The Holistic Herbalism Podcast

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Alternative Health
**The Holistic Herbalism Podcast**

Practical herbalism from practicing herbalists. Conversations, botanical deep-dives, Q&A with clinical herbalists Katja Swift & Ryn Midura of CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism.

Latest Episodes:

**Exploring Energetics With Our Book & Getting Through A Tough Day** May 11, 2018
Show notes

Ryn describes a method you can use to expand your understanding of energetics by comparing ailment profiles and the herbs recommended for them in our book. If you love lists, this is for you!
Katja shares her best strategies for getting through a day when you wake up feeling zonked - from uncoffee to yerba mate formulation to settling-in at bedtime.
Herbs discussed include betony, catnip, chamomile, linden, yerba mate, tulsi, ashwagandha, & rosemary.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Katja's very own Herbal Oracle Cards are a great way to start and end your day with inspiration and contemplation.

Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon! - Ships May 15th!

Our theme music is "Wings" by Nicolai Heidlas.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**A Woman In (Herbal) Science & Heartburn 1-2-3** May 04, 2018
Show notes

This week Katja has some thoughts about the number of syllables in neuraminidase and what it means to be a woman in science. Ryn tries to keep it simple with a basic protocol for heartburn.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Behave, Robert Sapolsky
Student-faculty research suggests Oreos can be compared to drugs of abuse in lab rats, Connecticut College
What Happens to Your Body If You Drink a Coke Right Now?, Wade MeredithHerbs discussed include marshmallow, meadowsweet,
calendula, plantain, licorice, & calamus.
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon! - Ships May 15th!
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**Anti-Inflammatory Herbs Beyond Turmeric & Dreaming With Mugwort** Apr 27, 2018
Show notes

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 be, usually by folks who want to sell it to you! This week Katja shares some other anti-inflammatory herbs you may not have considered. Meanwhile, Ryn's been thinking about dreaming - or dreaming about thinking? - with the help of mugwort, a city-dwelling weedy friend who is very talented when it comes to deepening the dream experience.
Mentioned in this podcast:
If I Read One More Post About Turmeric Being Anti-inflammatory, My Head Will Explode!, Tammi Sweet
Mugwort for Dreaming, Ryn Midura
*The Twenty-Four Hour Mind*, Rosalind D. Cartwright
Herbstalk - Boston's homegrown herbal conference, June 2nd & 3rd!Herbs discussed include turmeric,
ginger, rosemary, ginkgo, peppermint, tulsi, ashwagandha, rose hips, hibiscus, elder, calendula, self-heal, red clover, and mugwort.
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon!

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**Taco Seasoning Herbs & -Ency vs -Icity** Apr 20, 2018
Show notes

This week Katja talks about the herbs that defined taco seasoning in her Texas upbringing, and their qualities when as medicinal herbs. Along the way, she takes a moment to appreciate the life of World War I herbalist and author, Maud Grieve. Ryn goes over an important lesson in phytochemistry - that no one compound accounts for all the observed effect of an herb - considering this today as it applies to specific qualities: so *demulcency & astringency* aren't reducible to *mucilaginicity & tannicity*.
Herbs discussed include fennel, cumin, coriander / cilantro, cayenne, onion & garlic, marshmallow, cinnamon, & hibiscus.
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon!
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**Schisandra & Peppermint** Apr 13, 2018
Show notes

No, that's not an herbal tea pairing suggestion! This week, Katja sets off on a 100-day experiment with schisandra berries, and Ryn discusses the nuances of peppermint's energetics - is it warming or cooling? Listen in and find out what we think!
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon!

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**A Movement & 3 Herbs For Back Pain** Apr 06, 2018
Show notes

This week Ryn walks you through a short movement sequence he finds helpful when his low back gets tense, and Katja shares (most of) a recipe for a tincture blend that also helps tense muscles - the rest is to be found in our book!
Find the video of the kneebend sequence here! And while you're at it, feel free to follow us on Instagram. ;)
Herbs discussed include ashwagandha, solomon's seal, ginger, and mullein.
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon!
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

**Herbs for Braces & Constituents from the Plant’s Perspective** Mar 30, 2018
Show notes

This week Katja shares some allies who've helped out with the (several!) kinds of pain which accompany her braces - gentle vulnerary astringents for the cuts in the mouth, anodynes for the bone pain, and a special guest to help drain fluids from the sinus. Ryn talks about one way we try to understand herbal constituents, the chemicals which contribute to an herb's medicinal effects - by trying to learn how they work in the plants who produce them.
Herbs discussed include meadowsweet, goldenrod, self-heal, calendula, plantain, chamomile, kava, & ground ivy.
Don't forget!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our first book, is available for pre-order now on Amazon!
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

Good Health Is Your Responsibility Mar 18, 2018

Show notes

We say it every week: we are not doctors, you are responsible for your own good health. This week, we wanted to expand on that a bit more, explain the philosophy behind it, and the reasons we think it’s so important to our practice as herbalists. We discuss the differences between conventional and traditional systems of medicine, and look into the legal issues surrounding “the practice of medicine”. This is also an issue of empowerment: the flip side of a responsibility is a right, and it’s your right to make informed decisions about your own health. We believe it’s the herbalist’s job to help you claim that power!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

Pleurisy In Daughter-Caregivers Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

This week, in honor of International Women's Day, Katja shares some of her thoughts and experiences with adult daughters who became caregivers for their elderly parents. There's a particular pattern of compromised lung health she's seen emerge in these women, which has been tightly tied to the complex stresses and emotional challenges of the role. Fortunately, she's found an herbal ally - pleurisy root, Asclepias tuberosa - who's been especially helpful to them - and may help you or someone you love, as well! Mentioned in this podcast:

Health Care? Daughters Know All About It, Roni Caryn Rabin (NYT, May 2017) - "As Washington debates the relative merits of health care legislation, many families have already come up with what is arguably the most reliable form of care in America: It's called daughter care.
Dementia Care, Women's Health, and Gender Equity, Bott et al (JAMA Neurology, July 2017) - "The best long-term care insurance in our country is a conscientious daughter."
The Crisis Facing America's Working Daughters, Liz O'Donnell (The Atlantic, February 2016)
Daughterhood - An excellent resource for women who are managing care for their parents.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!