men’s health” are limited to […]
Men’s Cycles and Self-Reliance
4 I teach, a lot. Life as a teacher essentially means being […]
The Beauty of Imperfection and a Tea for Gracelessness
12 Eliminating food allergens from the diet can bring substantial relief from […]
Gut-Heal Tea
We are a culture of More. We like words like SuperSize, […]
Enough.
Words are pretty amazing things. We can use them to make […]
On the Merits of Plain Speech
1 When I was a kid, we had “Mr. Yuk” stickers. Mr. […]
Green Cleaning
2 This week, one of my pharmacy students stayed after class to […]
On the Merits of Fluctuation
1 Today my Pharmacy students and I tried out a Thanksgiving experiment. […]
Classroom Experiment: Kadha (Fried Dumplings)
2 Chai is delicious. But it’s even better when your Chai will […]
Chai for a Busy Day
The holiday season is fast-approaching (if you’re a parent of a […]
Tips for Staying Sane in a Stressful Time
This is my very first article here on Commonwealth Herbs! To […]
Movement Patterns and Heartburn
2 OMG, you have to make these cookies. I’m really not kidding! […]
Family Reunion Cookies
When I was a kid, my mom sent us out to […]
Raising Healthy Children, part 6
Herbal remedies are often much better choices for illness than over-the-counter […]
Raising Healthy Children, part 5
Sleep is absolutely critical to good health. While we sleep, we […]
Raising Healthy Children, part 4
Our last post was on cultivating your child’s inner foodie: here […]
Raising Healthy Children, Part 3
Food is the absolute number one most important factor in a […]
Raising Healthy Children, Part 2
When we become parents, we suddenly realize, kids don’t come with […]
Raising Healthy Children, Part 1
Looking for a fail-proof cup of tea? Look no further! Linden […]
Linden and Tulsi: Two Great Herbs that Go Great Together!
Maybe the thought of eating liver, kidney, and heart makes you […]
Offal: It’s Not Awful!
My 9-year-old daughter Amber is gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, and most of […]
Interview with a Paleo Kid
6 Mineral deficiency is rampant in our society – depleted soils mean […]
Bone Broth Demystified
Fish is a challenge for me. Where I grew up in […]
Cod with Greens and Kumquats
In short: first perceive, then reflect, then connect. In slightly-less-short: first, […]
Successful Self-Experimentation, part 5: Putting it in Practice
Humans are very good at pattern recognition. We’re so good at […]
Successful Self-Experimentation, part 4: Connection
When my daughter was born, she had very severe eczema. Eczema […]
Licorice Oil for Eczema
Reflection is a bending back. It requires some flexibility. Reflecting is […]
Successful Self-Experimentation, part 3: Reflection
When engaging in self-experimentation, there are certain skills that must be […]
Successful Self-Experimentation, part 2: Perception
Diet and lifestyle changes are ideally made with the guidance of […]
Successful Self-Experimentation, part 1: Introduction
44 Solomon’s Seal is a favorite herb around here. We love it […]
Solomon’s Seal: Beyond Sprained Ankles
Your family has great traditions for the holidays, and you don’t […]
Holiday Trimmings – Allergen Free!
Think living dairy-free means you have to give up Egg Nog? […]
Egg Nog
Party food always seems to involve chips, crackers, cookies, and other […]
Appetizers
You’re not willing to compromise your newfound food priorities (allergy free, […]
Caveman Desserts for the Holidays
Let’s imagine that you’re hosting a holiday party. You’ve got some […]
Is That Meat Made of Wheat?
Gluten free, dairy free, low carb, pumpkin-y goodness! You might say […]