Intensive Herbalism Course | Rhodes Roots & Remedies School of Herbal Medicine

As the journey progresses in the second year, we explore with intention our connections with the seasons and put into practice attuning to their ebb and flow, as well as introduce more nuance into our knowledge and practice of herbalism.

This is when we orientate ourselves to the wheel of the year and its changing energies, developing the skills of listening, observing and refining to create rhythms in our daily lives that infuse herbalism into how we move from each hour, day, month and season to the next. We are creating habits of resilience that connect us more deeply with the rest of nature.

In noticing the dynamics of the world around us, so too do we feel the dynamics of the world within us - the inner workings of our bodies, their interconnectedness, the interplay of elements, emotions and environments to develop a tangible knowing of holistic anatomy and physiology.

In year two, we synchronise the unique melody of our body to the heartbeat of the earth.

Develop an intimate knowledge of a select group of 12 more medicinal herbs primarily able to be grown or foraged in the UK
Attune to the eight seasons of the wheel of the year and their energetic qualities
Practise observing, creating and refining seasonal rhythms, creating herbal habits that infuse into your daily life to support your health and vitality
Explore the nuances of key herbal actions to understand the dynamics of different ways in which medicinal plants and our bodies interact
Deepen your understanding of the development of dis-ease through the interplay of the doshas within the body
Uncover further detail about the tissues and channels in our bodies from an Ayurvedic perspective to move beyond a segmented allopathic view of systems of the body and embrace a holistic and interconnected knowing of themselves
Advance your herbal remedy making skills from three- to five-herb formulas
Weave the threads of connection more intricately with your community of like-minded, curious and empowered souls
Begin to radiate resilience from your home to shine your light on families and communities through living herbalism

Your journey will follow the same rhythm in the second year as the first, opening and closing with the changing seasons at full day in-person gatherings at our cosy yurt tucked away in a small rural village in the East Yorkshire countryside, just one hour's drive from York.

We will reconvene after the first year's Winter break in Spring to reignite the spark of our group, listening to the melody of the new season, laying the foundations of daily and seasonal rhythms and setting the scene for how the Ayurvedic doshas melt into the ancient earth-based wheel of the year. We will also peel back the layers of the tissues within our bodies, so we can infuse ourselves with nourishment and vitality down to the deepest layers.

We will then connect for an hour twice a week live online to nurture the seeds sown in the first year, developing your understanding of the nuances of herbal actions, as well as building a close relationship with our twelve new herbal familiars, bringing our original old friends from year one along with us.

Although the energetics and qualities of Summer create a new melody, the rhythm of the earth continues to beat steadily. Thus, we gather again in person, returning to the same flow as our Spring session - tuning into the new season, uncovering more of our interconnected anatomy and creating seasonal base blends for independent remedy crafting.

After a break to revel in the abundance of Summer, we will reconvene in the Autumn to acknowledge the inward turning of nature. Journeying deeper into our bodies, we will engage the ability to listen to and understand the body’s messages we developed in year one to now feeling into the connections, the pathways, the layers within them to weave more nuance into your skilful pairing of plants and people.

We will then resume our hourly sessions twice a week live online, traveling through the passageways of the body, focusing on a central theme or pattern of movement for two consecutive weeks. Our intention in this is to shift our thinking about our bodies from one of segmentation to interconnection.

Our final practical session will be in person in early Winter, when we will attune to the energies of this final season and bring all of the knowledge and skills you have developed over the course together.

A few weeks later, we will meet as a group one last time in ceremony and celebration to conclude the course, as well as to recognise and reflect upon your journey.

Seasonal and Daily Rhythms - creating herbal habits aligned with the rest of nature to cultivate resilience and infuse herbalism into your daily life
The Wheel of the Year - how the nature and qualities of the eight ancient earth-based seasons influence our vitality
Herbal Actions - explore the nuances of the classic Western herbal terminology to go beyond what a herb can 'do'
Medicinal Herbs – develop an intimate knowledge of a curated set of core herbs and work confidently with them
Tissues and Channels - the 7 tissues (dhatus) and 16 channels (srotas) that make up the layers and pathways of our bodies
Intermediate Pathogenesis - how the doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) interact in the body to create patterns of imbalance
Listening and Supporting - refining your ability to ask, listen and observe when someone is seeking your support with herbs to craft effective and safe remedies
Refining Formulation - expanding to five-herb formulas and evolving a herbal formula with an individual's changing needs

Yes. We have students from all different levels of experience and places on their journeys join us on our course from the first year. Our second year builds directly on the specific skills and knowledge developed in the first year of the course, not just from the perspective of the contents explored, but also how herbalism is learned, emphasising embodied, elemental and experiential ways of reawakening the herbal wisdom within each of us. Our cohorts go on this journey together, forming a strong bond and community, which we honour by upholding the continuity of the group from year to year.

As much or as little as you want! There are no formal assignments, papers to write, assigned reading to do or exams to revise for. We go through all of the knowledge and skills live together between our in-person gatherings and Zoom sessions, so even if you didn't read, do or make anything outside of that time (although I'm sure you won't be able to resist!), you will still get a deep and solid foundation in the knowledge and skills of herbalism. Whatever you feel inspired to read, do or make beyond our sessions together is completely up to you and very welcome for discussion and questions within the cohort. It's your journey!

As the original medicine, herbal medicine spans all cultures, continents and civilisations. We are fortunate so many of these ancient lines of observing the natural world - both plants and people - are in tact today and that we are able to explore and consider so many valuable perspectives that contribute to our better understanding of how all of nature can thrive together. Each practising herbalist finds their own inspiration and creates their own alchemy, and you will, too. On this course, you will have the opportunity to explore the energetics, concepts and terminology of both Western herbal medicine and Ayurvedic perspectives, intimately woven together in a way that facilitates embodied, elemental and experiential learning.

This course and its successive years have intentionally not been designed as a formal qualification because we believe the wiser we become in ourselves, our homes and our communities, the more we are able to lift each other up to create a stronger society organically. There are many brilliant clinical training courses available across the globe; however, not everyone wants to complete 500 clinic hours, conduct a research project and sit exams. Whilst not everyone wants to become a clinical herbalist, many do want to develop a high level of skill and knowledge for personal reasons - and that's the journey of empowerment we love to provide.

Awaken Herbal Wisdom

An Intensive Herbalism Course
Year Two ~ Attuning to Seasons, Rhythms and Flow

During the second year of our
intensive herbalism course you will:

'Meghan's courses in herbalism are the perfect way to learn the skills needed to feel confident in your use of herbs regardless of where you want to take your knowledge next.'
~ Merryn

What will the journey look like?

The course includes 75 live teaching hours across:

There will be two second-year cohorts offered for continuing students in 2025.

To facilitate your journey, you will also receive:

Practical topics and skills you will learn include:

‘I'm making big changes in my life - coming back to what I wanted to do in my 20s after spending 40 years getting swept up in life.’
~ R.

'This is a path that once you are on you do not want to go back. It is life changing.'
~ Jennifer

There are three options for joining the journey:

Places are limited to 10 intrepid individuals who want to join in the journey.

The 2025 first-year cohorts open for enrolment to the waiting list in
September 2024.

Questions and Answers

Do I need to complete year one before I can begin year two?

How much time do I need to commit outside the course sessions?

Which energetic systems will we be working with?

Is catering provided?

When is registration?

Can I pay in instalments?

What if I can’t make all of the dates?

Is there an opportunity to progress beyond the second year?

Is this a certification/qualification course?

For any further questions, do feel free to email us and ask.

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