The Holistic Herbalism Podcast
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Subscribe to our podcast and learn about holistic plant medicine
054: Cold & Flu Herbs (Beyond Elderberry Syrup & Thyme Steam)
Every time we talk about cold & flu herbs, we seem to start out with elderberry syrup and a good…
Read MorePodcast 053: The Apothekers
This week our episode is an interview with Shari & Russ Apotheker of Apotheker’s Kitchen, makers of fine honey-sweetened confections…
Read MorePodcast 052: Intentional Inconvenience, Rhodiola Rhapsody, Stimulants for Midwives, & “Poisonous Mints”
This is our one-year anniversary episode! This week we cover a lot of ground. Katja talks about ways adding a…
Read MorePodcast 051: Exam Time!
Every year, our Advanced Studies Program ends with a weekend-long exam. There’s a written portion with short answers, essays, and…
Read MorePodcast 050: West Virginia Herbal Medics
This week we’re out in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, helping out at a free herbal clinic for folks in…
Read MorePodcast 049: A Few Herbs On Our Shelf
This week we do a lightning round of “minigraphs” on some of our favorite herbs. We started by taking a…
Read MorePodcast 048: Pumpkin Spice – That’s Herbalism Too!
It’s not just for lattes anymore: the ubiquitous pumpkin spice blend is in fact an herbal formula! The standard pumpkin…
Read MorePodcast 047: Tinnitus & Headaches
Ryn leads off this week with a variety of herbs to try reducing the ringing in the ears called tinnitus.…
Read MorePodcast 046: Caring for Eldercaregivers & Botulism
Caregiving is exhausting, thankless, necessary work, and becoming increasingly more common. In the first half of this episode, Katja shares…
Read MorePodcast 045: How To Start A Free Herbal Clinic
This week we bring you a podcast we originally aired on the HerbRally podcast as its inaugural episode, last July,…
Read MorePodcast 044: Empty Nests & Challenges
If back-to-school means the nest is empty, you may want some herbal support! Katja shares her favorite allies for this…
Read MorePodcast 043: Salad Isn’t Salad & Back-To-School Herbs
This week, Ryn leads off with some thoughts on salad: why it’s often boring and nutritionally deficient, and how to…
Read MorePodcast 042: Sleep – Of Cravings, Comedians, & Caffeine
In this episode both Ryn & Katja have things to share related to sleep. Katja leads off with a listener…
Read MorePodcast 041: Pets’ Paws & Topical EO Safety
This week, a case of histiocytoma on a dog’s paw leads Katja to talk about wound care for animal companions.…
Read MorePodcast 040: Wildfires, Trainwrecks, and Cold Digestion in Hot Weather
The world’s on fire, no one wants to admit they’re occasionally catastrophic, and sometimes all you want to eat is…
Read MorePodcast 039: Herbs for Introverts & Extraverts
Introverts & extraverts, as patterns of personality, each have their strengths and weaknesses. In this episode we’ll discuss herbal allies…
Read MorePodcast 038: Our Top Ten Tinctures
A listener asked us what would be our five favorite tinctures to have on hand, so this week we’re each…
Read MorePodcast 037: Herbs for Summer Camp & Extra Senses of Perception
Katja’s daughter Amber is off to summer camp this week, so she shares with you the list of things they…
Read MorePodcast 036: First Aid for Burns & Sprains
This week we share some practical first aid herbalism for burns and sprains. Whether you’re hiking far out in the…
Read MorePodcast 035: Cinnamon, Vanilla, & Cacao
Katja & Ryn discuss how these “exotic spices” came to be ubiquitous among Americans, and how we can learn from…
Read MorePodcast 034: Herbal Affinities & Softening In Service
Ryn leads off this week with a discussion of herbal affinities – the ways in which herbs may be centered…
Read MorePodcast 033: Back Pain & Sparkling Summertime Herbal Drinks
This week Katja had a bit of back pain, and has some thoughts to share with you about how this…
Read MorePodcast 032: Vacation Is Mandatory & Jiaogulan
Katja this week reflects on a bit of wisdom surrounding downtime, and on the ways in which stress management can…
Read MorePodcast 031: Resilience Not Dogma
Katja shares a hard-fought lesson: that health is not equivalent to merit, and that as herbalists it’s important for us…
Read MorePodcast 030: Tulsi & Formulating Absent Friends
Since it’s Herbstalk’s 2018 Herb of the Year, Katja wants to finally give Tulsi its due with a quick monograph…
Read MorePodcast 029: Sore Throat Herbs & Classic Cancer Cure-alls
After seeing Rising Appalachia the other night, Katja wanted to sing! She sang so much she gave herself a sore…
Read MorePodcast 028: Herbal Allies for Eating Disorders & Herbal Muscle Rub
Katja shares her thoughts on herbal supports for those who are coping with eating disorders. Herbs can help reduce anxiety,…
Read MorePodcast 027: Exploring Energetics With Our Book & Getting Through A Tough Day
Ryn describes a method you can use to expand your understanding of energetics by comparing ailment profiles and the herbs…
Read MorePodcast 026: A Woman In (Herbal) Science & Heartburn 1-2-3
This week Katja has some thoughts about the number of syllables in neuraminidase and what it means to be a…
Read MorePodcast 025: Anti-Inflammatory Herbs Beyond Turmeric & Dreaming With Mugwort
Turmeric is a great herb and an effective anti-inflammatory, but it’s not the be-all end-all it’s sometimes made out to…
Read MorePodcast 024: Taco Seasoning Herbs & -Ency vs -Icity
This week Katja talks about the herbs that defined taco seasoning in her Texas upbringing, and their qualities when as…
Read MorePodcast 023: Schisandra & Peppermint
No, that’s not an herbal tea pairing suggestion! This week, Katja sets off on a 100-day experiment with schisandra berries,…
Read MorePodcast 022: A Movement & 3 Herbs For Back Pain
This week Ryn walks you through a short movement sequence he finds helpful when his low back gets tense, and…
Read MorePodcast 021: Herbs for Braces & Constituents from the Plant’s Perspective
This week Katja shares some allies who’ve helped out with the (several!) kinds of pain which accompany her braces –…
Read MorePodcast 020: Birth-Day Herbs & Support The Mama
Katja’s daughter Amber is about to turn 15 years old, so this week Katja reflects on her birth experience and…
Read MorePodcast 019: Good Health Is Your Responsibility
We say it every week: we are not doctors, you are responsible for your own good health. This week, we…
Read MorePodcast 018: Pleurisy In Daughter-Caregivers
This week, in honor of International Women’s Day, Katja shares some of her thoughts and experiences with adult daughters who…
Read MorePodcast 017: Three Sleep Strategies + What I Should Have Done
This week, Ryn shares some strategies he turns to when (as frequently happens) he recognizes that he needs to sleep,…
Read MorePodcast 016: Emotional Support for Mothers & Teens
This week, Katja discusses several herbs to help support mothers and teens who are coping with the difficulties of the…
Read MorePodcast 015: Harm Reduction Herbalism + African Ashwagandha
This week, Katja describes a way of working with herbs to reduce the harm done when lifestyle factors like diet,…
Read MorePodcast 014: Alternatives to Adaptogens for Burnout
Adaptogens are marketed as a solution to stress, burnout, hormonal imbalances, and a lot more. They can help a lot!…
Read MorePodcast 013: Herbs & Strategies for Physical Labor
We moved! We made it with just a few bumps & bruises and some sore muscles. That was no accident…
Read MorePodcast 012: Simple Herbs for Digestive Health
This week we’re sharing a class Katja delivered recently about basic applications of herbal remedies to improve digestion and relieve…
Read MorePodcast 011: Our Students Love Linden
This weekend we kick off the year for our Advanced Studies Program, so we invited our students to participate in…
Read MorePodcast 010: Simple Herbal Self-Care Tips + A Joint Support Decoction
Katja shares three simple ideas for integrating some herbal self-care into your life, especially during the work day, which have…
Read MorePodcast 009: Year-End Reflections
As 2017 draws to a close, we look back over our year and some of the herbs who helped us…
Read MorePodcast 008: Goldenrod for Hanukkah + A Solstice Elixir
Katja draws parallels between the Hanukkah story of unexpected abundance, and the gift of goldenrod for helping us persevere through…
Read MorePodcast 007: Yaupon + On Being A Boring Herbalist
Ryn talks about the yaupon holly, a caffeine-bearing plant of North America, as well as a few ideas that apply…
Read MorePodcast 006: Dynamic Desk Work + Crazy for Cranberries
This week, Ryn notices he’s been getting stuck in the same sitting positions too frequently while working on the manuscript,…
Read MorePodcast 005: Ryn Gets Sick + Katja’s Herbal Introspection
In this episode, Ryn tells you about the herbal strategies he’s been using to cope with a respiratory infection for…
Read MorePodcast 004: Some Favorite Herbal Books
We love books! In this podcast we discuss a few of our absolute favorite herbal books for everyone from beginners…
Read MorePodcast 003: Small But Mighty + Unconditionals
Katja stands up to proclaim the strength and potency of the “pretty little flowers” chamomile and self-heal, and reminds us…
Read MorePodcast 002: Avoiding Adaptogen Debt + Emotionalymphatics
In our second episode, Katja gives you her take on adaptogens and their propensity for overuse, outlining her preferred way…
Read MorePodcast 001: I’ll Have What They’re Having + Apples & Oranges
Welcome to the inaugural edition of our podcast! In this episode, Katja talks about her new strategy for herbal self-care:…
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