Herbal Recipe, Guide, Ebook, and Course For Kids! (Herbalism)

Yesterday was May Day and today is Herb Day!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring so far, filled with many green activities!

Just a quick post to mention a few awesome herbal resources. :)

Dr Aviva Romm recently posted a great recipe for a cold and flu syrup for kids on her facebook page. It's super simple to make: you basically mix a lot of store bought tinctures.  Or if you are already an herbalist: make the tinctures yourself, and then mix them!  

I really respect Dr Aviva Romm.  She is a medical doctor, one of the best known clinical herbalists (she was the president of the American Herbalists Guild for over a decade), and she was also a mid wife, so she looks at herbs from many different perspectives.  I have some of her books and they are jam packed with information.  I like how she bridges the gap between science and herbalism, and how she offers families as well as medical practitioners alternative herbal options!

A few weeks ago I signed up for her newest course, Healthy All Year, and a few days ago it opened. I just started studying and so far it is great--I am learning so much!  This course covers many different topics, and it is very in depth.  It focuses on herbal remedies for kids, but even if you don't have kids, it's a great course to take.  I don't have kids yet, but I have a niece and nephew, so I am taking it to learn even more about herbalism for kids.  Plus it's super on sale now for only a few more days.

Lastly she has a website (avivaromm.com).  It has a lot of herbal information and there are a couple free guides and ebooks too.  Currently there is a free detox your medicine cabinet guide, and a free ebook on herbal medicine for kids.  

Aromatherapy Book Recommendations And Specials (Essential Oils)

I found out about this from aromatherapy pioneer Robert Tisserand's facebook page.  Right now a few great aromatherapy practitioner or advanced essential oil books are onsale at Elsevier's website. This includes Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young's second edition of Essential Oil Safety, Jane Buckle's Clinical Aromatherapy 3rd edition, and Shirley & Len Price's Aromatherapy For Health Practitioners 4th edition and also their Understanding Hydrolats book!  These books are some of the most advanced books we have on aromatherapy, and they are usually very expensive.   But right now (not sure for how long) they are onsale for 30% off! The promotional code is AZK3E14166

These are not books I recommend for the absolute beginner but for those with a good solid background in aromatherapy.  I highly suggest getting these books if you are serious about learning the art and science of aromatherapy!  Robert's book is considered the best, most accurate resource on essential oil safety.  Buckle's book was just released and it is already considered a standard and must read in clinical aromatherapy practice.  The Prices's books are amazing resources too.  Robert and the Prices are considered legends for a reason.  Buckle is also an aromatherapy pioneer and a nurse too.

Free Herbal Webinar Tonight (Herbalism)

I just found out about this recently.  But there is a free herbal webinar tonight.  It is being hosted by John Gallagher of Learning Herbs and Herb Mentor.  And it is going to feature herbalist Tina Sams from the Essential Herbal Magazine.  I really love all the free Learning Herbs webinars since they usually host many long time herbalists and herbalism pioneers; so they are jammed pack with information!

I recommend viewing the webinar live, since they often don't record them, or if they do record them and they release a replay then it is usually an edited version. (The webinars tend to run 3-4 hours, and the few times they have released a replay, it was much shorter, like only 30 minutes).  It starts at 8:30 pm Eastern and 5:30 pm Pacific.  http://learningherbs.com/7-essential-herbs-webinar

The Aromatic Spa Book Digital Download (Aromatherapy, Natural Skin Care)

Speaking of good books, one of my most favorite aromatherapy skin care books is now available as a digital download.  It is not free but it is is worth every penny.

I greatly respect aromatherapy pioneer and essential oil safety expert Sylla Sheppard Hanger.  I am honored she is one of my aromatherapy teachers; I have learned a lot from her wisdom and experience in the field.  One of her books, The Aromatic Spa, is now available as a digital download. I don't have the download, but I have the paper copy, and it is jammed packed with information. Some of the information is from Sylla's aromatherapy practitioner course, and her aromatherapy practitioner reference manuals, so The Aromatic Spa is kind of like a short course on aromatherapy.

And if you are considering taking her aromatherapy practitioner course or investing in her reference manuals in the future, the Aromatic Spa book is a good way to find out more about Sylla's knowledge and teaching style.  In addition, the digital download costs much less than the paper version.  I have read many natural skin care and aromatherapy skin care books over the years, and this book is one of the best ones I have read on the subject.  If you want to learn about authentic aromatherapy and natural skin care,  I highly recommend this book!

Free Essential Oil E-book (Aromatherapy)

I'm not a fan of most free or inexpensive ebooks on aromatherapy, herbalism, natural skin care, and perfumery.  Most of them are usually riddled with mistakes.   And sadly only a handful of the best books on these subjects (the ones written by the pioneers or long time aromatherapists, herbalists, etc) are available as ebooks, but they are typically not free or low cost--there are a few exceptions though. But today I found out that a good aromatherapy ebook is free for the next few days.

'The Art And Science of Aromatherapy: Your Guide for Personal Aromatherapy, abridged version' by Kayla Fioravanti is free on amazon from now until March 10th, 2015.  I haven't read this book yet (I have the full version and only read a few pages) but Fioravanti is a registered aromatherapist (through the Aromatherapy Registration Council).  She was also the founder of Essential Wholesale, a well known ingredient and product vendor.  But even if you miss getting the free version, her ebooks tend to be fairly inexpensive, and are usually great!

7song first aid course (Herbalism)

I posted about herbal pioneer 7song's online herbal first aid course a few days ago.  I have really been enjoying it.  I have only listened to a couple hours of his course so far (there is over 35 hours of video), and I have already learned so much!  I've always respected 7song, and now (after listening to some of his course) I respect him even more.  I just found out that Learning Herbs (the herb company that filmed the course) has opened enrollment for one more day (today, March 5, 2015).  As mentioned previously, Learning Herbs has stated that this is the last time that 7song is offering his online first aid course, so if you miss this, the only other way to learn from him, will be through his live classes at his school in Ithaca, NY.  I highly recommend taking this course.  I hope one day I get the chance to learn from 7song in person too!  But until then, I am learning a lot through his online course!  

Tisserand Institute Newsletter (Aromatherapy)

And speaking of essential oil safety expert Robert Tisserand...


The Tisserand Institute is Robert Tisserand's school.  He is going to release the Tisserand Institute's first newsletter soon.  He will be announcing his school's advisory board, and will be discussing essential oils as antibacterials, including antibiotics and resistance.  I can't wait to receive it! 

Essential Oil Recipes For Menstrual Pain (Aromatherapy)

One thing that I love about aromatherapy is how effective it is!  When I first started studying aromatherapy many years ago, some of the very first blends I ever made were for menstrual pain and other menstrual symptoms.  Aromatherapy pioneer and essential oil safety expert Robert Tisserand recently posted on his facebook fan page some recipes for menstrual pain that were based on clinical research.  He also linked to a couple of the studies for those interested in reading the actual scientific studies.

The recipes he posted include lavender, clary sage, sweet marjoram, and/or rose essential oils. I have used all of these essential oils in the past in my own blends, and they are very effective. Some of the essential oils are analgesic and antispasmodic, while others are emmenagogue.

Different aromatherapy blends work for different people, and some months some blends work better than others.  And there are other months were nothing topically applied works.  So I recommend trying different recipes to see what works for you!

Free Herbal Webinar (Herbalism)

Herbalism pioneer 7song and John Gallagher (from Learning Herbs) are offering a free webinar tonight (thursday).  It will be on wild crafting and medicine/first aid.  I highly recommend watching it if you can!

http://herbalfirstaid.com/webinar-registration

Lemons VS Lemon Essential Oil Video (Aromatherapy And Herbalism)

Essential oil ingestion is a hotly debated topic.  Candy Sweeney of NaKee' Natural does a great job in her youtube video explaining about some of the issues with essential oil ingestion, and why it is better to use fresh lemons (the herbs) to flavor your water.  I highly recommend watching her video!

Herb First Aid Online Course by 7song (Herbalism)

One of the herbalists I respect the most is 7song.  He is a herbalism pioneer that lives, practices, and teaches in Ithaca, NY.   He is offering his online course on herb first aid through Learning Herbs.  If you can't travel to one of his live courses, this is a great opportunity to learn from him!  He has mentioned that this is going to be the last time he is offering his online course, and enrollment is only open for a few days, until Feb 28th, 2015.  So if you are interested, I highly recommend taking it now!  I'm definitely going to be taking this course!  http://herbalfirstaid.com/herb-first-aid-now-available/

The Sustainable Herbs Project (Herbalism, Environmentalism)

It's been a while since I've posted.  But I just wanted to post about the Sustainable Herbs Project.  If you are interested in herbalism, please consider donating to the Sustainable Herbs Project on kick starter.  The Sustainable Herbs Project is a new project by the producers of the film Numen: the Nature of Plants.  They hope to create an interactive documentary that shows medicinal plants through every step of the supply chain, and create a website to better help educate people on buying ethical and sustainably sourced herbs.

By donating you can support herbalism and environmentalism, and also receive some cool gifts from herbalism pioneers, vintage herbalists, herbalism companies or schools!  There are only a few more days to raise funds on kick starter.  Please donate if you can.  And if you can't, then please help spread the word.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/89295547/the-sustainable-herbs-project

Coconut Cream And Coconut Water Article (Natural Skin And Hair Care)

Since I posted about a sugar scrub that contained coconut ingredients yesterday, I thought I would post a related eco living article on using coconut cream and coconut water in skin care.  I wrote this article several months ago; I was asked about using these ingredients in body scrubs and bath soaks.  There are links to some of my other coconut recipes in it!

I usually post this article every couple of months on facebook.  Every time I post this article, I get asked 'where do you find coconut cream?'.  Coconut cream can be found at health food stores or at Asian markets.  I like to get mine at my local Whole Foods since they have organic.  A good organic brand is Native Forest.  But if you don't have coconut cream, just use coconut milk, which is similar to coconut cream but only thinner. I would get canned coconut milk and not the type in the carton, since the ones in the cartons are usually very watered down.  If you open a can of coconut milk, the coconut milk usually is separated (there will be a solid mass on top and thinner liquid on the bottom).  Just use more of the thick coconut stuff on the top and less of the liquid at the bottom.  Note: don't confuse coconut cream with 'creamed coconut' (which is coconut butter).  Some vendors also call their coconut oil 'coconut cream' so read labels carefully!

For coconut water, there are many good brands.  You can find them in many health food stores as well as some regular super markets, and places like costco too.  I like vita coco brand.

Sugar Scrubs Galore! (Natural Skin Care, Carrier Oils, Essential Oils).

I just edited my old post on sugar and salt scrubs.  I shared this recipe many years ago, but was recently talking about sugar scrubs on Earth Alkemie's facebook fan page, so decided to share it again, and updated the information in the post!  This is a basic, classic recipe for sugar and salt scrubs, made with sugar or salt, oil, and essential oils.  They are super easy and inexpensive to make.

A few months ago I also shared my vegan coconut scrub recipe on the anb (all natural beauty) mall.  This recipe uses coconut cream and coconut water instead of a carrier oil.  It smells so delicious and is really great for the skin.  Enjoy!

D.C. Green Festival (Eco Living)

This weekend is the annual Washington DC Green Festival.  They have lots of green vendors, non-profits, speakers on all types of environmental subjects, food, and activities.  I've been the the DC Green Festival a few times in the past and it is a lot of fun!  Green Festivals are also held once a year in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Qigong Classes (Chinese Energetic Medicine)

This weekend I took a really great qigong class called Spring Forest qigong level 1, at Sports Edge Acupuncture Clinic.  The class was taught by Hon Lee: a license acupuncturist, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and the owner Sports Edge Acupuncture Clinic.  Hon is a Level I and Level II Certified Instructor and a Level I Master Healer in Spring Forest Qigong, and also has a master’s in medical qigong therapy.  I met Hon during Peter Holmes’s and Tiffany Pollard's aroma acupoint class a few weeks ago.

I had taken tai chi many years ago and had learned some qigong back then, but haven’t really practiced either in years.  So I was happy to learn about Spring Forest Qigong, and some techniques to help balance my qi and to learn more about the energetic medicine of my ancestors.  I liked the class because qigong is very simple to do and very calming; great for stress.  Plus Hon was a good teacher; he explained things in detail and very clearly.  The class came with a DVD, book, and meditation CD, which was awesome, so I can review all that I learned.  Hon is going to teach level 2 in the future, so I can’t wait for his class.  He teaches level 1 and 2 a few times a year, so check out his website for more information (such as the dates and costs) on upcoming classes.  He has a free meetup qigong group in Herndon; which often meets once a month.

For non-locals, there is a lot of free information (like videos, downloads, and meditations) on Spring Forest qigong’s website.  Or you can get their CDs, DVDs, and books in their online store.  You can also find a certified teacher in your state if you'd rather take a live class.

The best news: Learning Strategies is offering many free Spring Forest qigong videos or audio sessions this week; each day has something different free.  It started Monday (the ones for monday are still playing for at least a few more hours, before they switch them to the tuesday ones) and there will be a couple free videos or audio sessions until the 24^th.  I hope that others will get to listen to some of the free recordings!

Discount For Tisserand's Essential Oils In Skin Care Seminar (Aromatherapy, Natural Skin Care, Courses)

Just saw that vintage aromatherapist and essential oil safety expert Robert Tisserand has extended the discount for his August New York City Essential Oils In Skin Care Seminar!  The early bird special is good until May 14th.  I'll fix this in my previous post.  The seminar is on essential oils in skin care, so I am so excited for it!  This is an area I know quite a bit about (being an all natural skin care formulator, and learning about & using essential oils for over 13 years!) but nothing like learning from the masters!

Looks like Tisserand is teaching his essential oil skin care seminar in Petaluma California in September too! There is an early bird discount for this course too, which is good until July 14th.

He has some seminars on clinical safety in China too (he travels all over the world to present seminars).  I hope that he will eventually teach some of his clinical safety seminars in the U.S.!

Tisserand did mention on facebook earlier this year that he will eventually be releasing some webinars; I hope that he is still going to do that, because I would love to watch them!

Edited to change one of the dates.

Free Aromatherapy Webinar (Essential Oils)

I just found out there is a free aromatherapy webinar from American College of Healthcare Sciences tomorrow (May 1st).  If you can't listen to the webinar then, sign up for the webinar and they will send you a link to the recording on May 2nd.

Aromatherapy Classes (Essential Oils And Acupoints)

I am very excited!  I just thought I’d post more about upcoming aromatherapy classes.

First I have to say I am happy that I was one of the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy’s giveaway winners (the giveaway was held at the end of March, see previous blog entry on that).  Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy (AIA) is Sylla Sheppard-Hanger’s school.  Sylla is a vintage aromatherapist and essential oil safety expert.  My prize was a workshop, but sadly I can’t make it during that date. :(  Luckily Sylla and her daughter Nyssa (who is also a knowledgeable aromatherapist) let me have a credit for their store instead.  Thanks again Sylla and Nyssa!  I really love Sylla’s books and practitioner course, and I hope that next year I can take some of Sylla’s and Nyssa’s workshops!  AIA offers a practitioner course (which is a correspondence, self study course), a new practitioner training program (which combines their practitioner course with live training workshops, videos, pdfs, etc), and workshops (which are 1-2 day in person/live classes).

I am sad about missing AIA’s workshop!  Next year I hope to take more live aromatherapy and herbal classes with some of the vintage pioneers, including Sylla, Jeanne Rose, and the Tierras.  But it really depends on my health and funds too (since none of them are local so I have to factor in traveling costs too, which quickly add up!).

Unfortunately, there aren’t that many live/in person herbal and aromatherapy courses and schools around where I live.  I’ve learned a lot from correspondence courses, books, scientific studies, etc, but there is nothing like a live course!  So I try to take them when I can!  There are only a couple herbal schools 1-2 hours away, but they are way out of my budget right now.  But I recently found a great live aromatherapy class just an hour away!  Peter Holmes and Tiffany Pollard are teaching a live class.  Peter Holmes is a vintage aromatherapist, acupuncturist, herbalist, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner.  Tiffany Pollard is an acupuncturist and a massage therapist.  Their class is on aroma acupoint therapy!  I am absolutely delighted because it is combining my love for aromatherapy with my newest passion: TCM!  I just started learning about TCM not too long ago (with the Tierras, who teach about the herbs and theories of TCM) and I took a meridian class (with Cindy Black, which taught the meridians and some of the acupoints used in massage).  I started receiving acupuncture treatments a couple months ago, and it has helped me so much with my daily muscle pain and some of my other issues.   So I am thrilled to learn about using (diluted) essential oils on acupoints!  Holmes and Pollard teach in person classes all over the country, so I highly recommend checking Holmes’s website 'Snow Lotus' for classes.

I am planning to take Robert Tisserand’s aromatherapy skincare live seminar in NYC, which is just a few hours away!  I have family there or in nearby states so traveling probably won’t be too hard (traveling is often very physically painful and exhausting for me, plus I also have to consider my food allergies, so it does take a little more planning).  Tisserand is a vintage aromatherapist and essential oil safety expert.  The class is not until the fall but there is an early bird discount if you sign up now (which ends May 14).  It will be wonderful learning from Tisserand on a subject that I love (I am an all natural skin care formulator).  Just hope I feel okay health wise then!

I really love studying plants and I am glad that I am learning even more about them!  I have been studying aromatherapy and herbalism for a long time (13 years; and learning about plants for many years before that), but I have been taking more courses recently to review some info, learn different perspectives on the subjects, and learn a lot of new information!  

Edited to change the early bird special date for Tisserand's class since he extended it.  See also my newest blog post for more about his classes.  Edited again since it is the 14th not the 15th!

Happy Earth Day! Eco Living Tips For Earth Month!

Happy Earth Day and Earth Month!  I hope everyone has been learning a lot about environmental issues and participating in many green related activities over the past few weeks.  I have been posting a lot of green and eco living articles and information on facebook (as always!), but just thought I'd pop in here and post a couple of my Earth Day related eco living articles!

For April, I wrote an Earth Day themed eco living article on simple eco actions.  A lot of people care about the environment but may not know where to start, so I have shared a few of my favorite easy but green tips, including information on overconsumption, glass containers, and toothbrushes.  I totally believe that many small actions can have a huge impact!  

In addition to incorporating green actions in people's lives, I think it is also important to spread awareness about ecological issues.  A couple years ago I wrote an article on the differences between conservation and preservation; many people use these terms interchangeably nowadays, but there is difference between the two.  I think that both conservation and preservation are equally important and needed in today's environmental movement.