What incredible sessions we had in July, with each of our cohorts for our herbal courses in the UK gathering again in the yurt! Everyone was so happy to be with each other again. There were hugs all around, remedies and goodies and books and plants exchanged and just an overwhelming sense of joy. Our summer gatherings are leaving us with nothing short of full to bursting hearts.
It was absolutely magical.
Our First-Year Students on Our Herbal Courses in the UK Jumped Straight into Remedy Making
These were full-on and messy days, so we didn't mind listening to the rain on the canvas of the yurt as it chucked it down whilst we made all sorts of remedies. We discussed the different types of infusions, which the group was already familiar with after preparing each of their twelve herbs to drink one at a time each week for our live Zoom sessions.
Then we got into our slow-infused herbal oils, working through the different stages and what each needs to look and smell like. I had samples of each of the first-year herbs on hand so everyone could get both the colour and smell references imprinted on their senses.
After lots of muslin-squeezing and filtering, we moved on to making salves, creams and body butters. The most important part of this process is not actually the base recipes (although they are essential!), but rather understanding which herbs, tastes and herbal actions sing best in each form, as well as when you would want to work with a cream vs. a salve vs. a body butter. So we got into all the details, jarred up what we made for everyone to take home, and slathered ourselves with any leftovers (the herbal equivalent of licking the baking bowl!).
We also went through the differences between the folk method and weight-to-volume method of making tinctures, getting both macerating to press and compare in the autumn.
Of course, we had gorgeous food, plenty of herbal tea and made sure we were cosy, despite the rain, with the wood burner gently ticking over.
Our Second-Year Students on Our Herbal Courses in the UK Tuned into the Summer Season in the Herb Garden and Worked Their Way Deeper into the Body
The sun found us the morning our second-year students arrived, so we went straight to the picnic tables in the herb garden with our mugs and books. Year two of our herbal courses in the UK focuses on attuning to the seasons and understanding the pathways of the body on a deeper level, so we turned our faces towards the sun as we worked through the qualities, energetics, tastes, actions, herbs, foods and lifestyle practices and rhythms that are most aligned to the summer season.
We headed back to the yurt for lunch as the weather turned before introducing the Ayurvedic concept of the srotas - or channels - within the body. This is helping take us out of the mindset so many of us are used to, thinking of different 'systems' of the body, which can seem quite isolated from each other, and instead focusing on the route, the pathway, the avenue of movement of energy, nutrients, blood, etc. in the body. This primes us for the autumn/winter sessions, when we'll be spending two weeks on a different set of pathways, looking more deeply at the dynamics within our bodies so we can best support them with herbs.
As always, no one wanted the day to end, and the cohort looked primed to stage a sleep-in in the yurt, but we managed to say our goodbyes, if only for a short while until we're together again in September.
Deep Conversations Unfolded for Each Cohort on Our Herbal Courses in the UK
What was really incredible, though, was to witness the conversations that emerged organically amidst the official lessons at each of the summer gatherings for our herbal courses in the UK. Beyond all the nuances - of which there are many, and we discussed plenty! - of herbal remedy making, the seasons, the pathways within the body, the exchange of energy and ideas between like-minded souls could not be stopped. This weaving of community, this depth of discussion, is what manifests when you have a truly safe space for people who are shaping their lives outside the given systems that don't nourish us or support our health and our wholeness. This is what emerges when we spend time getting to know not only the plants, but each other, and when we come together in-person on our herbal courses in the UK.
These moments are the first stones dropping in the water that create the ripples that grow bigger and bigger, spreading from individual to family to community until we are all inspired and enabled to create the vitality, freedom and joy we want in our lives.
Our students are now officially on their 'summer break'. Although I know we're all missing our biweekly Zoom sessions, everyone is ready to seize as much time in the sun as possible and experiment with remedy making. (And the conversation in our WhatsApp groups doesn't stop for summer!)
If you enjoyed this peek into what students on our herbal courses in the UK are up to, you’re very welcome to take the next step on your journey building your knowledge, skills and confidence as a home herbalist with us on our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - which spans all four seasons and gets herbalism both deep into your bones and your daily life. Although it is intense, it’s suitable for a wide range of herbalists, including beginners! You can learn more about our herbal medicine course here. Be sure to put your name on the waiting list to see what the current cohorts are up to and get first access to enrolment before it opens.
Whatever your next step is learning herbal medicine, I hope you enjoy the journey!
At Rhodes Roots & Remedies School of Herbal Medicine, our practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Through our intensive herbalism course, we facilitate the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically. We do hope you'll join us on your journey!
