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MEDICINAL HERBAL PATHWAYS
HOME STUDY COURSE
Overview and Outline
Gaia School offers programs and classes on beautiful country land in Washtenaw county, Michigan, directed by medicinal herbalist and naturopath Mary Light, along with faculty. We are happy to offer this 12 lesson home study course, written in 2006 and regularly updated, which has arisen out of 25 years of study and practice of herbal therapeutics. Ahead is an section about how to proceed in the course, as well as an overview of each lesson.
"Thank you! I just received my certificate !
.... I really loved the Home Study Program ! " Michelle F.
How to use the home study course
The course is designed to be interactive - to allow and encourage the student to do projects, be creative, and live the world of the herbalist - that of researcher, grower, clinician, community helper, gatherer, ongoing student, producer. The answers to how to best study the herbal arts and sciences are not in a notebook of pages - they are in a path taken to help students get to the heart of what herbal practice is all about. They are in rising to a higher vibration of inspiration and joy in taking on various herbal tasks and challenges.
This home study course has been designed to offer that path, and to offer support along that path.
You will work with:
The course content itself, one or more reliable field guides
“The New Holistic Herbal” by David Hoffman (not supplied with course), and you will be asked to research some questions by cross referencing from a list of approved books. Herbs and formulations sent along with the course Herbs which you gather or purchase for use in the course The herbs themselves - Nature Other books as resources, including the recommended Anatomy Coloring Book, author: Kapit. Also including herb periodicals which offer up to the minute resources and information.
Students may proceed at their own pace, and will receive the full 12 units at registration.
The course is copyrighted and may not be used for any other purpose .
Many of the lessons require interaction with the herbs growing in nature, and for this reason, the course is designed around the commonly native plants of the Northeastern region of the country, of which the Great Lakes area is a part. Parts of the course require reading of books and consequent completion of assignments. It is suggested that you give yourself a full 12 months to complete the course, although it may be completed in less time. Successful completion- meaningful and careful work turned into the School for review and grading- will convey a Certificate of Completion : Medicinal Herbal Pathways from Gaia Center. We categorize this as a 200 hour course based on various trials for completion of the material, although the time to complete the course may vary considerably with each student.
We recommend that you read over the course , initially, to get an idea of how to organize your time, resources, supplies, and work area. The Specimen Book assignment, for example, in which students are required to collect and preserve 12 different medicinal herb specimens, must take place during the growing season from April through October. It may be difficult to find all 12 in the month of December alone, so time must be planned accordingly. On the other hand, here in Michigan, writing this in December, I can easily find over 8 specimens due to a temporary mild (35 degrees) spell. Prepare also to spend a few dollars here and there for supplies of an inexpensive nature to complete such assignments as this, which at minimum requires a cheap notebook and some blank paper, as well as a clear protective cover for the specimen. One additional notebook with dividers and paper is required for further assignments. There will also be occasions to obtain small amounts of herbs, and to have on hand jars, lids, and other basic home supplies. Take your time with the assignments for quality learning.
Required reading will be from easily obtainable books which can be purchased through “used books” online sources such as Amazon, or at bookstores, or found in libraries or borrowed.. They can of course also be purchased new , or in any form useful for studies.
As you interact with , work through, and complete the course, you will keep an informal journal - this can be in the form of a simple spiral bound notebook. All assignments may be integrated into this notebook format , along with any photos, for submission to the school for review and credit.
Herbal Formulations and herbs, clearly labeled, will be mailed as part of the course package. There are clear instructions in the course as to when to use them- primarily in the sections on Actions of Medicinal Herbs, (Lesson 2) and the three Body Systems sections.
In other parts of the course, you will procure any herbs needed on your own - a part of the experiential path. The expenses involved are nominal for common bulk herbs.
We suggest that you send 50% of the completed course into the School before proceeding to the end. This is not a requirement, but, in this way if there are corrections or revisions we can mentor your work and allow space for the program to proceed in a balanced manner.
We will be candid and fair about work quality to insure that only good quality work receives certification. Call or e mail the school with any questions about course content or projects. We welcome the opportunity to help our students learn.
Course Outline
Required book: The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman
A manual from the school will accompany the course. Students must either use their own camera, or simply purchase one or more “disposable” cameras to take photos for documentation purposes for some of the lesson content. These are available by Fuji and Kodak for around 8$ at most drug or discount department stores. Students will develop the film and select pertinent photos for the course assignments, to be integrated into the material turned in to the school.
LESSON 1: IDENTIFICATION OF HERBS Needed: Petersen’s N.east field book
This lesson assists students in understanding how to use field guides, to recognize and use botanical language and landmarks - all important in developing skills in plant specimen selection, harvesting, cultivation, plant quality, range selection and in the all important proper identification of plant species to avoid selection of non medicinal plants, or worse, toxic plants. In addition to physical identification,
we learn in this lesson to ascertain the quality of an herb from a seller, or in the wild.
In addition to study and lesson completion, there is a simple specimen mounting project.
LESSON 2: MEDICINAL ACTIONS OF COMM0N HERBS
Through personal experience , study, and simple projects, this lesson guides in the understanding of how herbs work on the body systems through their composition, resulting in what we refer to as “actions” , which will be enumerated and
defined throughout the lesson. Understanding actions forms the foundation for further development and expansion as an herbalist and medicine maker.
LESSON 3: BODY SYSTEMS I Needed: A 3 ring notebook/paper for assignments. A holistic comprehension of the working of body systems is necessary as a complement and pre-requisite to working with herbs in an enlightened manner. David Hoffman, with additional commentary from Mary Light, will contribute information for 3 body systems,
1. Nervous System 2. Digestive System 3. Cardiovascular System
LESSON 4: MATERIA MEDICA
Even a simple materia medica- which is at once a reference guide for the herbalist, and a selection (at any given time, subject to revision) of herbs that a person works with - is essential to deepen understanding in herbal craft. A select
Materia Medica, which the student will expand upon during the course, will be given, along with instructions as to how to expand upon it with additional herbs.
LESSON 5: BODY SYSTEMS II
Body systems continues to integrate with herbal learning as with section I on Body Systems. 1. Respiratory System 2. Urinary System. Herbs , along with study and assignments, will be experienced for these systems.
LESSON 6: HOME HERB LAB
A home herb preparation area , with various supplies at the ready for herb use and production, is a simple herb lab. Here we combine information about supplies and set up with practical information and protocols for herb preparation. This lesson prepares the foundation for the performance of the upcoming four lessons, and is integral to development as a working community or professional herbalist . Most
equipment is directly from the household kitchen pantry, with some modest additions from stores ranging from “dollar” stores, to hardware kitchen departments, to
discount department stores.
LESSON 7: PREPARATION OF MEDICINAL HERBS
Here the student will begin to interact with and use the herbs beginning with attunement and connection , and proceeding to harvesting, and then into basic formulation recipes and procedures for medicine making. Journaling your process ,
success and failures, and interaction on a holistic level with the herbs is part of the learning experience. Using “simples”, brews, infusions, decoctions, fomentations,
compresses, we begin to explore just how the plant releases medicines , nutritive compounds, and supportive therapeutics to the body.
LESSON 8: CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL HERBS
This lesson presents an overview for growing 3 medicinal herbs at home- wherever that may be. It is not required to actually grow the herb, although the opportunity to do so will be presented. More important , and , as a complement to the botanically oriented Lesson One (Identification), we explore the growing conditions, “ranges”, and factors which contribute to quality and quantity of herbs.
LESSON 9: BODY SYSTEMS, III
Continuing on with the following systems: Immune System, Reproductive System, Musculoskeletal System. Herbal Recipes for each system, along with instructions on how to use and experience them, will serve as a prelude to your own personal experiences with these body systems and the herbal healing available to support them.
LESSON 10: APOTHECARY SKILLS
Continued herb preparation methods advance students into modes of preservation and extraction for the longer term home apothecary. Various simple and compound tincture recipes will be experienced , along with the effects of dosage and ingestion (or topical use) of such formulations. Salve recipes, liniments, suppositories, and food-based herbal medicines , as well as children’s preparations, will also be explored,experienced, and added to the home herb cabinet.
LESSON 11 : FIRST AID WITH HERBS
This lesson takes the students through the production of a first aid kit using herbal preparations, while teaching the theory behind the healing action for a variety of situations. The student will see how such decision making relates to
Lesson 2; actions, as well as other lessons in the Course.
LESSON 12: FLOWER ESSENCES AND ESSENTIAL OILS
Botanical healing using vibrational flower essences and Essential Oils (“eo”s) complements the traditional herbal apothecary. This work explores the foundations of flower essence theory, use, and production. Students will experience a flower essence remedy, and make one or more of their own, as well as become familiar with the various ranges of flower essence , and approaches of flower essence practitioners.
Essential oils are concentrated extractions of a botanical substance such as lavender, orange, pine, rosemary, and many others. Because of their various actions : antimicrobial, cell regenerative, antifungal, cooling, warming, penetrating - and others - their proper use can serve as an important extension to botanical healing. Readings and assignments are included.
If you wish to receive this course, or, would like to make further inquiries and ask questions about course requirements, content, procedures, or any other questions, please call the school, as we are happy to help you.
The Herbalist Certification Home Study Course is $650.00 plus any actual shipping postage , which has generally come to about $20.00. This price will remain in place throughout 2008. In 2009, the course and any revisions will be available for a fee of $800.00
Gaia Center is happy to set aside time for the home study student to visit on occasion for purposes of experiencing field ID, viewing an herb lab , apothecary, and living practice. Mary Light offers private consultations to students for 25% discount, so that the student may experience naturopathy and herbal healing for their own goals and issues, as a special supportive learning experience. You may request this Course by ordering it , sending payment by check or money order in the full amount to the name of Mary Light. Phone: 734 - 769-7794
