The Holistic Herbalism Podcast
Episodes
Herbs A-Z: Codonopsis & Commiphora
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s plants are both precious and powerful.Codonopsis pilosula, codonopsis, is deeply restorative. We locate its center of activity in the marrow...
Herbs A-Z: Citrus & Cinnamomum
15 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s herbs are orange peel & cinnamon. Each one has multiple varieties: sweet orange, bitter orange, cassia cinnamon, “true” cinnamon...
Herbs A-Z: Centella asiatica & Cichorium intybus
08 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happy new year! We’re continuing our Herbs A-Z series in 2022, starting off strong with gotu kola & chicory. These widespread herbs both have lo...
Herbs A-Z: Calluna vulgaris & Centaurium erythraea
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we highlight two herbs who are close to our hearts. Heather is a plant we both met together and have come to appreciate each in our own way....
Herbs A-Z: Betula & Calendula
12 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s herbs are fluid-movers, with drying and tonifying effects. They’re both excellent topical remedies which can also be helpful when take...
Herbs A-Z: Asparagus & Astragalus
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s herbs from our apothecary shelf are shatavari and astragalus! These are a couple of slow-acting herbs for long-term work. Their restorat...
Herbs A-Z: Asclepias & Aspalathus
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have two more herbs from our shelf – rooibos & pleurisy root! We’re working our way along the shelves and giving every plant a bi...
Herbs A-Z: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi & Artemisia vulgaris
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Here we go with some more of the herbs on our apothecary shelves! This week our spotlight is on uva ursi & mugwort.Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, known ...
Herbs A-Z: Artemisia absinthium - Wormwood & Absinthe
30 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re turning our attention to all the herbs we keep on the shelves in our apothecary, two at a time, in this ongoing series. (Check out the podcast...
Interview with Shawn Donnille of Mountain Rose Herbs
16 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As herbalism is becoming more popular, the sustainability of plants themselves needs to be a primary focus for all of us. But like all issues of envir...
Herbs A-Z: Angelica & Artemisia dracunculus
09 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many medicinal plants! In an effort to pay some more attention to herbs that aren’t quite our favorites, we’re profiling all of the h...
Herbs A-Z: Alnus & Althaea
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every herbalist has their core favorite herbs. Sometimes we lose sight of the vast array of plants we have to work with. In an effort to not neglect o...
Herbs A-Z: Agastache & Alchemilla
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re continuing our review of herbs in our current apothecary, from A to Z by their botanical Latin names. We want to give all our herbs ...
Herbs A-Z: Achillea & Acorus
18 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hi everyone! We’re back from a brief hiatus, and kicking off a new series on our podcast feed. We’re going to be profiling every one of the herbs ...
Herbalism & Climate Change: The Plants!
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change affects everyone, and that includes the plants. Medicinal herbs and food plants growing across the world are changing, moving – and s...
Herbalism & Climate Change: Fires
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is #3 in our series on herbalism & climate change! Fires are most devastating where they occur, but the smoke and particulates they release i...
Herbalism & Climate Change: Flooding
24 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we continue our series on herbalism & climate change. Flooding causes great devastation, and it also brings many risks. Foremost among t...
Herbalism & Climate Change: Heatwaves
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode begins a series on herbalism & climate change. Heatwaves have struck the US and many places throughout the world, and all signs indic...
Does Hops Cause Depression?
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Recently it seems like there’s been a proliferation of hop-flavored beverages on the market. Not just beer, but also sodas, fizzy waters, and other ...
3 Herbs for Toothache Relief
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ryn’s got a toothache this week, so this seems like a great time to teach about herbs for toothaches! When your tooth hurts, you want to relieve the...
Can Seaweeds Fix Everything?
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Seaweeds are really talented. Like, really talented! They can help out with such a wide array of problems that you might feel a little skeptical at fi...
Breathing Exercises & Herbs for Breath Work
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Take a breath, it’ll help!” You’ve heard it before. But what if breathing is difficult or constrained? Breathwork is the answer.Breathing is ...
Top 3 Herbs for Seasonal Allergies
29 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever we choose herbs for health issues, we work to match the qualities of the herbs to the state of the body. These three plants we work with as h...
Herbal Tattoo Care
15 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Herbal tattoo care starts a while before your appointment. You’ve got to prepare the skin in advance, get hydrated, and ideally do a little work to ...
Listen-Along Plant Sit Meditation
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is a little different from our usual. We’re sharing a listen-along plant sit meditation! You can take this episode with you to sit...
Saw Palmetto Doesn't Discriminate On Gender
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you heard that black cohosh is “for menopause”? Or that red clover is a “natural estrogen replacement”? Or that saw palmetto (Serenoa rep...
Ground Ivy: Sometimes It's Hard To Hear
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also known as alehoof, creeping charlie, and gill-over-the-ground, is one of our favorite herbs to gather in early sp...
Herb of the Month - An Essential Herbalism Learning Method
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Herb of the Month is one of our most powerful learning methods for students of herbalism – and honestly, it’s great for experienced practitioners ...
Equinox Thoughts On Balance & Amphoteric Herbs
20 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re discussing the notion of amphoteric herbs today, because it’s the Spring equinox and we’re thinking about balance. The term amphoteric is ...
Enhancing Herbal Salves with Tinctures
13 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we share a simple technique for enhancing herbal salves with tinctures. Lots of herbalists like to put essential oils in their salves,...
Grow Your Own Calendula This Year
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re lucky that nowadays there are a lot of herb suppliers, so it’s convenient to purchase the majority of your herbs – especially if you live ...
Flexible Formulation for Herbal Cold Sore Remedies
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re sharing a formula for an herbal cold sore remedy – a soft salve or balm that can be applied right on the sores. It’s going to se...
How Herbs Are Different From Supplements
20 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you go to the store and buy an herbal supplement, what are you getting? It might be a capsule of powdered herb, but this is less and less common ...
You Don't Have To Be Perfect
13 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The “wellness” space online is saturated with One Weird Tricks and Simple Easy Solutions that promise to make you perfect. Perfect hair, perfect s...
Our Top Topical Herbs for Acne
06 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you’re dealing with a skin problem, it’s good to come at it from both directions: internal and external. Today we’re focusing on the extern...
5 Herbs We Got At The Grocery Store This Week
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about where to find excellent herbs, where does your mind go first – the forest? The farmer’s market? Ye Olde Herbe Shoppe, perhaps...
4 Herbs We Give To Our Dog
24 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An herbalist’s dog is going to get some herbs in her dinner every now and then. Our dog Elsie sure does! Choosing herbs for dogs doesn’t need to b...
Herbs Help Us Feel Our Way Through Difficult Times
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a rough few… weeks? Years? Well, a while, anyway! In the last month more than ever, people have been asking us how to get some space, ho...
An Herbalist's Guide to Successful Self-Experimentation
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore the skills and disciplines necessary to conduct a successful self-experiment. Self-experimentation in this context might me...
COVID Revisited
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we take another look at COVID-19 and its long-term effects.First, we check in on what have been our top 5 herbal interventions for COVID:Her...
A Case Study: Herbs and Nightmares
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dreaming matters: it’s a critical part of our identity-building and experience-processing work, and vital to our ability to regulate our emotions. B...
4 Medicinal Mushrooms: Shiitake, Maitake, Reishi, Lion's Mane
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, they are herbs too! Medicinal mushrooms are an important part of our herbal practice, but it looks like we haven’t profiled them on the podcast...
Herbs and Grief, at the Death of the Year
01 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Samhain, Halloween, the death of the year – this is a good time to talk about grieving, and about how herbs and grief can go together. It’s a univ...
Herbs As Mantra - Mental Reset & Redirection
24 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we listened to a talk by a Buddhist teacher about mantra chanting practices, and one particular facet of their purpose: to be a mental reset...
Six Herbs for Cognitive Decline Prevention
17 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maintaining a sharp & healthy mind has always been one of the things people ask us about most often. Whether it’s a nagging difficulty recalling...
Accessible Herbalism for Respiratory Ailments
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When thinking about how to start working with herbalism for respiratory ailments, you might get really focused on WHICH ailment it is, and which herbs...
Accessible Herbalism for Emotional Support
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our emotions part of our health just as much as our physical organs & system. When we have difficulties like anxiety and depression, we can draw o...
Accessible Herbalism for Digestive Discomforts
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Digestive issues are extremely common, and are one of the leading causes of missed work and reduced quality of life. The good news is, herbs can help!...
Accessible Herbalism for Wound Care
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone gets hurt sometimes. Knowing how to take care of injuries at home is an excellent skill to have. You can prevent a minor injury from becoming...
[REPLAY] How To Not Be A Guru
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible He...
[REPLAY] Resilience Not Dogma
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible He...
[REPLAY] How Herbs Enhance Holistic Lifestyle Interventions
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible He...
[REPLAY] Alternatives to Adaptogens for Burnout
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible He...
[REPLAY] Vacation Is Mandatory & Jiaogulan
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible He...
Accessible Herbalism for Sleep
26 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We work with herbs for sleep improvement purposes very frequently, because sleep is so critical to good health. During sleep, your body works through ...
Accessible Herbalism for Pain Management
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“Pain is a signal to change your behavior.” This motto comes from our friend the herbalist Tammi Sweet, and perfectly sums up the holistic approac...
Accessible Herbalism for Weight Management
11 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The holistic approach to herbalism for weight management doesn’t start with a search for “fat-burning herbs”. Instead, we focus on building heal...
Accessible Herbalism for Edema
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Edema is stuck fluid: stagnant blood and lymph that isn’t flowing the way it should be. Puffy ankles and swollen fingers are just two ways this migh...
Accessible Herbalism for Diabetes
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Diabetes is very common and can lead to a number of serious health issues. Holistic methods can improve diabetes by correcting what’s wrong at the s...
Accessible Herbalism for High Blood Pressure & High Cholesterol
20 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two very common cardiovascular issues that you can safely improve with herbs. You can reduce your risk an...
Herbalism & Mutual Aid
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do we want to build in place of the unjust systems we are living in? Everyone plays a role in deciding. Let’s do it consciously. The role of he...
Herbs for Trauma Recovery & Resistance
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
America is blanketed in righteous protests against police brutality and impunity. This is necessary. In the course of this work many people are being ...
The Fifth Pillar Is Community
30 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our model of the primary determinants of health is the Four Pillars: food, sleep, stress, and movement. These things are in our individual control –...
This Is Not The Practice Of Medicine
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pharmaceutical model is the dominant paradigm for medicine in our culture. For those of us who grew up in this culture, it shapes our expectations...
A Holistic Herbal Tick Bite Protocol
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Finding a tick embedded in your skin is distressing, even without the spectre of Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens. But if you find one afte...
Four Herbs for Moms
09 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy mother’s day, 2020! The truth is, any herb could be an herb for moms, because not all moms are alike, in their needs or their preferences. The...
Where Do We Go From Here, Corona?
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The battle’s done, and we kind-of won… Well, actually, the battle’s not entirely done either. But things are certainly shifting into a different...
Six Herbs for COVID Anxiety
25 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has got all of us in a heightened state of alert. The news changes fast, stories come and go before we can fully process them, and every ...
How To Practice Herbalism Every Day
04 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last week we urged you to look at learning herbalism like learning a language or instrument – something that requires daily practice. This week, we’...
Learn Herbalism Like an Instrument or Language
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Herbalism is experiential: you have to DO it to KNOW it.It’s like learning to play a musical instrument – you’re going to sound bad at first! Th...
Herbal Home Nursing Basics
22 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not just coronavirus, there’s a lot going on right now! Between the usual circulating strains of flu, some spring colds, and the stirrings of...
A Week In The Life Of Two Herbalists
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whew! There’s a lot going on right now. Between coronavirus, the election cycle, and the approach of spring, we’ve been extra busy and under more ...
Herbs for Coronavirus Preparedness
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The new pandemic coronavirus, COVID-19, is on everyone’s minds lately. As herbalists, we’ve been asked a lot about our thoughts on working with he...
Rebecca Altman & The Wonder Sessions
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a discussion with our friend Rebecca Altman about the importance of self-awareness in the practice of herbalism – but also an exploratio...
Formulating Cocktail Bitters for Flavor & Action
23 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we took a trip to New York City, because we were invited to teach a workshop on formulating cocktail bitters for our friends at Kindred, a r...
Grow Your Own Herbs
15 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It might seem difficult to grow your own herbs, but like so many things in herbalism, it’s all about being open to experimentation and maintaining g...
Working With Herbs For Chronic Pain
09 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pain is complex. Many factors can contribute to pain, or worsen it, including the food we eat, the sleep we do or don’t get, and the stresses we exp...
Handmade Herbal Aphrodisiacs for Valentine's Day Delight
01 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of myths about herbal aphrodisiacs – they don’t make you into an irresistible sex monster, let’s get that out of the way right u...
New Moon Down Time
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s really hard to really take a break these days – with smartphones and connected devices everywhere, the pressure to use our time “productive...
Sustainability for Herbalists
18 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are many facets to sustainability for herbalists to consider, from maintaining your personal energy reserves to establishing sustainable working...
Herbs to Supercharge Bone Broth
11 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s 2020, we don’t need to convince you that bone broth is good for you! But in case you’ve been living under a rock, bone broth is awesome for...
Herbs for Whole30: Help Reduce Cravings, Improve Digestion, & Boost Nutrition
03 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Whole30 is one of our favorite diet plans – or, as we prefer to call them, food experiments! It’s a great way to reset your eating habits, cha...
Real Life Resolutions
28 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do you want to bring into the new year with you? Our first piece of advice is to be specific with your intention – envision how this change wil...
Holistic Herbalism for Anxiety
15 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety is a feeling of exposure, a feeling that one is without protection. The much-maligned ‘safe space’ is in fact a necessity for all humans. ...
Hawthorn
06 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) are some of our most generous and protective herbs. Hathorn offers abundant berries, rich with heart-supporting medicin...
Maybe You Don't Have To
29 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to get caught up in your to-do list and everything you “have to” do.Sometimes, it’s ok to not.This week we’re modeling that behavi...
How To Learn A New Herb
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a brand new student of herbalism, you might think there are a lot of herbs to learn. As an experienced herbalist with decades of practice under you...
How Herbs Are Different From Drugs
16 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Herbs differ from pharmaceuticals in important ways. Understanding how they’re different helps us make better choices about what to take, and how to...
The Definitive Guide to Herbalism
10 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were one book you could read, one teacher you could study with, one website you could scroll through – that would tel...
Don't Let The Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our ideas about health are often context-dependent, and clinging too tightly to rules about what is “good” and “bad” can really get us into tr...
Holistic Strategies & Herbs for Joint Pain
25 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, there are herbs for joint pain, and they really work! But when we’re working with this problem, we like to pile on – lots of herbs (in lots o...
Everything Will Be Fine: A Simple Herbal Stress Remedy
18 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone gets stressed out sometimes. So if you’re among “everyone”, you might like this herbal stress remedy formula! It’s one of our favorit...
Small Healthy Changes Help You Make Big Ones
15 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Change is hard. It’s hard for everyone, not just you! Acknowledging this is important, whether you’re trying to make a change in your own life or ...
Herbs For Physical Challenges (What Ryn Took To MovNat Level 3)
05 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, Ryn attended a Level 3 certification event for MovNat – a 4-day course/test/immersion in natural movement. It was quite the chal...
Creating A Culture of Support
08 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Good health takes effort. It doesn’t just happen, and our cultural norms definitely don’t make it easy. You have to plan for it! But it can feel d...
Herbs for Athlete's Foot
01 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The itchy, inflamed, sensitive presentation of a fungal skin infection is something no one wants. These kinds of infections can be difficult to resolv...
How We Make Our Winter Elixir
23 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This winter elixir is our #1 cold & flu remedy! We make a big batch every year around this time, when most of the plants that go into it are fresh...
Nicole Rose & The Prisoner's Herbal
16 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Creating this community garden, and teaching families in your area how to grow food and look out for each other – that is abolition. We’re h...
3 Medicinal Invasive Plants
02 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Where does loosestrife belong? Is barberry a badberry? And what’s with all the knotweed everywhere?! Most folks will tell you it’s simple: “Thes...
Herbs for Healthy Skin Care
27 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Your skin is your largest organ, and it’s your presentation to the world – so it’s important to take care of it! It’s not just vanity. For mos...