Holistic Strategies & Herbs for Joint Pain
Oct 25, 2019
Show notes
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 of ways), plus some changes to the diet, plus gentle movement, plus better sleep & stres management. This is what holistic herbalism looks like: combining strategies for maximum effect.
For joint pain, herbs can help very directly. Decoctions and liniments help us work from the inside out and the outside in – and they work best when you do both. At the same time, you can eliminate pro-inflammatory foods and emphasize anti-inflammatory ones. You can move in ways that build your range of pain-free motion without directly aggravating the sore spots. And you can sleep more and stress less, which may not sound like they’re directly related to joint issues – but they really are.
Whether it’s from a sports mishap, a repetitive stress injury, Lyme disease*, rheumatoid arthritis, or some other source, these strategies & herbs for joint pain have brought enormous relief to our students and clients – and us, too! – through many years of practice. Listen in and learn how!
* That’s right, joint pain associated with Lyme responds really well to these methods! But if you have Lyme or know someone who does, you know there can be a lot more to it than achy knees and headaches. Our course A Holistic Approach To Lyme Disease lays out our complete plan for building a personalized holistic herbalism protocol for your specific symptoms. It’s comprised of video lessons you can watch at your own pace, and you can ask questions & get feedback from us right inside the course platform. Check it out and start taking control of Lyme today! As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Everything Will Be Fine: A Simple Herbal Stress Remedy
Oct 18, 2019
Show notes
Everyone gets stressed out sometimes. So if you’re among “everyone”, you might like this herbal stress remedy formula! It’s one of our favorites and we turn to it again and again.
Like all our formulas, this one can be customized to meet your own needs & personal taste. In this episode we describe what each herb is doing to contribute to the overall impact of the blend, so that you can choose the herbs that are most relevant to your own situation. Whether stress shows up for you as agitation, fear, or feeling stuck; whether it comes with headaches, digestive upsets, or a short temper . . . these herbs can help everything be fine again.
Intrigued by our discussion of elderflower as an emotional support herb in this episode? Then you should check out our mini-course all about Elderberries & Elderflowers! In it we teach you everything we know about this supremely talented herb. Learn how to work with elderberry to fight the flu, and elderflower to fight the blues. Everything from wild plant identification to step-by-step recipe videos & printables – all for only $10! As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Small Healthy Changes Help You Make Big Ones
Oct 15, 2019
Show notes
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 guide others through that process. Since making change is at the heart of holistic herbalism, finding ways to make it easier is critical to success.
Sometimes, the best catalyst for change is … change! A small healthy change in habits can give you a new perspective on a big thorny problem, and it can also make a big shift easier to approach. If you shop in a different store, you might find it easier to break out of your autopilot and make more intentional purchases. If you take a short walk, you’re more likely to take a longer one – and more likely to smell the roses, or climb the trees! If the end goal seems distant, take a small step in that direction and see if it doesn’t look that much closer. And of course, herbs can help with this!
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.
If you live in the northern hemisphere, cold & flu season is here! And no matter where you live, it’s good to have the knowledge and skills you need to take care of these common problems at home. Herbal Remedies for Cold & Flu teaches you everything you need to know to conquer a cold or fight off the flu. We teach you how to work with herbs that are safe and effective for all aspects of the illness. Our focus is on finding ways to support what your body is already trying to do as it works to restore balance. Winter is coming, so get ready now!
Herbs For Physical Challenges (What Ryn Took To MovNat Level 3)
Oct 05, 2019
Show notes
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 challenge! On this week’s episode, we talk about all the herbs he took to prepare beforehand and the ones he brought along to help him get through. If you want to work with herbs for physical challenges in your own life – whether that’s an intense sporting event, or a job or lifestyle that’s physically demanding – these might help you, too!
Mentioned in this episode:
Pumpkin Playtime: An Outdoor Adventure – coming up on October 19 & 20! Join us for a weekend of forest movement skills: learn to move quietly, quickly, and confidently over uneven terrain while you protect your precious pumpkin. Your weekend includes paleo meals, comfy camping, and of course, herbal medicine too!
The Holistic Herbalism Podcast Episode 44: Empty Nests & Challenges – In the second half of this episode, Ryn reflected on the MovNat Immersion he attended in 2018, and shared some lessons he [re]learned there about challenge, adaptability, and seeing the complex context.
joint liniment: (sol’seal, st j, alder, cayenne, lobelia, clove EO)
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.
Have you seen our newest online course offering? If you want to learn more about how to manage cold & flu with herbs and holistic strategies, this is for you! Herbal Remedies for Cold & Flu teaches you everything you need to know to conquer a cold or fight off the flu. We teach you how to work with herbs that are safe and effective for all aspects of the illness. Throughout, the focus is on finding ways to support what your body is already trying to do as it works to restore balance. Winter is coming, so get ready now!
Creating A Culture of Support
Sep 08, 2019
Show notes
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 difficult to do all that planning on your own, and you know what they say about the best-laid plans… What’s needed here is a culture of support for self-care and good health habits. If you don’t have that in place already, don’t worry! You can create one, for yourself and for those close to you. This episode is all about how.
First by changing the mindset we bring to self-care & community-care, and then by turning that positive mindset to the four fundamental pillars of good health, we can make this attainable for anyone. Accountability and camaraderie go a long way toward dispelling feelings of deprivation! If you’re trying to create a culture of support in your own home or family, these tips will help you.
Mentioned in this episode:
4 Keys To Holistic Herbalism, our FREE mini-course about the fundamental philosophy and practice of holistic herbalism.
Emergent Responder, for if you want to REALLY be prepard for whatever comes your way! This two-part program is a complete guide to preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies.
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
The itchy, inflamed, sensitive presentation of a fungal skin infection is something no one wants. These kinds of infections can be difficult to resolve whether you’re trying with herbs or with pharmaceutical agents, but don’t give up! With a few pointers and a solid plan, you can be successful working with herbs for athlete’s foot. The difference between success and failure often comes down to how you prepare and apply the herbs – that’s what this episode will teach you.
Our favorite antifungal herbs are actually some of the most common – plants like garlic, oregano, turmeric, and willow. With common household items like salt and vinegar, they can be made into very potent herbal remedies to combat athlete’s foot. We like to come at the problem from a few angles at once, working with soaks, sprays, and salves to keep the fungi on their toes – and get them off of yours!
(By the way, these remedies are also helpful if you’re dealing with thrush, ringworm, or related issues. We offer some tips for applying these herbs for athlete’s foot to other fungal skin infections like these, too.)
Have you seen our newest online course offering? If you want to learn more about how to manage cold & flu with herbs and holistic strategies, this is for you! Herbal Remedies for Cold & Flu teaches you everything you need to know to conquer a cold or fight off the flu. We teach you how to work with herbs that are safe and effective for all aspects of the illness. Throughout, the focus is on finding ways to support what your body is already trying to do as it works to restore balance. Winter is coming, so get ready now!
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
How We Make Our Winter Elixir
Aug 23, 2019
Show notes
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 and ready to harvest. They need about a month to extract fully into the elixir, so we can’t wait until we’re already sick to start putting our elixir together. Preparing it now means it’s ready for us when the first respiratory infection of the season strikes. Holistic herbalism means thinking ahead sometimes!
Our herbal elixir is designed to be general-purpose, to cover all the most important bases. When you have a cold or the flu, you don’t only need to “kill” the virus. You also need to keep your inner waters flowing, help fevers be effective & efficient, maintain mucous membrane function, and provide your immune system with the support it needs to function optimally. From the marrow on outward, our winter elixir is a full-spectrum solution to respiratory infections.
PS: If you don’t have all the ingredients we discussed in this episode, work with what you’ve got! Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. 🙂 And remember that you can work with what the landscape gives you in your own bioregion – wherever you are, there are herbs that can do these jobs.
If you want to learn more about how to manage cold & flu with herbs and holistic strategies, our newest online course is for you! Herbal Remedies for Cold & Flu teaches you everything you need to know to conquer a cold or fight off the flu. We teach you how to work with herbs that are safe and effective for all aspects of the illness. Throughout, the focus is on finding ways to support what your body is already trying to do as it works to restore balance. Winter is coming, so get ready now!
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Nicole Rose & The Prisoner's Herbal
Aug 16, 2019
Show notes
"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 humanizing people again, and working for community health and ecological health, and all of those things are completely opposite to what the prison-industrial complex is trying to do. So in that way, herbalism is abolition."
Today we’re honored & excited to share with you our interview with Nicole Rose of Solidarity Apothecary in the UK! Nicole is an herbalist who is working tirelessly to bring herbal medicine to incarcerated individuals, those who have been released from prison, and the families and communities who have been impacted by the state violence and the prison-industrial complex. She recently completed her new book The Prisoner’s Herbal, which Katja helped edit and which we’re going to help distribute in the US.
We talked about how Nicole’s personal experience of finding support from wild plants during her own incarceration shaped her work as an organizer and as an herbalist, the sad state of healthcare and nutrition in prisons, why herbalists should care about what happens to prisoners, what prison abolition really means and how we can move as a society in that direction, and how we can all support and care for incarcerated people in ways large and small.
To get your own copy of The Prisoner’s Herbal and support the work Nicole is doing, visit:
If you’d like to help us keep our incarcerated students initiative moving forward, while also supporting out podcast, free clinics, scholarships, and other projects – and get some goodies for your generosity – we’d very much appreciate it! To start supporting us today, all you need do is click this link to support us at $5/month, or this one to support us at $10/month. At either level you’ll get immediate access to our weekly supporters video series. These exclusive videos come out every week and are only for our supporters!
As always, please subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
3 Medicinal Invasive Plants
Aug 02, 2019
Show notes
Where does loosestrife belong? Is barberry a badberry? And what’s with all the knotweed everywhere?! Most folks will tell you it’s simple: “These are invasive plants. They’re bullies, who take over an area and crowd out “native” plants! They need to be pulled out, root and branch! No use for ’em – not a good seed in the lot!” … Whew. If that were true, there’d be no such thing as medicinal invasive plants – but we’re here to tell you, there is such a thing. Many such, actually!
In this episode we’ll tell you all about three of our favorite “invasive” herbs in our part of the world: purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, and barberry (European and Japanese varieties). We’ll explore each one’s medicinal virtues and specific talents, drawing insights from historical & traditional practice, phytochemistry, and our own experiences working with these plants to solve problems and improve health.
In the process, we’ll work to challenge some of the underlying assumptions in the standard narrative about invasive plants. Too often, this concept is predicated on unexamined biased assumptions about what it means to be “native” and what it means to be otherwise. The truth is, plants aren’t native to geography, they’re native to ecology. As the environment changes, the places plants live must change too. Thinking differently about invasives can help us better understand and relate to our changing world.
Herbs discussed include purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, barberry, & autumn olive.
If you’re a regular listener, by now you’ve heard us talk about our podcast supporters – and maybe you’re wondering how to become one, yourself! Well, let me make it easy for you – all you need to do is click this link to support us at $5/month, or this one to support us at $10/month. At either level you’ll get immediate access to our weekly supporters video series. These exclusive videos come out every week and are only for our supporters. So if you’d like to help us keep our podcast, free clinics, scholarships, and other projects going strong – and get some goodies for your generosity – we’d very much appreciate it!
As always, please subscribe & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
Herbs for Healthy Skin Care
Jul 27, 2019
Show notes
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 most purposes, a simple daily routine will do the job. In this episode Katja shares her own personal daily routine, and then we discuss how to work with herbs for healthy skin care in a variety of situations. Simple kitchen ingredients and inexpensive herbs are the focus, as always!
The best herbs for healthy skin are the ones that match your own constitution and your current state, so we offer insights into how you can choose the right herbs for your skin type. We’ve got tips for working with herbs to reduce acne, and herbal strategies for resolving eczema. And because we always keep things holistic, we share considerations around movement, stress, food, & sleep and how they can affect the skin. Lots of factors affect skin health, which is a good thing – it means you have lots of options for how to get started! Listen in to hear the choices and make your first steps.
Our We’re All In This Together sale end on July 31st – there are only a few days left! Don’t miss out – use the code TOGETHER to get 15% off any of our courses or programs today!
As always, please subscribe & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!
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